DISC Patterns Explained – Elevated SC Pattern
Individuals whose assessment results show a ranking Elevated in both Steadiness and Compliance factors; and also indicate comparatively lower scores in Dominance & Influence; will generally exhibit these sorts of tendencies.
Individuals that have an Elevated Steadiness & Compliance pattern tend to have a combination of accuracy and patience that leads them to be very practical, procedural, methodological, and/or technical in nature. They are more than able to work on a project thoroughly until its conclusion. Rather than just producing work, this personality type is interested in producing high-quality work and they will often work overtime to make sure that their projects are completely accurate and devoid of mistakes. Albert Einstein is an example of an Elevated S & C. He spent years on his Theory of Relativity and ended up winning a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. His need for accuracy and the patience he had to attain it provides an excellent example of someone with an Elevated Steadiness & Compliance pattern.
Elevated Steadiness & Compliance individuals are calm and logical in their approach to any issue. Even though they may sometimes appear detached because they are thinking deeply, they are extremely sensitive to other people’s personal or emotional issues and know how to work with those facing adverse situations. They are often deeply thinking about how best to relate to people. These individuals value strong friendships and good relationships with others but because their Influence factor is relatively low, in other words, they appear to be introverted in comparison to someone with an Elevated I, they won’t necessarily be perceived as valuing relationships too much. And unfortunately, this type of misperception – that they are not thinking of others – that they are rather thoughtful and reserved can result in people thinking they are aloof and that they have a rather standoffish personality. In fact, this might be true. Over time, because that is what people think of them, that is precisely what they become. Their self-talk might sound like this: “If you think that I am reserved, that is what I will be in your company.” Think about the concept of self-fulfilling prophecies. They live up to the perceptions and expectations that people have of them. This is unfortunate and can result in a skewing of who they really are inside versus what they show the world.
To compound this, this reserved or passive style can make it hard for Elevated S & C’s to relate to people, especially in unfamiliar settings because of their need to know exactly where to stand in order to act.
So they’ll tend to sit back, get the lay of the land before they engage with the group. This again will make them appear to be standoffish though this is not their intent.
An example of someone, who through their actions, demonstrated elevated Steadiness and Compliance factors is Abraham Lincoln. His persistence and determination with abolishing slavery show the Steadiness, while his lack of charisma and aloofness can be seen through his Elevated Compliance factor. He doggedly pursued his goal of abolishing slavery and keeping the United States intact after the secession of the Confederate States. The question is what if his focus and willpower had been turned the other way? How would that have changed the way we live today? The elevated Steadiness and Compliance factors can be both helpful and dangerous to the world.
Whenever dealing with interpersonal issues, this individual is usually very direct even though they have a low Dominance factor and outgoing even though they have a low influence factor. This may be a result of the logical approach taken to reach the best solutions.
Associated Sub-Traits: Opposing Sub-Traits
Necessary for Adaption:
S>d – Patience D>s – Self-Motivation
S>i – Thoughtfulness I>s – Enthusiasm
C>d – Cooperativeness D>c – Independence
C>i – Accuracy I>c – Self-Confidence
SC Patterns are Motivated by:
Individuals with an Elevated S & C personality type must have a plan or direction in order to act as well as having the necessary time to accomplish goals and tasks. Not feeling rushed is an important factor needed by this personality type. This individual is patient and they expect others to be patient with them. An Elevated S & C will work persistently, which means that they don’t like to be interrupted by others. Although Elevated Steadiness individuals can get distracted rather easily, combining the Elevated Steadiness pattern with the Elevated Compliance factor means that these individuals do not like distractions and are completely focused on the task at hand. They can be seen as doggedly persistent in getting things done according to the schedule. They absolutely hate slipped deadlines and have no patience for people who think that punctuality and deadlines are not important. Einstein worked for over nine years tirelessly on his General Theory of Relativity. His personality motivated his focus and patience and he was also the stereotypical absent-minded professor; he frequently became so absorbed in his work that he would become oblivious to his surroundings. If you know that you have this trait or work with someone who does, always make sure to avoid this absentmindedness time by assigning deadlines and schedules. Doing this will make sure that you stay on track. It will bother the Elevated S & C personality if this is not the case.
People with Elevated S & C also need to be certain that they are conforming to the expectations and rules of the work environment they are in.
These individuals like warm relations with others even though they don’t necessarily show it which can be a great motivational factor for the group and team projects. Another important consideration of the Elevated S & C personality is that they tend to be rock solid in their value system. They think long and hard about who they are and what they stand for, then, because of their desire to have priorities and guidelines – governed by their Elevated Compliance factor, once they are set in their value hierarchy, they rarely are swayed from it.
Possible Weaknesses for an SC Pattern:
These individuals are not typically assertive – unless they are backed into a corner by rules and regulations – and are typically introverted because they are such deep thinkers. They are typically not impressive in group situations because they won’t offer input in team situations or act independently unless and until the level of trust in that group is extremely high. This means that people with this profile typically never attain leadership roles. This describes Einstein well. He was utterly independent which could be seen through his approach to scientific problems and his aloofness from university and governmental politics. Elevated S & C personalities have to follow the rules and regulations – if they don’t it truly bothers them and causes them discomfort – and most are more than content in staying with their status quo. They will rarely if ever ask for a promotion or even a raise though these individuals may go far beyond the norm in going the extra mile. If not set some deadlines or a schedule or when tasks are not defined in terms of time constraints, they may take more time than others would in completing assignments because of their thoughtful nature. This might sound wonderful because they will get it right and be thorough, but it could also result in it costing the business more money in overtime pay. Although they produce high-quality work, they might not be able to make instinctive, quick, and necessary decisions at times, which can slow down production and hurt efficiency. May also cannot handle risk situations adeptly and are often too reserved or cautious in leadership roles.
Ben Bernanke is another example of an Elevated S & C. His methodical, anti-climactic personality is seen through his work as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. He is known for being shy and unassuming, accurate and grounded in data. He is the leading authority on the Great Depression and he used this knowledge to help not only save America’s economy, but the world’s as well, during the United States housing market crash.
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