Well, if we think about leaders with a directive style,it seems as if a stereotype appears in our heads, with even underlying beliefs, especially for those of us who are of a certain age and were accustomed to this type or style of leadership about what a leader “should be” like, and as we will see, it is not always necessary.

So, before we begin and in line with this last phrase, I want to make a very important distinction about what DISC is. This tends to generate confusion and is also sometimes misused, that is, as a label, and this is far from reality. DISC is behavior, it is an “I am” not an “I am.” It’s about how I show myself.

It has nothing to do with my intentions, my purpose, and much less with who I am; personality is much richer than mere behavior. When you see methodologies based on, color tests, etc. and they talk in terms of personality, there is a terrible mistake if it is about DISC, and it already shows the value of the information and the informant. Not to mention responsibility.

Well, let’s get to it!!!

Directive Leadership Style

People who use or tend to lead from this directive style are usually profiles that take risks, they are more likely to ask for forgiveness than permission. . Their goal orientation is such that for this type of profile, the end justifies the means, they have an intense drive to compete, lead, gain an advantage, and need environments where challenges and obstacles are continuous.

Best qualities: their direct approach, they call things by their name, they thrive on challenges, prioritize important tasks, and exercise a sense of urgency to achieve objectives.

Barriers: their possible lack of tact with people, pushing instead of guiding, creating overly competitive environments, and the desire to win can lead them to bypass rules.

Main characteristics:

• Goals: to win!!!, reach and cross the finish line, the bottom line, results.
• Under stress: they can be demanding, irritable, and lack empathy.
• Fears:  being surpassed.
• Need: recognition.
• Judges others: by their ability to achieve results.
• Pace: fast.
• Communication: direct, clear, unfiltered, says what they think.
• Response to rules: breaking them.

Well, these are some of the many characteristics that we can observe at a glance in a person who recurrently uses this directive style The legacy of this leadership style is extensive. These are the type of leaders who steer a team back on course when it is lost, inject the necessary energy to create that sense of responsibility and urgency towards achieving goals. If you identify with some characteristics, it is very likely that you have a predisposition to lead under the directive style.

Disadvantages:

• Excessive leadership of this style causes little autonomy in teams.
• Taken to the extreme, it is exhausting for teams and undermines their sense of belonging.
• Causes tension in profiles with other paces.
• The quality of the results is sometimes not as expected.

Where they may also need reinforcement:

• Have more patience.
• Empathy.
• Effective delegation.

Strengths:

• They are able to establish and meet aggressive schedules in terms of time and effort.
• Very goal-oriented.
• They are able to speak, communicate, and express themselves with utmost confidence and conviction.
• They are not afraid to take risks.
• They feel comfortable when they have to take charge of a situation.
• They thrive on challenges.
• They are able to make unpopular decisions.
• They set high expectations for themselves and others.

Well, as you can see in this first approximation, this profile has notable positive characteristics and also important areas for improvement. The important thing here is that if you are a one-dimensional leader, you become multidimensional after seeing the rest of the styles and learn to take advantage of this resource to improve your effectiveness as a leader. At the end of all these chapters, I will teach you how to design a training plan in that style that you feel you need to work on a little more.

Remember, there are no profiles better than others, all have the potential for success and all have areas for improvement. To the extent that we become aware of our own style, we will be able to work on those behaviors in your leadership that act as bottlenecks and hinder the performance of the organization.

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. Carl Gustav Jung

See you in the next chapter:

Pioneering Leadership Style