Last week I attended a five day leadership training course. I was there to observe, but participated in the course as if I was a leader in the company. Throughout the week, we did various exercises, simulations, assessments, etc. I wasn’t sure what to think going into it, but looking back it was an awesome experience because I got to know myself a little better.
I took a lot from the DiSC Classic Personal Profiling System, as did many others in the class. This assessment asks you to rate yourself across a number of descriptive terms.
Then, you tally up the scores to see on which profile you ranked the highest. I found that I am a strong “I�? for Influence. The other profiles were: “D�? Dominance, “C�? Contentiousness and “S�? for Steadiness.
As an “I�?, the workbook says I seek social recognition and put an emphasis on shaping the environment by influencing or persuading others. I’s are outgoing, optimistic, enthusiastic and good at motivating people. Fair enough- I knew that stuff about me.
What taught me most was learning what I’s need help with. I looked at the weaknesses of I’s and saw my past. I saw myself doing poorly at math because of careless mistakes. I saw myself getting in trouble because I didn’t check the facts. I saw myself being a poor bookkeeper. These are traits of the I’s and I could see the connection.
What became apparent to me was that I have been an “I�? all my life and will continue to be- there is little i can do about it. My first inclination whenever I discover something that needs improvement is to fix it- to be a better bookkeeper, fact checker, etc.
What I’m learning is that I don’t have to constantly fix myself to fit every strength. What I do need to do is be aware of my weaknesses and surround myself with people and tools that help me address the areas in which I consistently fall short. I may waste time fighting against the something that is an innate part of me. I don’t need fixing, I need support.
Lastly, I also looked at the assessment in terms of being a blogger. I’ll bet that the “I�? profile is strong among bloggers and I’m proud to count myself as one.