As a business owner, communicating effectively with your team can be a challenge—but it’s also a crucial part of leadership. Every employee is unique, so a one-size-fits-all approach just won’t cut it. The bigger the team, the more personality styles to navigate. That’s why more and more Australian business leaders are turning to DISC assessments to better understand their team’s behaviours and communication styles.
What is DISC?
DISC is an assessment tool that breaks down four key behavioural and communication styles. It’s not about good or bad personalities—it’s a data-driven way to help leaders engage with their teams more effectively. Each person is assessed on a colour-coded scale of 1-100 across the four DISC traits, and the results offer insights into how they communicate, what motivates them, and how they interact with others.
The Four DISC Styles
📌 D – Dominance: Confident, assertive, and results-driven. High D’s are competitive, goal-oriented, and love a challenge.
📌 I – Influence: Outgoing, persuasive, and energetic. High I’s thrive on collaboration, recognition, and creativity.
📌 S – Steadiness: Loyal, patient, and reliable. High S’s value stability, teamwork, and consistency.
📌 C – Compliance: Analytical, detail-focused, and precise. High C’s are methodical, structured, and committed to accuracy.
Since everyone falls somewhere along the spectrum of all four traits, DISC helps leaders adapt their approach to best engage with their team members. Many participants are surprised by how spot-on their results turn out to be!
DISC in Action: A Business Team Example
Let’s say a small Aussie business completes a DISC assessment:
- David (High D – Dominance): As the CEO, he’s decisive, strategic, and focused on big-picture goals.
- Irina (High I – Influence): The Marketing Director, a social and creative thinker who thrives on excitement and ideas.
- Sanjay (High S – Steadiness): The HR Coordinator, supportive and focused on keeping things running smoothly.
- Celine (High C – Compliance): A Data Analyst, meticulous, structured, and highly focused on accuracy.
At a team meeting, David announces an ambitious 60-day product launch. He fires off instructions:
👉 Irina, get the marketing plan sorted ASAP!
👉 Sanjay, prep the team and ensure everything runs smoothly.
👉 Celine, I need sales projections by tomorrow!
Their DISC styles shape their responses:
✔️ Irina jumps straight into bold marketing ideas.
✔️ Sanjay ensures the workload is balanced and the team is supported.
✔️ Celine requests extra time to ensure 100% accuracy on the projections.
Thanks to their DISC awareness, the team understands each other’s working styles, communicates effectively, and collaborates smoothly—leading to a successful product launch.
Why Aussie Business Owners Love DISC
Whether you run a small business in Sydney or a fast-growing enterprise in Melbourne, DISC helps you unlock your team’s potential, improve communication, and create a more productive, engaged workplace.