Posted by Paul Bortell on

Your DiSC® Personality Profile can be used as a tool to teach yourself to “Lean In” and be direct.

There’s an incredible buzz about Sheryl Sandberg’s new book titled:
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead?

My colleagues are thrilled with this new book and its potential impact in the workplace.

In a nutshell, Sandburg’s point is that regardless of workplace gender bias, justifications and excuses will get you nowhere. Instead, she recommends that you believe in yourself, give it all you’ve got and “Lean in.”  It will put you in a better position to ask for what you want and need as well as to help others get what they want and need.

It brought to mind the topic of “being direct.” – it’s something that is considered a positive for a man,  however, women are more often criticized for being “too direct.”

How about you?  How do you communicate in a meeting?

  • Do you speak up?
  • Do you wait for someone else to ask a question so you won’t have to?
  • Do you sit at the table?
  • Do you use a diminutive voice that implies you’re not qualified?
  • Do you feel that you are an imposter?

Some women are not at all afraid to speak up, even if their questions are sometimes trite and even embarrassing. None the less, they are concerned by what others think, and upper management is well aware of who they are.    It poses an interesting contrast to women who can sometimes be more reserved and some who just sit there.

Seek out a seasoned career professional as a confident who can offer valuable wisdom on your way up.   Or use “peer mentoring”, a gathering of like-minded individuals can offer guidance much like Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg suggests with her “lean in circles.”

Pursue finding a sponsor as a mentor . . . one who will actively promote you. Several studies have found that sponsorship can be effective for securing better compensation, faster promotions, and job satisfaction.

Don’t wait for someone to “fix” things for you.  Be aware of what is going on, and when opportunities present themselves, dive in . . . if that’s what you want.  Take Control!

You can learn to do this by understanding your DiSC® Personality and then using that information to learn to adapt in situations that call for you to take control.

Learn more about: Which DiSC® Profiles to use or How DiSC® Profiles Work

The most popular DiSC® Profiles are:

DiSC® Classic 2.0 Profile (online)
DiSC® Classic Profile (the original paper version)

Get information about: DiSC® Training and Certification Viewing our site www.discprofiles4u.com

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