DISC Patterns Explained – Elevated IS Pattern

Elevated IS Pattern

Individuals who tally up an Elevated Influence and Steadiness score (and comparatively lower Dominance & Compliance) generally:

Are indicative of an individual who is geared toward emotional involvement and feelings rather than data, facts, and objectivity. The inverted U-shaped pattern depicted by the combination of the Elevated I & S factors of this pattern will generally spend an inordinate amount of time trying to understand people. These individuals enjoy getting involved at a deeper level in relationships than most would consider comfortable. This pattern is often labeled the ‘counselor’ or ‘advisor’ pattern. These individuals seek knowledge about other people’s feelings, emotions, thoughts, viewpoints, perceptions, and ways of behaving to make sense of the world. These people are open and confident in their dealings with others. They have a high level of empathy and a willingness to be helpful, especially when others are suffering or in pain, which is the mark of this pattern.

When the U-shaped pattern is highly elevated – and there is a big difference in the higher IS and lower DC factors – the individual will tend to be extremely outgoing, persuasive, charming, charismatic, and sometimes described as having a magnetic personality. Their friends and co-workers tend to find them alluring, easy to be around, and fascinating. When Elevated I & S speak, because of their depth of knowledge of emotions and their ability to influence people, others find them easy to be around and enjoy their company. Because of their ability to be thoughtful as well as have a high degree of influence and empathy, they’re often described as kind and captivating.

Benjamin Franklin is an excellent example of someone with an Elevated IS Pattern.

Throughout his life, he was known as charming, witty, and charismatic. While serving as the American ambassador to the Court of Louis XVI, he was able to use his popularity and captivating personality to help influence France into signing The Treaty of Alliance with America in 1778. By signing the treaty, France acknowledged that America was an independent nation and promised to aid militarily if attacked by England. Franklin’s personality helped bring about America’s victory in the Revolutionary War through the signing of this treaty.

Franklin, as is often with people who have high I & S, had honed his communication abilities and was able to read people well. He was the consummate elder statesman helping his peers come together for the good of the fledgling nation.

During the First Continental Congress, he assisted the crafters of the Declaration of Independence to think through the impact of their statements; and was the cooler head reining in Adams and Jefferson by prompting them to be mindful of their actions and words as they debated.

Co-workers will regard these types of people as leaders in the classic sense of the word, and many will naturally trust them and follow their advice because they tend to have put a lot of thoughtfulness into their recommendations, so they make sense. In addition, they will be looked to for vision, direction, or strategy. When this occurs, people are most often looking for validation of ideas already put forward by a leader, rather than looking at this individual to provide the actual direction.

The Elevated I & S will tend to thrive in a leadership supporting role because of their communication and empathy, but their dislike of antagonism and conflict may keep them from taking on a more dominant role.

In the team environment, they are often considered the peacemakers and generally seek a win-win situation for all involved. An example of this would be Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most influential people in the last one hundred years. His belief in civil disobedience and influence helped India gain independence and inspired civil rights and freedom around the world. He is known for his belief in peaceful resistance and strong nonviolence stance, which he used to form hunger strikes and peaceful protests that helped changed bring freedom and equality to India. However, this personality type will frustrate an elevated D-type individual because Elevated dominance personalities will perceive this person as too wrapped up in the emotions, talking for the sake of talking, and having feelings for the situation, rather than focusing on results and efficiencies.

Associated Sub-traits: Opposing Sub-traits Necessary for Adaptation:

I>d – Friendliness D>i – Efficiency

I>c – Self-confidence C>i – Accuracy

S>d – Patience D>s – Self-Motivation

S>c – Persistence C>s – Sensitivity

Elevated IS Patterns are Motivated by:

When a person has a high I & S, they have the classic profile of a people pleaser. The law of people pleasing is a powerful factor in their human relationships. The high I & S individual will go out of their way to please people, because of their desire to be liked by everyone. They will shun antagonism, conflict and will avoid rejection and confrontation whenever possible. In teams, where conflict may occur frequently, this person serves a vital function. They need to feel that they are adding value by helping others work through their problems on a personal level.

The Elevated I & S individuals work most effectively in environments where cooperation, communication, and open debate are deemed valuable. If this environment does not exist, they will strive to make it so. Because of this, high I & S’s are often best suited in a supporting role for a more dominant leader. When the partnership between a dominant leader and this inverted U-shaped profile exist, the organization can benefit enormously.

The balance between these two different individuals causes enough stress to propel and drive a team forward; while at the same time making sure that the individuals in the team are listened to and respected as integral parts of the organization. This individual’s Elevated I factor, complete with a high level of communication abilities, will offset a more domineering leader for the betterment of the team.

For this partnership to work, this individual must feel that they are appreciated and respected. They must be allowed enough latitude to socialize and communicate within a team environment without being labeled as too touchy-feely or ineffective.

Possible Weaknesses for an Elevated IS Pattern:

The individual displaying an Elevated I & S, should make sure that they are not overly involved in personal matters with other employees. This can cause frustration and the perception that the individual is inefficient and ineffective. They should strive to balance emotional involvement with appropriate facts and data. In a business setting, they must ensure that they add sufficient value in achieving goals as well as communicating effectively, and the balance between the two is important. In a family setting, they must make sure that they don’t take on the responsibility of solving everyone’s problem and always being the peacemaker. Another problem in families is that this individual might become the hub of conflict when all family members gravitate to them whenever conflict arises.

Another example of someone with a high I & S would be the American astrophysicist Carl Sagan. Sagan was extremely influential through his 1980’s television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage and through over six hundred scientific papers and articles. His charismatic personality and thoughtfulness allowed him to be a pioneer for space exploration and natural sciences.

Christiane Amanpour is another great example of an elevated IS individual. Working for CNN, CBS, and ABC, she has covered numerous stories, mainly international issues, which have awarded her much recognition. She is persistent and friendly in her approach and works hard to get the most from the news. The influence and steadiness factors blend together well to produce great news reporting.

Contact details:

HELLEN DAVIS

CEO, Indaba Global Coaching, LLC

Info@indabaglobal.com

Office:  727-327-8777

Founder DISCflex

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