To the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus offered living water (John 4:10). But He told Nicodemus he must be born again (John 3:3). Another time, He instructed a rich young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor (Matthew19:21). And when He spied Zacchaeus up in a tree, He simply invited Himself over for lunch (Luke 19:5).

On each occasion, Jesus pointed the way to freedom. But have you ever noticed how the Lord approached every person He met in a way that seemed specially tailored to the individual? That’s because Jesus recognized that every person exhibits unique personality traits and behaviors. The greatest leader who ever lived understood that while we’re all “fearfully and wonderfully made,” we’re also wired differently.

Imagine how much your personal and professional relationships would benefit if you, too, could learn to see the unique personality traits and behaviors of others? How would this understanding impact your ability to lead?

Now, imagine if you were truly aware of your own special blend of behavioral tendencies? How might that knowledge forever change the way you approach problems, schedule your day, and handle conflicts?

Self-awareness is the key to relational success, yet it’s seldom talked about. But if we want to reach our true, God-given potential, we must have a clear understanding of the unique personality He’s given us—and that includes knowing our own strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness, or the lack of it, impacts our marriages, the way we parent, our employee-employer relationships, and how we perceive and understand others.

A study conducted by Green Peak Partners found that a high self-awareness score was the strongest predictor of a leader’s future success. And according to Victor Lipman, the qualities we commonly associate with management and leadership—being authoritative, decisive, forceful, perhaps somewhat controlling at times—if not moderated with a high degree of self-awareness—are the same qualities most likely to alienate the very people we hope to influence.

The Biblical DISC® Assessment (BDA) helps you discover your unique behavioral style and how God can use it to assist you in leading more effectively! The BDA is based on the popular and practical DISC model of human behavior. DISC is the most widely used behavioral model in the world. It has helped millions of people improve their communication, productivity, team-building, and leadership skills, as well as their relationships at work and at home.

Oh, no, they’re not!” she said emphatically. Her response caught me by surprise. I was leading a seminar in Peoria, Illinois, and had only just made the statement, “All people are motivated.” That’s when this woman in the second row, who hadn’t so much as cleared her throat till that moment, stood and spoke up: “Oh no they’re not! I have a son who isn’t motivated—not in the slightest. He is twenty-six years old, still in college, and living with us at home. He doesn’t have a job, isn’t doing much to get one, and sleeps in until ten o’clock every morning. I don’t think he’s motivated!”

I smiled at the woman. “Ma’am,” I said. “I don’t mean to offend you. However, I think your son is motivated. He’s motivated to stay in college, not get a job, live off mom and dad, and sleep until ten every morning. I think he’s extremely motivated!”

—Rich Meiss, Director of Leadership Development,
Lead Like Jesus

What is Motivation?

Motivation can be described as “the reason why people do what they do; that which compels people to action.” It is often broken down into two types: external (“extrinsic”) and internal (“intrinsic”) motivation.

A person’s external motivation is brought on by someone or something outside of that person. Think of the carrot-and-the-stick metaphor. External motivation depends on rewards and punishments.

For example, when God made a covenant with His people in the Old Testament, He laid out a long list of blessings (rewards) for obedience and curses (punishments) for disobedience (see Deuteronomy 28). He was appealing to His people’s natural external motivations.

Internal motivation is different, though. This motivation is within a person, compelling him or her to action. As a result, rewards and punishments are ineffective in cultivating this sort of motivation. All we can do is create a climate or culture where people are free to follow their own internal motivations toward a shared goal.

In the Bible, God tapped into this type of motivation, too. When He put Barnabas and Paul together as missionary partners, He did so knowing that Barnabas’s internal desire was to encourage and to serve (he had earned the nickname “son of encouragement”; Acts 4:36), and that this motivation would be the perfect complement to Paul’s zeal to reach the lost. God didn’t need to hold out the promise of reward or the threat of punishment to get Barnabas on board; he was already wired for the job.

Both types of motivation have their place, but wouldn’t you prefer to be motivated by something inside of you, something that’s an intrinsic part of who God made you to be?

People are already motivated. It’s our job to discover what motivates them. When we do, we’ll have the key to more effective leadership and better relationships. More importantly, if we can learn more about our own internal motivations, we can begin to unlock our God-given potential.

D – The Dominant or Directing style individual has a need for control and challenging activities. Their style is determined, straightforward, and motivated by opportunities for competition. This person is usually direct and assertive. We will use the term Directer to describe this person.

I – The Influencing or Interacting style person needs to interact or persuade others to their point of view. This person tends to be informal, talkative, and enthusiastic. They focus their energy on being involved with others. For this reason, we will call the person with this style an Interacter.

S – The Steadiness or Supportive style individual has a high need for security and stability. They are typically predictable, accountable, and low-key. Known as a Supporter, this type of individual prefers to listen and do things for others rather than talk and come up with new ideas.

C – The Conscientious or Calculating style person has a high need for accuracy and caution. These people tend to be diplomatic, precise and systematic. Because of their need to think things through and do them correctly, we call this style of person a Calculator.

When Jesus selected twelve disciples to join Him in His ministry, He didn’t choose people who favored just one personality type. His band of brothers was an eclectic group. There was Peter, who could be both high energy and brash (likely a combination of I and D). But there was also John, whom Jesus thought so dependable and warm that He trusted him to care for His mother (indicating a high C and S).

Jesus knew that a great team depends not on a uniformity of perspectives and desires, but on directing a variety of strengths toward a big and common goal.

He wanted disciples with all kinds of behavioral styles because He knew that the challenges they would face with Him in ministry and after He returned to the Father would be too big for just one style of leadership. As we explore the DISC behavioral styles a bit more deeply, it’s important to remember that different doesn’t mean wrong.

Each of us acts the way we do for a variety of reasons. This is perfectly normal. However, even slight differences can become barriers between us. The real source of our conflict is not in our differences, though. Instead, conflict happens when we have accepted, sometimes unknowingly, that because our way of doing things seems right to us, it is the only way things can and should be done. This is a symptom of a belief system based on winning and losing. The first step in resolving a conflict is to move out of win-lose and into win-win. One of the best ways to do that is to realize that when it comes to behavioral style, different simply means different, not wrong.

The Shape of Our Behavior

So, what shapes our behavior? Why am I the way I am? And why is that other person so very different? These questions have fascinated people throughout history. Early observers compared human behavior to the four elements of nature: earth, fire, water and air. Earth was firm and dominating, fire was bright and animated, water was calm and peaceful, and air was clear and detached.

Contemporary researchers have discovered that each person has a pattern of behavior that was formed early in life. Some would even say children come into the world with their behavioral style already intact. No one can say for sure exactly what percentage of this pattern is hereditary and what percentage is environmental. But parents of more than one child often marvel that two kids from the same set of parents growing up in the same environment can be so very different.

To better understand the DISC model, let’s take a look at two continuums of behavior, which we will label pace and priority.

Tips for Dealing with Each DISC Style

As you can probably imagine, many conflicts and misunderstandings are the result of people simply operating out of their preferred behavioral style. But the more we know about ourselves and others, the better we can navigate our interactions to find positive outcomes. In fact, the bigger the family or the bigger the organization, the more everyone will benefit from knowing and understanding the language of DISC.

When dealing with a Directer: Provide possibilities for them to achieve results, solve problems, or be in charge. Stress the logic of ideas or strategies. Whenever possible, get them into a discussion about their goals and the end results. Remember that Directers can be demanding and competitive; they will tend to tell you what is happening and want to be in control. Help them meet these needs.

When dealing with an Interacter: Allow them to express their hunches or ideas. Provide ideas for transferring talk to action. Allow time for fun activities and creative ideas. Provide incentives for them, and avoid confrontation if at all possible. Remember that Interacters can be excitable and stimulating. They will want to be the center of attention and have the opportunity to interact with people.

When dealing with a Supporter: Show them sincere interest and recognition. Be patient in drawing out their goals and needs. Present new ideas in a non-threatening manner, giving Supporters time to adjust to change. Remember that Supporters tend to be soft-spoken and team oriented, and usually want to include everyone. They do not need to be the center of attention.

When dealing with a Calculater: Be prepared to answer their questions in a patient and persistent manner. If you disagree about something, make sure to disagree with the facts, not the person. Give them permission to make changes based on their high standards. Remember that Calculaters can be cautious and sensitive. They tend to ask probing questions and like to plan ahead.

Developing Trust, Regardless of Style

Over the years, studies at the University of Minnesota have concluded that trust is built on these four foundations:

Straightforwardness: Confronting people and issues

Openness: Giving and receiving feedback willingly

Acceptance: Being non-judgmental of others

Reliability: Doing what you say you will do

When these four characteristics are present, a climate of trust is usually apparent. The interesting fact is that each of the DISC styles tends to have strengths and limitations in these four trust factors, as follows:

As we recognize our strengths and limitations, and those of other team members, we can begin to lean on one another for the good of all.

The Growth Potential of Biblical DISC®

In the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote:

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body (vv. 15–20).

One of the issues dividing the Corinthian church was the use of their spiritual gifts, but the principle Paul lays out can be applied to all gifts—natural or spiritual—including the way God has wired our individual style preferences. In your home or business, your DISC style is a gift to those around you, just as the behavioral styles of those with whom you live and work are a gift to you. No one style preference is better than another, but each was given for the common good.

Now, at first this might not seem obvious. It’s basic human nature to look at the world through the lenses we wear every day. Our own style preference has a way of shading our outlook so that we inherently believe that our way of handling a situation, whether it be as a Directer, an Interacter, a Supporter, or a Calculater, is the best way possible.

But with our differences, God has given us a path to growth and maturity. As we spend time with all different types of people and see their strengths in action, we will grow from judging to valuing others.

Think of this growth like a ladder. We all start out on the bottom rung—judging. That’s when we see the different ways others respond to circumstances and look down upon them for not doing things the way we would. As we have already seen, this is somewhat natural. It’s hard for us humans to see the world the way someone else might. But there’s hope.

The next rung on the ladder is understanding. This happens when we begin to get our minds around the idea that we’re not all the same. If, for example, you’re a Directer and you see a Calculater in action, you become curious, asking yourself, “Why did they just tackle the problem that way? They were really concerned with getting a handle on all the data.” The Biblical DISC (and this eBook) can help us take the first step up to the understanding rung because we now have a language to talk about the differences we see.

Respecting is the third rung. Think of respecting as a deeper, more intentional way of understanding. Once we realize that everyone has their own way of operating, we learn to respect our differences. This affects how we work alongside others, how we communicate, and how we handle conflicts and misunderstandings.

Next is appreciating. On this rung, we become truly thankful for other people and what their personality style brings to the team. We take notice of a job well done and call attention to it. But because we are armed with the knowledge of the DISC model, we also show our appreciation in ways that will be meaningful to each person’s preferred style. For example, you might give the D on the team a pat on the back and present her with another challenge, while you make sure the S is given credit along with the rest of the team (so he knows no one got left out).

The final rung on our ladder is valuing. This is where we really step into Jesus’ footsteps. He valued everybody—from tax collectors to Pharisees to lepers. And that’s where we need to be if we’re going to lead like Jesus. The way we get there is to leave judging behind, and step into a place of understanding, followed by respecting, then appreciating.

Where are you on this ladder? Once you take the Biblical DISC® Assessment, set aside some time to reflect on your own journey from judging to valuing. No matter where you find yourself, the good news is that progress can be made. And God wants to help us make it.

We hope you have enjoyed learning about the DISC model of human behavior. If you’d like to dive deeper into the Biblical aspects of DISC, study Jesus and His perfect display of all four behavioral styles, or become a certified practitioner of Biblical DISC, you can visit our website to learn more. Once there, you’ll find a sample report, be able to take the assessment in order to learn more about the way God naturally wired you, and even join one of our upcoming training or certification programs.