📞 07557 514880

Is Your Leadership Style Helping or Hurting Your Team?

Your natural approach to leading plays a bigger role in team performance than you might think. Using the Everything DiSC model, this post explores four leadership styles—and how understanding yours can boost engagement, trust, and results. Discover where you stand and how to lead with impact.
Jon Britain asking if your leadership style is helping or hurting your team.

Your leadership style shapes your team’s success more than you might think. While everyone brings their natural preferences to the role, some styles can unintentionally hinder collaboration, engagement, and productivity. In fact, according to Gallup, managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. That means your approach matters.

So, what kind of leader are you? More importantly, is your current leadership style supporting your team’s growth, or getting in the way?

The 4 Common Leadership Styles (Through a DiSC Lens)

The Everything DiSC model identifies four main behavioural styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. Understanding your style (and team’s) is a game-changer when leading effectively.

  1. D Style (Dominant): Results-Driven and Direct

Leaders with a D style are decisive, assertive, and focused on achieving goals. They like to move quickly, take charge, and cut through the fluff.

Potential Strengths: Clear direction, quick decisions, high standards. Watch Out For: May come across as too blunt or dismissive. Can unintentionally intimidate quieter team members.

Example: Sarah, an Operations Director, was known for her laser focus and drive. But her team often felt unheard in meetings. After recognising her dominant style through DiSC, she began asking more open-ended questions and listening before deciding—leading to stronger buy-in and better collaboration.

  1. i Style (Influence): Energetic and People-Oriented

i-style leaders are enthusiastic, social, and relationship-focused. They thrive on energy, collaboration, and recognition.

Potential Strengths: Team spirit, motivation, innovation. Watch Out For: You may avoid difficult conversations or miss details in execution.

  1. S Style (Steady): Supportive and Reliable

Steady leaders are calm, dependable, and great at building harmony. They take a thoughtful approach and prefer stability over sudden change.

Potential Strengths: Team cohesion, trust-building, consistency. Watch Out For: May resist change or delay tough decisions. Might prioritise harmony over results.

  1. C Style (Conscientious): Analytical and Detail-Oriented

C-style leaders value precision, accuracy, and structure. They are data-driven and meticulous.

Potential Strengths: High-quality work, careful planning, thorough analysis. Watch Out For: Can get bogged down in details, resist spontaneity, or struggle with delegation.

Why Leadership Flexibility Matters

Great leaders adapt. While your natural style offers many strengths, it won’t work for every situation or every person. A D-style leader may need to slow down and explain more when working with an S-style team member. When presenting to a C-style colleague, an i-style leader might need to prepare more details.

When leaders learn to flex their style, communication improves, trust increases, and team performance lifts. Research shows that self-aware leaders are 79% more effective in their roles.*

How Do You Know If Your Style Is Helping or Hurting?

Here are a few signs your current style might need adjusting:

  • Your team hesitates to speak up or challenge ideas.
  • You constantly have to “chase” people for updates.
  • Performance is inconsistent, and morale feels low.
  • There’s a lack of accountability or direction.

On the other hand, if your leadership style is aligned with your team’s needs, you’ll notice:

  • Stronger collaboration and open communication.
  • Clear ownership of goals and responsibilities.
  • Better problem-solving and less conflict.
  • Increased motivation and team cohesion.

How DiSC Can Help

Everything DiSC gives you a clear, practical framework to understand both your own leadership style and those of your team members. With this insight, you can:

  • Adjust your communication to land better with others.
  • Motivate individuals based on what drives them.
  • Reduce friction and improve collaboration.
  • Delegate more effectively.

 Wrap Up & Next Steps

Understanding your leadership style is the first step to building stronger teams. It’s not about changing who you are, but expanding your impact by becoming more flexible, self-aware, and intentional in your approach.

💬 Ready to determine how your leadership style shapes your team’s performance?  Download your Leadership Style Quick Guide here >

Book a free Leadership Discovery Call and explore how Everything DiSC can help you lead confidently and clearly.

Let's Chat

Other Blogs