Using DISC Styles to Enhance Agility and Resilience

Map DISC styles to agility and resilience by encouraging Dominants to slow down and collaborate, Influencers to add structure and reflect, Steadiness types to embrace change, and Conscientious types to accept imperfection and take risks.

Learn how each of the four DISC behavioral styles—Dominant, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness—can intentionally develop greater agility and resilience in the workplace. It outlines specific strategies tailored to the strengths and challenges of each style to improve adaptability and emotional endurance.

Key Insights

  • Individuals with a Dominant style can enhance agility by practicing patience and collaboration, and build resilience by acknowledging emotions and slowing down before acting.
  • Those with an Influence style can improve agility by creating structure around their creativity, and strengthen resilience through intentional recharging and constructive feedback.
  • People with Steadiness or Conscientiousness styles can support agility by embracing change and acting without perfect information, while developing resilience by setting boundaries and letting go of perfectionism.

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Mapping DISC styles to agility and resilience. So let's look at each of the DISC behavioral styles and see how those styles could potentially strengthen their agility and strengthen their resilience. For the dominant style, to strengthen agility, they can practice patience, ask for input before acting, and focus on collaboration, not just on speed.

To strengthen resilience, the dominant style can acknowledge emotions, slow down, and reflect before pushing forward. For the influence style, to strengthen their agility, they can build some structure around their creativity and focus their energy on follow-through. To strengthen resilience, the influence style can create quiet time to recharge and seek constructive feedback—not just validation for how well they're doing, but real feedback on how they can strengthen their resilience.

For the steadiness behavioral style, to strengthen agility, they can work to embrace change as a growth opportunity and try small experiments outside of their comfort zone. To strengthen resilience, the steadiness behavioral style can set boundaries, speak up about their needs early, and celebrate adaptability progress. For the conscientiousness style, to strengthen agility, they can practice accepting that good enough can still be excellent and take action before all the data is perfect.

To strengthen resilience, the conscientiousness style can focus on what's controllable, let go of perfectionism, and build flexibility through small risks.

photo of Natalya H. Bah

Natalya H. Bah

Natalya Bah has been a part-time instructor at the Graduate School USA for over fifteen years. Natalya teaches across multiple curricula, including Leadership and Management, Project Management, and Human Resources. She has created a curriculum for the school, including Change Management Workshops and project management courses. She has served as an action learning coach, instructor, and facilitator for government leadership programs in the Center for Leadership and Management. Natalya also provides self-assessments and dynamic team-building sessions on behalf of the Graduate School USA.

Outside of Graduate School USA, Ms. Bah is a self-employed business owner providing executive coaching, training, and consulting services to the public and private sectors. She created the Define and Achieve Your Goals Process™ and is a certified Birkman Method© Consultant. She received her Master of Science degree in Project Management from George Washington University’s School of Business, where she served as a teaching assistant and received the Project Management Award. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

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