I found new appreciation for myself!
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” Aristotle
I’m at an age where I thought I knew myself pretty well. Which I did. But there are always more to learn.
What kicked off this different insight into myself was having gone through the Persolog® DISC Behavioural Assessment (more about this later). It really made me think about how I perceive myself and how I want others to perceive me. It gave me better insights into my personality and the impact my thinking has on myself and my behaviour has on others.
Let me share some of that insight with you from my perspective. You know those people that can make quick decisions, that are seen as dynamic, results driven and just fire directions whilst others still have to digest the information? Or those people that are so charismatic, that immediately gets people to pay attention and just naturally gets people excited about ideas? Maybe you can see yourself in one of them? I’ve always had (and still have) great admiration for these people. I always thought that only these types of people are successful, that this is who I should try and emulate.
Having gone through the Persolog ® DISC profile assessment, I now know that the first is a trait of a Dominant person, someone that is directive, and the second is an Influencer, someone that sparks optimism and motivation in others. These are just two of the 4 factors of the model that categorises behaviour.
The 4 factors are Dominant, Influencing, Steady and Cautious. And I now know that each one of these are just as great as the other. And that none of us just display one trait but show our strengths in a combination of these 4.
Me? I’m Steady and Cautious, helping the Dominant person pause and reflect on decisions being made. The Influencers makes sure that there is collaboration amongst the team, bringing the whole picture together.
The appreciation I have for having this new understanding, is knowing how I add value and taking pride in that. But also knowing on which areas I need to focus to make sure I do not stagnate or become a distractor. For me personally, this included focusing as much on the task as on the people, bringing solutions to potential risks and using my strengths in process efficiency in all ways of life, not just work (I now even have a menu plan at home!).
Call to action:
- If you’ve not yet had the opportunity to complete a Persolog ® DISC personality evaluation, contact us at office@xpand-sa.com to book a consultation with one of our certified trainers, it will be one of the best investments you can make in your own personal development.
- If you’ve done your evaluation, review your development actions, work on those goals and never stop growing!
We are all different. Uniquely made for a specific purpose. We contribute differently. None is better than the other. Know yourself. Appreciate yourself and appreciate others.
There is immense value in better understanding yourself and the people around you, and the impact your behaviour has on your social environment. Appreciate your strengths, own your space and be great at what you are great at.
Written by Elsebe van den Bergh