The Healthy Living Plan Inc.   •   April 18, 2018

Yesterday I came across a DiSC® Assessment from 2009 and I read how my Classical Profile Pattern was the Developer Pattern. It was described my style as ‘An independent thinker who searches for your own solutions … Once you find an appropriate challenge, the desire to meet your personal goal usually inspires you to create innovative solutions and do whatever it takes to succeed … You tend to focus on results, making it even more likely that your answers to perplexing issues will be groundbreaking, even unprecedented.” I remember thinking at the time that this was what truly motivated me.

What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time was that I had so much energy held in this ‘pattern’ that it was limiting my performance. I was marching along, doing what I believed had to be done and getting the results I needed.

Leading Change

According to DiSC® Classic 2.0, there are 15 Classical Profile Patterns described. Each is motivated differently. Each displays different emotions. And each reacts differently under pressure. Add onto this, we all have unique experiences which influence our thoughts and behaviours. In all of this, there is no right style to lead change. Leadership is all about sharing vision and creating space to allow others to lead, especially in times of change. The following qualities are what I believe is needed to move organizations forward:

Each of us has a preferred operating style, which brings variety and diversity to the team and organization. This contrast brings forward expansion and creative ideas. Where we get derailed is based on the amount of energy we hold in our beliefs about how things should be done. As the pressure mounts, tensions increase to the point that our work environment becomes dysfunctional. The solve may be easier than we think.

The Logosynthesis® Method

Dr. Willem Lammers has developed a profound philosophy with a simple technique to help regulate this tension.

As external demands increase, we react. We can benefit by letting off steam.  We may not even recognize the need to let off steam but chances are that our team members and subordinates can sense the tension. By identifying, isolating and neutralizing the sensory perceptions that activate our reactions, we can release the triggers so that we can move forward with better decisions and more productive relationships. It is important to note that our goal is to lead change and therefore, we are not aiming to eliminate the contrasting ideas.  Rather our aim is to ensure that our reactions do not derail us from the best possible results.

To learn more about the philosophy and my experience with the technique, read Logosynthesis: Enjoying Life More Fully (Caswell, 2017)

To learn more about how the Logosynthesis® method can support leaders in LEADING CHANGE™, click here.