Learn About The ‘S’ Personality Type
Adam Stamm
Managing Partner: Online DISC Profile
Learn About The ‘S’ Personality Type
The S Personality Type is a unique style based on the DISC Model.
DISC is an acronym, and the letter “S” is defined by the word Steadiness. Those with the S-personality type will identify themself as someone who is calm, collaborative, and reliable. Within the DISC model, all personality types bring value to all interpersonal relationships and within the workplace. Each personality style has different strengths and areas for growth.
In this article, I will spend time defining this particular personality type. As a person who has this specific personality style, I will include some of my own insights and experiences in addition to what the research shows.
In previous blog posts, I wrote about the D Personality Types, I Personality Types, and C Personality Types.
We’re rounding out the series by discussing the S personality type. If you’re new to DISC, learn about all 12 DISC personality types here.
The 'S'-type Personality Explained
People with the S personality type are team players who value follow-through. They approach challenges with a “slow and steady wins the race” approach and try to avoid unnecessary risk or change.
Don’t let this personality style fool you. While individuals with this personality may not take as many risks as those with the other personality styles, they are able to equally find success in any domain they pursue.
A few years ago, I was speaking with someone who works in the financial industry at a conference.
They explained to me that their organization recently started implementing DISC and that they felt they should no longer promote anyone with the S-Personality type because they didn’t measure as high on dominance (a trait they valued at their organization). I strongly encouraged them to reconsider and explained the value that this personality can bring to any leadership team.
Famous S-Personality Individuals
Many well-known people have this particular personality style, and there is no reason to think that they can’t be successful because someone has the S-Personality type. For example, Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet and Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian have the S-personality style. Below are a few more examples of some famous S-Style individuals.
Quinta Brunson
A defining characteristic of the S-Personality Style is a focus of others.
In interviews, Quinta Brunson will take questions that are aimed at learning more about her and she will turn them into praises and comments towards the interview host or the other actors on her show.
Keanu Reeves
One of the key differences between the I-Style and the S-Style is how energy is displayed. Both styles seek interaction with others, but the S-Style is more calming and patient (hence the label of Steadiness)
Keanu Reeves is known for riding the subway where he exhibits a calming presence without a lot of fanfare.
Emma Watson
S-Personality Types go above and beyond to support others.
Emma Watson, has used her publicity to to rally support for efforts that support marginalized communities or groups of people. Listen to her speech to the U.N. and notice how she supports ‘both sides’ within a single issue of Women’s Rights.
What drives the S personality type?
A personality type is more than just a list of adjectives. DISC takes a deep and nuanced look at what drives people — motivations, dreams, and fears. Once you understand what drives someone, you can better understand their motivations, actions, and communication styles.
A need for security and stability drives the this personality. When someone with an S personality type is in their comfort zone, they can make steady progress toward their goals. Because of this, people with this personality type are excellent at follow-through.
They are easy to get along with. It may seem like they are wishy-washy regarding what they believe because they may not challenge someone’s viewpoint or opinion that goes against their own.
Because the S personality type values security, they tend to be risk averse and prefer to seek consistency in their environment. They dislike pushy behavior that would pressure them to decide or take an action faster than they feel comfortable.
S Personality Strengths
The S personality type is often the team member you can count on the most to see a task through to the end and be a true team player.
Calm & Patient
This personality type is the peacemaker. They don’t often seek aggressive action, and they are likely to take a back seat in decisions. However, when a conflict arises, they will be on either side of the argument giving an ear to both member’s sides.
Reliable
The S personality type rarely strays away from their routine and consistent environment, making them extremely reliable. You always know where they’ll be, and what they are capable of contributing to the team.
Collaborative
People with this personality type want to keep things moving forward and will do anything they can for the good of the team. While they don’t tend to be innovator in group situations, they will make sure that everyone is working together to get things done.
S Personality Areas for growth
No personality trait is inherently good or bad, but it’s always useful to have an understanding of which personality traits invite growth. These are some of the growth areas for the S personality type.
Lack of assertiveness
The S personality type prefers to keep the peace and make sure everyone is happy, but this can come at the expense of their own needs, or happiness. People with this personality type often have difficulty speaking up, or prefer to go along with a plan they disagree with, for the sake of peace. This can open them up to be taken advantage of by those that are more assertive and have no difficulty making their opinions known.
Risk averse
The steady nature of the S personality type ensures that people with this type are always inching closer to their goals, but their aversion to risk can keep them from taking leaps of growth. People with this personality type risk staying “stuck” in their own comfort zone and missing out on opportunities for change.
Understand People with the 'S' Personality Type
DISC is commonly misunderstood that it only measures our behaviors. While DISC does showcase common behaviors for each style, it’s more accurate to say that what DISC actually measures what makes us feel psychologically safe. The output, of this measurement, is seen through our behaviors. This section will review the motivations and priorities, communication style, stressors, and other considerations you should have when working or interacting with those with the S-Style.
Motivations and Priorities
During a conversation around retirement the other day, I asked a friend, who I know has the S-Personality Type, what his retirement goal was. Without hesitation, his answer was ‘$23 million dollars’.
His amount may differ from others with this style, but the motivation behind it is clear – he decided on a dollar amount that would shield him from instability when he decides he doesn’t want to work.
Those with the S-Style are motivated to behave in ways that they feel will allow them to find stability in a predictably unstable world. These behaviors could show up in situations where someone decides to not leave a bad job, find a better area to live, or advocate for a project they know would be successful. From the outside, these decisions might look like someone is afraid when, from their perspective, they are actually protecting the predictable stability they know today rather than an unpredictable future if they make a decision that could cause disruption.
The S-Style’s need for stability creates a double edge sword. On one side, they find and create environments which are predictable. On the other hand, they might rely too heavily on stability where it could become detrimental towards their work or personal life.
It’s important to state that all personality types have this characteristic where a strength can quickly become a weakness. It’s a reason why identifying your DISC Personality Type is essential to understanding how you make decisions.
Communication Style
When communicating with someone with the S personality type, it’s important to give them plenty of opportunities for them to speak their own mind. People with this personality type tend only to speak up once they’ve thought about exactly what they want to say. If you don’t give them the time to formulate their thoughts, you may miss out on their valuable insights.
Similarly, it’s important not to tone down any aggression when communicating with this personality type, as they will not meet any level of aggression or assertiveness and will instead shut down.
When presenting ideas to someone with an S personality type, focus on the parts of your idea that minimize risk, and focus on the parts that maintain stability. Offer someone with this personality type plenty of opportunities for collaboration, and trust that they will organize their time efficiently.
Stressors and Concerns
Beyond instability, those with the S-Personality Type will feel stress when there is a lack of consideration towards others. The S-Style has a preference towards people over task, and this preference can feel threatened often in the modern workplace. When decisions are made without considering the effects on employees or other stakeholders, this personality style will feel stressed.
Considerations when working with 'S' Personality Types
Hopefully by now, you can identify someone in your life who has the Steadiness personality. If you work with someone with this style, here is a short list of ideas on how to work more effectively with them:
- When discussing potential changes, give them time to process the changes and outline the effects you know the decision will have on others.
- Allow them to find ways to bring others into the conversation or projects. Those with this style are natural team builders and group connectors – this is a powerful ability that will help on large and complex projects.
- Make sure those with this style are realistic about challenges. Have a conversation with them about how to accept and move on from challenges without making a challenge a normal part of a process.
Find your DISC Personality Type
Are you steady, collaborative, and prefer security over risk? Then you may have the S personality type. Take the DISC free personality assessment to determine if you’re an S or a different personality type.