Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: DISCovering Behaviors

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Nashville, TN for the Real Living Connection conference. However, I want to travel back a bit farther — not in distance but in time — to twenty four hundred years ago when Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, first started to contemplate the idea that differences in human behavior follow a recognizable pattern. Ever since this discovery, scientists and researchers alike have studied the concepts of behavior and personality. Notably, in 1928, Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. William Marston wrote “The Emotions of Normal People,” in which he put forth the idea that people are motivated by four intrinsic drives — represented by four letters of the alphabet, D,I,S,C, — that define behavioral patterns. And so, a concept called DISC was born.

Bob LeFever speaks at Real Living Connection

But back to Nashville and the conference at hand. During the general session at Real Living Connection, Bob LeFever, renowned ex-FBI official and real estate expert, spoke about the DISC theory at length and how it was applied not just to his work with the FBI but how it can also be applied to fundamental real estate concepts like recruiting, retention and customer service. It all begins by identifying the proper behavioral quadrant of the person you’re engaging.

Here are the four quadrants of the DISC theory:

D – This person displays Dominance. He or she likes to take action and challenge established norms.

I – This person is defined by Influence. He or she will be enthusiastic and will enjoy collaborating with others.

S – This person is defined by Steadiness; he or she seeks stability in all things.

C – This person is defined by Conscientiousness and pays close attention to detail.

Once you determine in which quadrant your colleague belongs, you can tailor your own behavior accordingly. DISC theory can help determine how you should best proceed whether you’re negotiating a contract, presenting a listing or interviewing a potential recruit.

So, what’s the message? DISC theory can be a powerful tool in your real estate toolbox, allowing you to better understand the natural tendencies of your associate. And through this understanding, you can build a strong rapport and ultimately, an even stronger level of trust that will take you far in business … and, I’d argue, in life.

GINO BLEFARI is CEO of HSF Affiliates LLC. You can follow Gino on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.