The Power of DISC: Hiring and Leading with Confidence

The Power of DISC: Hiring and Leading with Confidence

In the early days of my painting business, I believed that completing the job was all that mattered. My mindset was simple: “If they can hold a brush, they’re hired.” This approach worked for a while, but eventually, it backfired. 

One spring, I hired a new crew for a large exterior repaint. On paper, everything seemed fine. The team had solid experience, good references, and performed well in their interviews. However, within a week, things fell apart. Deadlines were missed, clients were unhappy, and tensions between crew members escalated. 

This disaster taught me an important lesson I wish I had known from the start: while skills may get someone through the door, behavior determines how well they stay. That’s when I discovered the DISC model, which completely changed how I hired and led my teams.

Why DISC Changes Everything in Hiring

DISC is a behavioral assessment tool that identifies personality styles and breaks them into four primary types:
D for Dominance: results-driven, decisive, direct
I for Influence: enthusiastic, outgoing, persuasive
S for Steadiness: reliable, calm, loyal
C for Conscientiousness: detail-focused, analytical, precise.

Now, DISC is not a magic trick; it is a mirror that reveals what is already present. When building a team, this kind of clarity is invaluable.

I will never forget hiring a guy named Tony, who was truly magnetic. He was funny, charming, and always ready with a good story. Clients instantly loved him. However, within a month, we encountered a problem. Tony would leave jobs half-finished. This wasn’t happening because he didn't care; it was happening because he was easily distracted. He might spend ten minutes taping a baseboard, then get sidetracked by chatting with the homeowner about last night’s game. I came to realize that Tony was a classic high-I personality, great with people but not naturally wired for details. So I stopped trying to force him into a role that didn’t suit him. Instead, I paired him with a high-S painter who was steady, focused, and thorough. I also assigned Tony client-facing tasks like estimates and touch-ups. The difference this change brought to his productivity was truly remarkable.

Building a Team That Works Like a Well-Oiled Machine

When you apply DISC in the field, you start to see its magic. Imagine a job site with a high-D leader setting deadlines, a high-I keeping morale high, a high-S maintaining steady workflow, and a high-C ensuring every detail is perfect. Without understanding DISC, that mix could be chaos. With it, you can create a crew where strengths complement each other instead of clashing.

Hiring mistakes are costly. I’ve made them. One rushed decision cost me $11,000 and nearly cost me a major builder client. That was my wake-up call, and it’s why I now refuse to hire without having them take a DISC assessment. This assessment is not about putting people into boxes; it’s about unlocking their potential and putting them in the right place to succeed.

Building your team using behavioral insights like DISC can lead to better hiring decisions, more effective task assignments, reduced miscommunication, higher employee retention, and increased client satisfaction. Clients notice the difference when they work with a cohesive team rather than just a group of hired individuals.

If you’re still hiring based on gut feeling, you’re leaving too much to chance. DISC gave me a strategy, a language, and a way to build crews that work in harmony. If you want to stop guessing and start building a team that delivers consistent results, take the time to learn and apply DISC. It’s not just a tool, it’s a game-changer for your business and your peace of mind.

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Want to take a DISC Assessment? Set up a 15-minute connection call with Michael to get started here: Connection Conversation