The Art of Discernment in Building Your Dream Team

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with the right people, especially the ones who don’t speak first in meetings.”

When I launched Painting Profit, one lesson took on a life of its own. Not because it was flashy, but because it hit the heart of what holds so many great painting businesses back: communication mismatches. It’s rarely the paint, the bids, or even the budget that trips us up. More often, it’s people's dynamics.

Let me tell you about a moment that changed the way I lead. I was coaching one of my team leaders, an exceptional guy, detail-oriented, never late, always in uniform. But lately, his energy was off. He wasn’t finishing his paperwork and he seemed unsettled, distracted.

I sat down and asked, “Tell me what’s going on.”

He looked me straight in the eye and said: “You changed the scope mid-job… again. I can’t keep up when the plan keeps changing.”

That hit me like a five-gallon bucket of primer. This wasn’t about performance; it was about personality, and my failure to lead it well

Meet the C’s and the S’s

In the DISC behavioral framework, there are four styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness, D, I, S, and C. Most business owners in the trades are natural D’s or I’s, we’re fast-moving, people-oriented, driven, talkers.

But many of the best painters I’ve ever hired? They’re C’s and S’s. And here’s the truth most owners miss: if you don’t know how to lead your C’s and S’s, you’ll lose the very people who keep your business stable, clean, efficient, and trustworthy.

S: The Steady Hand in a Storm

S-style team members are calm, kind, consistent, and loyal. They don’t yell, they don’t brag, they don’t show up late or start drama, they just work. But that same calm can fool you. You think everything is fine until they quit.

Here’s what I’ve learned from coaching, and messing up, with S’s: tone is everything. S’s are introverted. If I come at them loud or overly direct, they shut down. I have to keep my tone relaxed, respectful, and clear.

Clarity builds confidence. They want to know the plan, their role, and everyone else’s role. Who’s doing what, and when. And change? Change equals anxiety. Dropping last-minute changes without walking them through is a recipe for stress. They won’t say it, but it weighs on them.

I had a great S painter leave me years ago. I thought everything was fine. Later, I found out they felt undervalued and overwhelmed by unclear expectations. That will never happen again.

C: The Craftsman Mindset

Now, C’s are your detail people. Your methodical, analytical, perfection-driven painters. They love checklists, they thrive on order, and they hate chaos.

If you’re a fast-moving I or D like me, C’s can frustrate you, until you realize they’re the reason your finishes look flawless, your jobs pass inspection, and your clients refer you.

Here’s what I’ve learned about leading C’s: they’re not slow, they’re thorough. They need time to process. Interrupt their system and you’ll throw them off. Surprises? They’re the enemy. Don’t change the plan mid-job. If you must, explain why and let them adjust. And respect their standards. They have high ones. Let them lead on quality and give them a voice in decisions.

One of my top crew leads is a classic C. He wears the same spotless shirt every day, labels every can, and logs every hour to the minute. You think he’s just “extra” until you see his punch list, 100% complete, every time.

But once, I shifted the project schedule without looping him in. It wrecked his entire system, and it almost cost me a great team member. I owned it, apologized, and we built a better workflow together.

What Business Owners Get Wrong

The biggest mistake I see painting contractors make? They try to lead everyone like themselves.

They assume everyone wants the same pace, pressure, and priorities. But C’s and S’s don’t want the limelight. They want the plan, they want consistency, and when you give it to them, they become your most loyal and productive players.

You don’t need more people like you. You need to understand the people you already have and lead them with purpose.

Enter the Painting Profit Course

This lesson, on C’s and S’s, is one of the most transformational modules in the entire Painting Profit program.

I don’t just teach DISC theory. I walk you through how to identify styles on the job, what tone and structure each style needs, how to adjust your leadership without losing your voice, and how to build better crews through behavioral understanding.

Whether you’re hiring your first crew or managing five teams, this content changes the game. Because it’s not just about who you hire, it’s how you lead.

And here’s the kicker: you don’t need to be a psychologist. You just need the right tools and a coach who’s walked the job site and the boardroom.

When I think about the hundreds of contractors I’ve coached, the ones who thrive long-term have one thing in common: they learn how to lead people, not just jobs. They recognize when a C needs reassurance about the process, when an S needs time to build trust, and when to stop talking and just listen.

They stop losing great painters because of avoidable breakdowns. They build teams that trust each other, communicate clearly, and execute with excellence. They build businesses that work.

Ready to Grow Your Team the Right Way?

If you’ve ever felt frustrated that your team “just doesn’t get it,” had a solid crew member suddenly quit without warning, struggled to hold people accountable without causing drama, or wondered how to stop being the only one who seems to care, then this lesson and this course were made for you.

Painting Profit: Mastering the Business Behind the Brush isn’t fluff. It’s practical, battle-tested leadership training designed for painting contractors by a painting contractor.

And in this lesson on DISC and team dynamics, I bring in my own leadership coach, Jacqueline Wheelan, to help you decode the mindsets of your most valuable team members. We talk C’s. We talk S’s. We talk about real-world scenarios that are costing you time, money, and peace of mind, and how to fix them.

The great leaders in this industry don’t just hire better painters; they become better leaders. They learn how to build a culture where every behavioral style feels seen, understood, and empowered to do their best work. And they stop turning over their best people just because they didn’t “get” them.

That’s what this lesson delivers. That’s what Painting Profit is about.

Let’s build a business worth leading and a team worth keeping.

Ready to start? Join the Painting Profit Program and take the next bold step in your journey.