The Importance of Behavioural Analysis in Leadership Training

Leadership training programmes vary in their approach and content, but there are several essential elements that are commonly included to develop effective leaders.

The top five fundamentals are known to be:

1. Understanding behavioural styles: Every individual has a different behavioural style and reacts differently to training processes.  This is often suppressed and is not obvious initially.  Without understanding an individual’s natural behavioural style and preferences, or their adjusted conscious behaviour, effective training outcomes are not guaranteed.
    
2. Self-awareness: Effective leadership begins with self-awareness as leaders need to understand their strengths, weaknesses, values and beliefs. Self-awareness helps leaders recognise their own biases and emotions and the impact they have on their decision-making and interactions with others.
    
3. Communication skills: Strong communication is a cornerstone of effective leadership.  Leadership training should focus on improving both verbal and non-verbal communication skills.  This includes active listening, giving and receiving feedback, public speaking, conflict resolution, and the ability to convey a clear and compelling vision to inspire and motivate others.
    
4. Team building: Leadership often involves working with and leading teams.  Training programmes should emphasise team building skills, including fostering collaboration, building trust, managing conflicts within the team, and understanding team dynamics.  Effective leaders know how to leverage the strengths of team members to achieve common goals.
    
5. Decision making and problem solving: Leaders are frequently faced with complex decisions and challenges.  Leadership training should equip individuals with tools and techniques to make informed decisions, solve problems, and think critically. 

Extended DISC reports, which are used in over 80 countries, are valuable in leadership training and development.  They provide insights into an individual’s natural behavioural style and preferences, helping leaders better understand themselves and their teams, and addressing the five elements listed above.

More specifically, here’s how Extended DISC reports can assist in leadership training:

1. Self-awareness: Extended DISC assessments help leaders gain a deeper understanding of their own behavioural tendencies, strengths, and development areas.  Self-awareness is critical for effective leadership because it enables leaders to recognise how their behaviour impacts others in the workplace.
2. Team dynamics: Leadership often involves leading teams, and Extended DISC can assist leaders in understanding the behavioural styles of their team members.  This insight can facilitate better communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution within the team.
3. Adaptation and flexibility: Effective leaders can adapt their communication and leadership styles to meet the needs of different team members.  Extended DISC reports provide guidance on how leaders can adjust their behaviours to interact more effectively with individuals who have different DISC styles.
4. Conflict resolution: Understanding the behavioural preferences of team members can help leaders address conflicts more effectively.  They can use this knowledge to navigate disagreements and find solutions that align with each team member’s communication style and preferences.
5. Recruitment and team composition in leadership training: Extended DISC can also help leaders make informed decisions when it comes to building or reshaping their teams.  By considering DISC profiles during the hiring process, leaders can create teams with diverse skills and behaviours that complement one another.
6. Leadership development plans: Extended DISC reports can be used to create personalised leadership development plans.  Leaders can identify areas where they may need to develop new skills or adapt their behaviour to become more effective in their roles.
7. Communication skills: Leadership often requires clear and effective communication.  Extended DISC assessments provide insights into an individual’s communication style and preferences, helping leaders improve their communication skills to connect better with their teams and stakeholders.
8. Conflict avoidance: By recognising potential sources of conflict based on DISC profiles, leaders can proactively address issues before they escalate, creating a more harmonious and productive work environment.
9. Employee engagement: Understanding team members’ behavioural preferences can also enhance employee engagement efforts.  Leaders can tailor their leadership approach to motivate and engage each team member more effectively.
10. Leadership effectiveness: Ultimately the goal of leadership training is to enhance leadership effectiveness.  Extended DISC reports can serve as a valuable tool in achieving this by helping leaders become more self-aware, adapt their leadership style, and build stronger more cohesive teams.

Frequently, employees are promoted to leadership roles without any training, relying simply on experience gained in specific roles.  This is such a broad subject that there are few statistics available to prove the effectiveness of training, but an interesting study carried out ten years ago found that training leaders led to an improvement in team effectiveness through the development of team leadership functions, and this is accepted widely through the resultant outcomes.

HR Profiling Solutions Limited’s Extended DISC Leadership Reports can be tailored to fit specific training programmes and to align with the focus of the trainer, or training organisation. 

HR Profiling also provides a Leadership Self-Study Workbook, which is designed to help individuals identify their natural style and to develop some of the key components required for becoming, and being, a good leader. It is a workbook that enables people to study alone or with their coach / facilitator. Its sole purpose is to help individuals become  better leaders.

More information on Extended DISC leadership training reports and supporting material is available by contacting support@hrprofiling.com.