What I wish I’d known about my wiring—and others’—years earlier.
My morning started with coffee. Not the drinking part—the grinding part.
I bought one of those fancy burr grinders, the kind that looks like it belongs in a lab. All I wanted was a smooth cup of coffee. What I got instead? A crash course in communication styles.
Here’s what I noticed:
- Grinder Mode D: Loud, fast, decisive. Beans go in, powder comes out. Mission accomplished. No small talk.
- Grinder Mode I: Flashy blue light, cheerful little hum, makes you feel like you’re part of something exciting.
- Grinder Mode S: Steady, predictable, keeps the noise low so nobody’s startled.
- Grinder Mode C: Meticulous, measuring the grind size down to the micron. Double-checks itself before letting a single particle through.
By the time my coffee was brewed, it hit me—every workplace is basically a collection of coffee grinders. And just like coffee, people come in all grinds, speeds, and settings.
The problem? Most of us lead as if everyone should use our setting . . . and then wonder why the brew tastes off.
The Problem When We Lead Without the Instruction Manual
For years, I thought the way I led was simply, well, the way to lead. My “D” in DISC—direct, decisive, results-oriented—was my fuel. It got things done. I was often counted on to exceed goals. And because it worked for me, I assumed it should work for everyone else.
Spoiler: It didn’t.
Like an espresso machine set to “turbo” when someone just wanted a gentle pour-over, I could be overwhelming—especially for quieter, more methodical team members.
And without understanding my own wiring (or theirs), I missed opportunities to connect, inspire, and serve others at the highest level.
The Shift: Learning My Wiring—and Theirs
Here’s what I wish I’d learned much earlier:
- My strengths—decisive action, big-picture thinking, embracing change—make me ideal for leadership, sales, and entrepreneurship—exactly where I have spent my entire career.
- My communication style—direct, brief, focused on solutions—is efficient but can also feel abrupt or dismissive if not calibrated.
- My weaknesses—impatience, control tendencies, overlooking details—are predictable and avoidable once I’m aware of them.
Even more valuable? Learning how the other styles process information, make decisions, and prefer to communicate.
When I began recognizing how an “S” thrives on stability or how a “C” needs precision before moving forward, my leadership became less about driving and more about aligning and inspiring.
The Cost of Not Knowing
Without this awareness, leaders:
- Push too hard and lose great people.
- Misinterpret hesitation as lack of commitment.
- Force everyone into their preferred style, missing out on others’ best contributions.
- Create cultures where some people never fully engage because they don’t feel understood.
Gallup reports that only about one in three employees are engaged at work—and poor communication and mismatched leadership styles are major drivers of disengagement. That means most leaders are working with teams running at a fraction of their true capacity.
It’s not that we’re bad leaders—it’s that we’re untrained leaders. We’re flying the plane without ever reading the manual for the crew (or ourselves).
The Opportunity: Leadership with the Settings Adjusted
When leaders and teams learn their strengths and DISC profiles, the shift is dramatic:
- Communication is faster and smoother.
- Teamwork thrives because people know how to—and want to—bring out each other’s best.
- Decisions are more balanced because all perspectives are considered.
- Workplace conflict drops because “differences” are reframed as “complementary strengths.”
It’s like switching your grinder to the right mode for the beans—and suddenly, the coffee tastes like it came from a five-star café.
The Humor and the Hope
Yes, I can still slip into “turbo grind” mode. But now, I know when to dial it back. I can blend my D, my I, and my C in a way that suits the moment and the people around me.
And I’ve discovered something that makes me smile: when I adjust my setting, the people around me often bring their best flavor to the mix.
And no one’s jittery from the experience.
How’s Your Leadership Brew?
If you’re leading without understanding your own strengths and settings, you’re working harder than you have to—and your team is too. It’s time to read the manual.
Let’s talk about how to help you and your leadership teams understand their own wiring, champion each other’s differences, and blend your strengths to unlock the power in each other without the unnecessary grind.
Because the right setting doesn’t just make better coffee.
It makes better teams.
Curious about the full flavor of your leadership brew? I can share sample DISC reports—including the Leadership Group Report, Sales Leader Report, Entrepreneur Report, and Team Impact Executive Report and others—plus 360 Assessments that give a complete leadership picture.
Let’s bring out your best—and the best in your team.
Send me an email at sherri@sherribartin.com and we’ll start the conversation.
(And please forgive my coffee puns!)
