This week, in the Morning Assembly—the daily meeting where Clairbourn students, staff, and parents gather to hear an inspiring message—the topic was the school’s new mission statement “Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart.” The student presenters delivered the following message about the importance of student leadership prepared by foreign language and drama teacher Cara Barker. The Insights below are based on the work of DiSC and the work of psychologists David Merrill and Roger Reid, who in their book Personal Styles & Effective Performance identified four social styles: Analyticals, Drivers, Expressives and Amiables.
Today we look at how the Driver behaves as leader. Drivers tend to dominate a group, telling them what to do, sometimes how to do it, when to do it, and occasionally why they are doing it.
Drivers communicate messages directed at completing a task. Drivers are especially important to groups who are new to a task, lack skills and confidence and who, without strong, directed guidance, would be left disorganized, unmotivated and unproductive.
Valuing fortitude, a Driver might prize these words from the Bible, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Drivers can be found in the military from drill sergeants to generals and in club sports as coaches. They must take care not to over-exert their authority nor to attempt too much all at once. Since Drivers enjoy the power and authority to make decisions both for themselves and others, it is especially important for them to balance their sense of focus with an equal measure of patience and kindness.
If you find yourself identifying as a Driver, then you can practice your listening skills and take into consideration other people’s feelings. If you do so, then you will be exercising the style of leadership embodied in the Social leader, which we will explore further tomorrow.
In closing, consider the words of Winston Churchill, one of the world’s most famous Drivers, “If you’re going through [tough times], keep going. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
Part 1: Leadership Styles | Part 2: Driver Leadership | Part 3: Social Leadership | Part 4: Conscientious Leadership | Part 5: Enthusiast Leadership
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