Why Smart Professionals Use MBTI and DiSC to Influence with Impact

Question for you: Would you agree that every breakthrough in your leadership, every pivot in your relationship, every big win in your career boils down to one core skill: communication? 

Whether you’re leading a team of professionals, coaching a client, pitching a project, or managing a personal relationship, your success depends on your ability to connect, influence, and understand the people around you. Maybe you’re already great at communicating. That’s great. That suggests you are open to self-discovery and celebrating individual differences. You must also be excited about learning more about effective communication. 

Have you ever encountered that individual with whom, no matter the discussion, you both seemed to leave with different interpretations? Here's the challenge: many speak their own language. They're not considering how the other person thinks, feels, or processes information. That’s like showing up to a tennis match not knowing anything about how the other person plays. You spend time running all over the court as you learn what to expect from your opponent. 

Personality tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the DiSC assessment can be game-changers with communication. They both help you unlock the blueprint that helps you meet people where they are and others meet you where you are. Communication becomes much better. The tools are about unlocking the box, removing labels and allowing people to expand their ability to communicate effectively. When used strategically, people become better communicators—leaders people want to follow, partners people trust, and professionals who command presence.

Use this as your strategic guide. We’ll explore how MBTI and DiSC work, how to apply them, what happens when you don’t, and how to use these tools to elevate your everyday interactions—from the boardroom to your kitchen table.

So, buckle up. Let’s redefine the way you connect with others.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and DiSC assessments empower individuals to unlock their communication potential by understanding diverse personality traits and behavioral styles. These tools foster self-awareness, empathy, and adaptability, enabling more meaningful connections, enhanced teamwork, and effective leadership. Embracing MBTI and DISC transforms relationships and inspires growth in every facet of life.

What Are the MBTI and DiSC?

When it comes to building stronger connections—whether in the boardroom or at the dinner table—there are few tools more powerful than the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the DiSC assessment. These frameworks open the door to understanding why people do what they do and how they prefer to show up in the world. And once you unlock that door, everything changes—your leadership, your communication, your relationships, your ability to influence with integrity. Both require completion of a questionnaire. For decades, organizations have used the assessments to help teams and departments improve communication. 

Let’s start with the MBTI.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is rooted in the work of Carl Jung and was later developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs. It’s designed to help people identify their psychological preferences—how they naturally process information, make decisions, and organize their external lives. The MBTI breaks personality using four dimensions, with each one presenting two opposite preferences:

1. Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I) – How you get your energy. From people and activity (E), or from solitude and reflection (I).

   
   

2. Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N) – How you take in information. Through concrete facts and details (S), or through patterns, meanings, and possibilities (N).

   
   

3. Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) – How you make decisions. Based on logic and principles (T), or on personal values and how it affects others (F).

   
   

4. Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P) – How you interact with the outside world. Structured and planned (J), or flexible and spontaneous (P).

When you combine these dimensions, the result is 16 distinct personality types, such as INTJ (The Architect), ENFP (The Campaigner), or ISTJ (The Inspector). Each type offers unique strengths, motivators, and stress points. MBTI helps you see not only how you prefer to operate—but how others do as well, even when their approach seems opposite to yours. In one organization I visited, each team member posted their 4 letter code outside of their office and cubicle for a year. In this way, before beginning a conversation with another, the individuals attempted to match each other’s personality during the conversation. The results after 1 month were phenomenal and continued to improve as time went on.  

DiSC Model

DiSC is a model that simplifies and zeroes in on behavior, especially in the workplace. DiSC is based on the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston and focuses on observable actions—how people respond to problems, pace, rules, and others.

DiSC categorizes behavior into four primary styles:

• Dominance (D) – Direct, results-driven, assertive, and strong-willed.

  
  

• Influence (I) – Enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive, and sociable.

  
  

• Steadiness (S) – Calm, dependable, empathetic, and cooperative.

  
  

• Conscientiousness (C) – Analytical, detail-oriented, systematic, and cautious.

Unlike MBTI, which goes deep into your internal wiring, DiSC is all about how you show up externally, especially under pressure. It’s situational, observable, and incredibly useful for team dynamics, conflict resolution, and role alignment.

How Do These Assessments Differ—and What Is Gained by Understanding Both

Now that you’ve got the basics, let’s dig into the real power—understanding how MBTI and DiSC differ and how they complement each other.

MBTI goes inward—it’s about your personality driven preferences, guiding your decision-making, focusing, and influencing your sense of self. DiSC measures preference—what feels natural for you. MBTI is stable over time because your inner wiring doesn’t drastically change. It gives you deep insight into who you are and who others are at their core.

DiSC, by contrast, looks outward. It’s behavioral. It’s about how you operate in specific environments, especially work and stress-related settings. Your DISC profile might evolve depending on your role, the culture of your organization, or the demands of your current situation. It’s a snapshot of how you tend to behave, not how you’re inherently wired.

Together, think of the information gained. You are presented with a 360-degree view of a person. MBTI gives insight into who a person is while DiSC provides insight related to how people behave. You might meet someone who is an INTJ—naturally analytical and independent—but their DISC profile shows high Influence because they’ve learned to lead with charisma and enthusiasm in their executive role.

Knowing both perspectives equips you to adapt your communication, your leadership, and even your conflict resolution approach. This is where the real growth begins. When you understand yourself deeply—and learn to read others accurately—you unlock a whole new level of influence, empathy, and alignment.

That’s not just communication. That’s transformation.

The True Cost of Miscommunication

According to research, communication breakdowns have financial impact on companies resulting in lost productivity, higher turnover, failed projects, and lost sales. 

A manager gives unclear project instructions. A project team begins a project all believing they are aligned; unfortunately, they learn they had different understandings and expectations. The result: missed deadlines, incorrect deliverables, misused resources, and conflicted results. That was not mismanagement—it was communication breakdown.

Consider a family dynamic like mine. Sometimes, before we catch ourselves my significant and I react in a conversation with our DiSC profile. One is direct and focused on the end goal, the other very analytical.  One member wants to talk through the facts and data while the other values direct quick decisions. Quickly, we find our conversations disjointed. We are reminded that we each need to take a breath, slow down and change our communication approaches. Sometimes that realization comes after tension occurs rather than connection.

Applying MBTI in Communication

MBTI helps you understand how people process information, what drives them, and how to speak their language.

E/I: Energy Orientation

• Extroverts (E) thrive on interaction are engaging and outwardly energetic.

• Introverts (I) need space to think, pause, process. 

S/N: Information Style

• Sensors (S) want facts, steps, details.

• Intuitives (N) want vision, possibilities, big-picture.

T/F: Decision-Making Style

• Thinkers (T) want logic and results.

• Feelers (F) want empathy and harmony.

J/P: Structure Preference

• Judgers (J) like deadlines, plans, structure.

• Perceivers (P) prefer spontaneity and options.

Action Tip: When you communicate in alignment with these traits, people lean in. They feel seen. They trust faster. They collaborate deeper. Remember this information is not to categorize or label someone. Rather, the goal is to appreciate how others communicate.

Using DiSC to Decode Real-Time Behavior

DiSC is your fast-track to adjusting in the moment. Here’s how to speak each language:

• D – Dominance: Be direct. Get to the point. Respect their time. They love yes/no. 

• I – Influence: Be enthusiastic. Story-telling is the key. Appreciate contributions and thoughts.

• S – Steadiness: Be calm, deliberate, provides the steps so that you can build trust. 

• C – Conscientiousness: Be detailed, respect the rules and processes in place. Stay logical.

Action Tip: Don’t change who you are. Deliver your message and expect to hear in the way suited for the other. Meeting others where they are. Over time, you will learn to move from one approach to another to improve communication. 

Imagine a large, blank canvas divided into four equal quadrants by two intersecting lines, one vertical and one horizontal, meeting at the center. The upper left quadrant is D, the upper right quadrant I, the lower left quadrant S, the lower right quadrant C. The horizontal axis is pace, the vertical axis is priority. To the left of the vertical axis, profiles are more task-driven, to the right of the vertical axis more people-driven. Above the horizontal axis profiles are increasingly direct and pro-active, below the horizontal axis, profiles become more patient and cautious. 

Imagine as you begin the journey, your profile is anchored in the middle of a single profile. As the journey continues, the path begins to spiral from quadrant to quadrant starting small, tightly coiled around an invisible anchor point.

As the spiral grows, it gracefully crosses into the bottom-right quadrant, expanding outward in smooth, sweeping curves. The line continues its elegant dance, moving into the top-right quadrant, each loop becoming slightly larger and more spaced out than the last.

The spiral's path is mesmerizing, as it winds its way into the top-left quadrant, still growing, still moving further from the center. Each turn of the spiral is a testament to its journey, a visual representation of continuous expansion and movement, creating a beautiful, flowing pattern that connects all four quadrants in a harmonious, ever-widening embrace.

Challenges and Misconceptions

Some people misuse these tools. “You’re just a D” or “That’s such an ENFP” reduces rich human behavior to a label.

Avoid the traps:

• These tools are starting points, not boxes. 

• Use curiosity, not judgment.

• Don’t use your type as an excuse—use it as a guide.

Let’s Make It Happen

In today’s noisy world, your communication is your currency. The better you understand people, the more magnetic your leadership becomes.

MBTI and DiSC give you the edge. They help you connect authentically, lead confidently, and build trust in every room you enter.

So here’s your next move: Explore your MBTI and DiSC. Practice. Adapt. Reflect. And if you want to accelerate that growth?

Let’s talk.

Struggling to communicate with authority? Let’s sharpen your message and voice—schedule a coaching session today!

I offer ad hoc and single-topic coaching tailored to your specific needs—team dynamics, executive presence, performance mapping—you name it.

Don’t let another day pass you by. Let’s work together to unlock your full potential.

📩 Contact me today to learn more and schedule a session. Your next breakthrough is just one decision away. Let’s make it happen.

Happy journey!

Dr. Jim Ruth

📞 469-840-2400

📧 jim.prochg@gmail.com