Affirming Leaders: DiSC iS or Si Style Leadership
Key Takeaways
- Affirming leaders align with the Si or iS style in the Everything DiSC® model of leadership.
- Qualities of affirming leadership include warmth, positivity, and discomfort with conflict.
- People of all leadership styles can learn from affirming leaders how to tune into a team's emotions, give them a sense of meaning, and encourage employees to choose their own path.
Everything DiSC® leadership styles offer a model for leadership development. This model helps you understand your primary leadership style and identify areas for growth. Learning about all DiSC® leadership types allows you to tap into the style best for each situation.
Even though great leaders use each of the eight types of DiSC leadership, they tend to prefer one or find one easier to exhibit.
The affirming leadership style
Affirming leaders tend to be laid-back, patient, and supportive of their staff and colleagues. This is what you'd expect from DiSC Si- and iS-style people.
Affirming leaders promote an informal collaborative culture. You’re likely to see them as easygoing and cheerful, warm and sincere, and easy to talk to.
You might also notice their distaste for conflict and complex analysis. Affirming leaders may be uncomfortable with conflict, making them hesitant to hold others accountable or give tough feedback. They can also take criticism too personally.
Strengths affirming leaders:
- They tend to be friendly and approachable.
- They’re often generous in their praise.
- They’re able to consider the needs of different groups of people.
- They’re less concerned with their own ego needs.
- They tend to be optimistic.
- They’re good at making people feel that they belong.
- They’re able to see things from other perspectives.
- They often come across as down-to-earth.
Goals of affirming leaders:
- Seeing the good in others
- Displaying warmth
- Being approachable
Areas for improvement:
- Acknowledging others' flaws
- Confronting problems
Source: The 8 Dimensions of Leadership
Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge
What can we learn from affirming leaders?
1. You’re responsible for your people
For quality performance and results, you need to pay attention to the emotional variables in the workplace. Team members perform best when they feel part of a team, not just an assembly of people assigned to a similar task.
Everyone wants to feel that others view and value their input and efforts. A leader’s willingness to listen and project a warm exterior increases trust in the leader. It builds goodwill among the entire team. You don’t have to sugarcoat the truth, but rather pay attention to your tone and how constructive your feedback is.
Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge
2. People want to work for more than a paycheck
You know you should tell your team that you value them and their contributions. But how? Some people will be satisfied with a quick personal note, and others will want a bonus check or public recognition. Learning how to motivate different individuals will make you a better-informed leader.
Your best employees/associates/team members will appreciate your curiosity. As you engage with them, they will engage more with their work. Help the people around you find meaning in their work. Make your vision, the organization’s mission, and its core values obviously relevant to their work.
David Schmittlein, MIT Sloan School of Management
3. People act on their own priorities, not yours
Affirming leaders understand that not everyone will (or should) see things their way. Other leaders often find it hard to see someone doing things differently. They may judge quickly without asking about that choice first.
As a leader, if you insist on your way, you might stifle innovation and creativity. How can you provide direction and inspiration without micromanaging? How can you empower others to build their own problem-solving skills and give them some autonomy?
Jane Finette, founder of The Coaching Fellowship
Growth opportunities for DiSC Si- and iS-style leaders
Assertiveness
Because they have an aversion to conflict, affirming leaders often struggle with challenging others or giving tough feedback. They are inclined toward taking on the role of peacemaker. However, they may lack the assertiveness to command the attention of people who are angry with each other. They prefer to seek consensus and can have trouble pushing people toward a commitment.
Tackling tough problems
Focusing on the positive, as affirming leaders like to do, can mean putting off dealing with challenges. It is difficult for the affirming leader to invite tension into relationships by initiating major changes in the workplace.
At work and outside it, affirming leaders may turn to a familiar and enjoyable task rather than struggle to learn a new skill or tackle a tough problem.
Digging into data
People with affirming leadership styles do not look forward to in-depth analysis. Extended periods of focused attention on something other than people and activities can be a real struggle. They'll be excited once the data reveals something new, but the ambiguity and focus it takes to get there can be a hard slog.
What is your DiSC leadership style?
Everything DiSC Work of Leaders® reveals your DiSC leadership style. This self-awareness and the personalized guidance in the report will help you develop into the leader you want to be.
Related reading
You’re responsible for your people
- Becoming a More Humane Leader, Harvard Business Review
- The Power of Healthy Relationships at Work, Harvard Business Review
- Encouraging the Heart: A Leader’s Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others, by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner
People want to work for more than a paycheck
- The search for ‘meaning’ at work, BBC Worklife
- Three Successful Ways To Practice Empathetic Leadership In The Workplace, Forbes
- Employees Seek Personal Value and Purpose at Work. Be Prepared to Deliver. Gartner
People act on their own priorities, not yours
- Hands-On Managers vs. Micromanagers (Plus How To Improve), Indeed
- For smarter decisions, empower your employees, McKinsey & Company
- How successful leaders empower employees, Culture Partners
Posted 10/16/2018, Last Updated 01/08/2025
