DiSC i styles

What does the i in DiSC mean?

The i in the Everything DiSC® model stands for influence. People with i styles present a high-spirited and lively demeanor. They are often optimistic, warm, and social. People with DiSC i styles are more likely than other styles to shape their environments by influencing or persuading others.

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DiSC i style characteristics | Working well with DiSC i-style people |
i style variations: iS, iD, i

DiSC map showing fast-paced and outspoken at top, cautious and reflective at bottom, questioning and skeptical on the left, and accepting and warm at the right

How do you get typed as an i style in DiSC?

The DiSC model, at its foundation, is two-dimensional, measuring:

pace (from fast-paced and outspoken to cautious and reflective)
agreeableness (from questioning and skeptical to accepting and warm)

The i-type personality is both fast-paced and outspoken, and also accepting and warm.

These two scales are just a starting place for the Everything DiSC assessment. This assessment will tell you not only your main DiSC style (D, i, S, or C) but which of the 12 sub-styles best represents you and how strongly you align with those traits.

DiSC map showing a dot at the edge of the circle in the i quadrant

Dot placement

There's a lot of variety within each of the four main DiSC styles because human personality is so wonderfully varied! People with i styles share many high-level traits, but each i-style person manifests the style differently. The dot placement on your Everything DiSC profile will help you discover your unique place on the DiSC map.

For example, you might be strongly inclined to the iD style with your dot appearing on the far edge of the circle near the border between the i and D quadrants. Or you might be slightly inclined toward the i style with your dot appearing closer to the middle and centered in the i quadrant.

Learn more: DiSC^® dot and priorities explained

Think you have an i style?

Take an Everything DiSC Workplace assessment today to find out! Learning your DiSC style can help you harness your strengths and build new connections in the workplace and beyond.

Take the DiSC assessment

Why is the i lowercase?

The small i in DiSC helps you distinguish Everything DiSC® and DiSC® Classic products from other assessments based on the DISC model. Learn what makes Everything DiSC different.

DiSC i style characteristics

Personality traits are informed by our driving assumptions: unconscious beliefs that direct our behavior. These are not necessarily thoughts we want to say aloud. We may not even agree with them on a conscious level. But these driving assumptions still shape our personalities and influence our decisions. Those with a DiSC i style may be driven by thoughts such as I need to be accepted, If things don’t feel harmonious, something is wrong, or I should never be the source of someone else’s unhappiness. Various people with i styles will identify with these unconscious beliefs to varying degrees. Here are some ways that these core needs of i-type people show up in their personalities.

Common traits:

When someone has an i style in DiSC, they may come off as expressive, impulsive, and fast-paced. They display many behavioral traits people associate with extroverts. Common i style traits include:

enthusiastic
friendly
energetic
charming

Motivations:

Motivators for i-type people are typically relational and people-centered. People with i styles feel motivated when situations are fast-moving, novel, and collaborative. DiSC i style motivators include:

novelty and excitement
relationships
popularity/approval/social recognition

Priorities:

The Everything DiSC Workplace model shows these priorities for the DiSC i style: enthusiasm, action, and collaboration. They want to seek new and exciting experiences along with other people. People with i styles prioritize:

taking action
collaboration
expressing enthusiasm

What they value:

Every person you meet has their own unique set of values. However, you'll notice some common patterns among people with similar DiSC styles. For example, DiSC i-style people tend to value self-expression, connecting with others, and receiving positive attention. Other values of the DiSC i type include:

relationships
coaching and counseling
freedom to express themselves

Stressors in the workplace:

You can better understand your i-style coworkers if you know common stressors for their style. Managers should be aware of the situations that tend to stress out an i-style employee. Things that DiSC i-style people find stressful include:

being isolated for long periods
having to give people negative feedback

Fears:

Each personality type has core fears. People may not be consciously aware of these fears, but they still influence decisions and behaviors. i-style people fear:

fixed environments
loss of approval or attention

How they influence others:

i-type people are very concerned with how they influence others (that's what the i in DiSC stands for, after all). People with i styles use the traits natural to them to influence people around them, such as:

charm
optimism
energy

How they handle conflict:

Like all styles, DiSC i styles have personality traits that are both productive and destructive in conflict situations. i-type people in conflict generally help make conflict productive by verbalizing their emotions, thereby modeling this behavior for others. However, i types can struggle with remaining objective during conflict and may find themselves resorting to personal attacks or talking over others. During conflict, i styles may:

express their feelings
gossip

May need to work on:

DiSC assessments help you understand both strengths and weaknesses. Growth opportunities for i-type personalities include:

being more objective
following through on tasks

i-style managers

i-type managers are often warm and encouraging. They enjoy developing positive relationships with their team members. They are expressive communicators who like getting people excited about their goals and ideas.

Explore the strengths of i-style managers and the unconscious assumptions they tend to make in their day-to-day work. Read more on the learning hub.

i-style managers are outgoing, enthusiastic, and optimistic

Working well with DiSC i-style people

Overall, i-style teammates are enthusiastic and action-oriented. They look for the positive and are quick to celebrate other people’s and the team’s accomplishments. Their fast pace helps more analytical teams remember not to get bogged down and stagnate. The advice for working well with i-type coworkers will differ based on your own personality type. For example, the challenges a C-style person might have communicating with an i-style teammate are likely quite different from those of two i-style people working together. That said, here are some general tips for working with DiSC i styles.

Communicating with i styles

People with different DiSC styles have different communication preferences, so you can strengthen your relationships by learning some type i communication tips. If you have an i style, these behaviors may come naturally to you. If you don't have an i style, you may benefit from reviewing the best way to communicate with i types. Here are some i-style communication tips:

Focus on the positives.
Share your experiences.
Don’t overload them with details.
Allow them time to ask questions and share their ideas.
Avoid interrupting them.
Show respect for their spontaneity, high energy, and optimism.

i styles in meetings

For effective meetings with i types, review their priorities and motivators. i-style meeting tips include making time for social connections and injecting novelty where possible. Here are some more meeting tips for DiSC i styles:

They flourish when allowed to express personal opinions.
They like to have open discussions with others.

Problem-solving with i styles

When problem-solving with i-type people, remember that they appreciate enthusiasm and the opportunity to express themselves. As you work through a problem, reassure your i-style colleague that your relationship will stay strong even if there are disagreements. Here are some i-style problem-solving tips:

Remain optimistic while considering all potential issues.
Show them that you’re open to creative solutions.
Expect spontaneity.

Do i-style people make good salespeople?

i-style salespeople often have a contagious excitement. They also show a genuine interest in their customers and want to get to know them. They like to keep things positive and keep things moving.

Looking for more information about the different styles of salespeople, and how you can use sales styles that might not come as naturally to you to help meet your customers’ needs? Read more on the learning hub.

The i styles: i, iD, iS

Everyone is a blend of D, i, S, and C styles. But most people tend strongly toward one or two styles. If your dot is close to the border with another style, you probably show traits associated with that style, as well. Thus, i styles often share characteristics with the D and S styles. The Everything DiSC test is calibrated to help you discover both your main DiSC style and your sub-style.

The iS style

People with iS styles share some priorities and behaviors with the S style. This means that iS-type people are usually calmer and more moderately paced than others with i styles.

Common iS-style traits: empathetic, warm, friendly, accepting, seek the good in others, calm, collaborative, welcoming, trusting, easygoing, patient, optimistic, cheerful, sociable, encouraging, cooperative, upbeat, conflict-averse

Learn about iS styles

The iD style

The iD style is the i style closest to the D quadrant, so iD-type people display some D-style tendencies in addition to i-style behaviors. This means iD-style people are typically the most impulsive and persuasive of the i styles.

Common iD-style traits: fast-paced, active, charming, passionate, crave forward momentum, charismatic, high-energy, bold, comfortable improvising, friendly, poised, open, ambitious, self-promoting, influential, adventurous

Learn about iD styles

The i style (“solid i”)

People who fall near the middle of the i quadrant in the DiSC model are sometimes referred to as having “solid i styles.” Their personalities likely align most closely with the larger i-style qualities discussed on this page.

Common i-style traits: enthusiastic, active, collaborative, upbeat, excited by possibilities, lively, expressive, energetic, charming, magnetic, relationship-focused, trusting, persuasive, fast-paced, social, talkative, verbal processor

Other styles

D styles

fast-paced & outgoing, questioning & skeptical

Learn about D styles

S styles

cautious & reflective, accepting & warm

Learn about S styles

C styles

cautious & reflective, questioning & skeptical

Learn about C styles

What is your style?

Do you have the DiSC i personality type? If so, how does your unique personality differ from the typical i type? Taking a DiSC assessment is the first step toward meeting many personal development goals. Not only will you understand your own behaviors more, but you’ll learn how to form better relationships at home and work. We recommend starting your DiSC journey with Everything DiSC Workplace.

Take a DiSC assessment