Understanding behavioural styles for better teamwork – Social Styles, DiSC, and Insights Discovery models explained. Learn how personality types impact communication, leadership, and collaboration in the workplace. Build stronger, high-performing teams with Meta Excellence.

Strength in Diversity

Meta Character
February 04, 2025•4 min read

Strength in Diversity

 An Introduction to Social Styles, DiSC, and Insights Discovery

The modern workplace is more diverse than it has ever been.

According to Forbes, teams with diverse cognitive styles are better equipped to tackle complex problems and adapt to uncertainty.²

With every team member bringing something unique to the table, figuring out what each individuals’ strengths are can seem like a daunting task. Luckily, there are tools to make that process a lot smoother.

Behavioural styles are defined as recurring patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing that ultimately guide one’s interactions, decision-making, and problem-solving.¹ Through well-researched and adaptable frameworks, you can understand your behaviour style and learn how to get the most out of your relationships with others.

Read on for an overview of our 3 top frameworks to help you decide where to dive in:

  1. The Social Styles Model.

The Social Styles Model.3 The Social Styles Model identifies 4 unique styles that have their own way of using time, making decisions, and interacting with others. These styles are: Driving: people with a driving style are perceived to be direct, determined, active, and forceful. They need control and results, are oriented to action, and grow by improving empathy and patience. Expressive: people with an expressive styles are perceived to be personable, talkative, opinionated, and impulsive. They need recognition and excitement, are oriented to spontaneity, and grow by improving self-discipline. Amiable: people with an amiable style are perceived to be casual, relaxed, informal, and non-confrontational. They need security and approval, are oriented to relationships, and grow by developing assertiveness and resilience. Analytical: people with an analytical style are perceived to be quiet, logical, reserved, and distant. They need accuracy and time to process, are oriented to thinking, and grow by being more flexible and quicker in their decision-making.

The Social Styles Model identifies 4 unique styles that have their own way of using time, making decisions, and interacting with others. These styles are: 

  • Driving: people with a driving style are perceived to be direct, determined, active, and forceful. They need control and results, are oriented to action, and grow by improving empathy and patience.

  • Expressive: people with an expressive styles are perceived to be personable, talkative, opinionated, and impulsive. They need recognition and excitement, are oriented to spontaneity, and grow by improving self-discipline.

  • Amiable: people with an amiable style are perceived to be casual, relaxed, informal, and non-confrontational. They need security and approval, are oriented to relationships, and grow by developing assertiveness and resilience.

  • Analytical: people with an analytical style are perceived to be quiet, logical, reserved, and distant. They need accuracy and time to process, are oriented to thinking, and grow by being more flexible and quicker in their decision-making.


  1. The DiSC Model. 

The DiSC Model.4 The DiSC Model organizes personalities throughout a variety of dimensions according to 4 traits: Dominance: people with a dominance style are forceful, direct, and outspoken with their opinions. They are motivated by control, achievement, and power. Influence: people with an influence style are enthusiastic, outgoing, and lively. They are motivated by social engagement, recognition, and approval. Steadiness: people with a steadiness styles are accommodating, patient, and gentle. They are motivated by support, helping others, and security. Conscientiousness: people with a conscientiousness style are reserved, analytical, and precise. They are motivated by structure, competence, and accuracy.

The DiSC Model organizes personalities throughout a variety of dimensions according to 4 traits: 

  • Dominance: people with a dominance style are forceful, direct, and outspoken with their opinions. They are motivated by control, achievement, and power.

  • Influence: people with an influence style are enthusiastic, outgoing, and lively. They are motivated by social engagement, recognition, and approval.

  • Steadiness: people with a steadiness styles are accommodating, patient, and gentle. They are motivated by support, helping others, and security.

  • Conscientiousness: people with a conscientiousness style are reserved, analytical, and precise. They are motivated by structure, competence, and accuracy.


  1. The Insights Discovery® Model. 

The Insights Discovery® Model.5 The Insights Discovery® Model is based on the theories of psychologist Carl Jung. It uses a 4 colour model to categorize behavioural energies: Firey Red: people with a Fiery Red energy are action-oriented. Their strengths are leadership and decisiveness, but they may be impatient or domineering. Sunshine Yellow: people with a Sunshine Yellow energy are people-oriented. Their strengths are communication and enthusiasm, but they may be disorganized or lack follow-through. Earth Green: people with an Earth Green energy are relationship-oriented. Their strengths are teamwork and empathy, but they may be overly conflict avoidant or passive. Cool Blue: people with a Cool Blue energy are task-oriented. Their strengths are analytical thinking and problem-solving, but they may have a tendency to overthink or be socially distant.

The Insights Discovery® Model is based on the theories of psychologist Carl Jung. It uses a 4 colour model to categorize behavioural energies: 

  • Firey Red: people with a Fiery Red energy are action-oriented. Their strengths are leadership and decisiveness, but they may be impatient or domineering.

  • Sunshine Yellow: people with a Sunshine Yellow energy are people-oriented. Their strengths are communication and enthusiasm, but they may be disorganized or lack follow-through.

  • Earth Green: people with an Earth Green energy are relationship-oriented. Their strengths are teamwork and empathy, but they may be overly conflict avoidant or passive.

  • Cool Blue: people with a Cool Blue energy are task-oriented. Their strengths are analytical thinking and problem-solving, but they may have a tendency to overthink or be socially distant. 

At Meta Excellence, when we hire new team members, one of the characteristics we examine is behaviour style. We discovered that when our team is intentionally diverse, we gain the strengths of all behaviour styles – a team who is action-oriented, logical, driven to build deeper relationships, and personable. We also saw how smooth conversations can flow – when we take the time to understand each other’s preferred style and flex that style to others.

Now that you’ve had a chance to get acquainted with them, you might be wondering what your behavioural style is within one of these models (or you might even be wondering which one to begin with). These three frameworks are ones that we have extensive knowledge of and experience with utilizing at Meta Excellence. 

Curious about you or your teams behavioural style? Set up a free consultation with a Meta Coach to start discovering how to have stronger, better, and more effective working relationships in your workplace!

1.Jonathan M. Pham, “Behavioral Styles: Navigating the 5 Dimensions of Personality,” Jonathan M. Pham, September 4, 2024, https://jonathanmpham.com/en/self-awareness/emotional-intelligence/behavioral-styles/

2.Scott Hutcheson, “Cognitive Diversity: A Game-Changer for Supply Chain Leadership,” Forbes,  January 3, 2025, https://www.forbes.com/sites/s

3.Social Style Model," TRACOM, https://tracom.com/social-style-training/model.

4."What is DiSC?" Everything DiSC, https://www.everythingdisc.com/what-is-disc/.

5."Insights Discovery," Insights, https://www.insights.com/us/products/insights-discovery/


Behavioural styles in the workplaceSocial Styles ModelDiSC personality typesInsights Discovery modelWorkplace communication strategiesTeam collaboration techniquesUnderstanding personality in businessLeadership and personality stylesHow to build effective teamsWorkplace diversity and inclusionEmployee strengths and personalityImproving teamwork with personality modelsEnhancing leadership with DiSCBehavioural assessments for teamsPersonality-driven workplace successTeam-building through personality insightsUnderstanding colleagues' work stylesAdapting leadership styles for team successHow to use DiSC personality types to improve team communicationBest behavioural models for leadership and collaborationHow personality styles impact workplace productivityWhat is the Insights Discovery model and how does it work?How to apply Social Styles to improve teamwork
Lillian is currently enrolled in the Master of Music in Music Theory program at Michigan State University. She grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and obtained her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of Windsor in 2020. While in school, she taught piano and voice lessons and worked as an audio engineering assistant in local recording studios. Her research interests include recording arts and the intersection between pedagogy and industry, music cognition, the implications of timbre and texture on musical narrative, and the impact of language on the understanding of musical materials.

Lillian Korkontzelos

Lillian is currently enrolled in the Master of Music in Music Theory program at Michigan State University. She grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and obtained her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of Windsor in 2020. While in school, she taught piano and voice lessons and worked as an audio engineering assistant in local recording studios. Her research interests include recording arts and the intersection between pedagogy and industry, music cognition, the implications of timbre and texture on musical narrative, and the impact of language on the understanding of musical materials.

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