Do you have the self-assured mindset in Everything DiSC® Agile EQ™? Self-assured is one of the eight Agile EQ mindsets, and tends to align with D styles. Use this article to dig deeper into your self-assured attitude—which needs drive it, when it’s useful, and what its limitations are.
If the self-assured mindset is not one that comes naturally to you, read How to be more self-assured for tips on employing it when required.
“I don’t hesitate to take charge.”
Self-assured people are direct and firm communicators who project confidence (even when they don’t feel it). You can count on them to say what they mean and mean what they say. These assertive folks tend to spend less energy than most worrying about ruffling feathers.
The self-assured mindset is great to call upon when things just need to get done. Self-assured people often step up to take charge even when they’re not officially in charge. Instead of asking what should be done, they lay out a plan and go for it. For them, making a mistake isn’t the end of the world. It’s a small price to pay for the rewards of going all in and sharing all they have to offer.
Benefits of the self-assured mindset
Whether it’s easy for you or not, operating from the self-assured mindset can allow you to
- inspire confidence in your skills and ideas
- ensure that others take what you say seriously
- insist that your rights and ideas are respected
- convey to others your conviction in your opinions
- communicate your expertise
- bring candor to situations that benefit from straight talk
- make sure your ideas don’t get overlooked
Which needs drive the self-assured mindset?
People are naturally self-assured for a variety of reasons, depending on their DiSC styles and life experiences. People with the self-assured mindset often act that way because they need:
- self-determination
- influence
- to control outcomes
- to shape things to their vision
- to set their own course, free from others’ influence
- to make their voices heard
Limitations of the self-assured mindset
Like all Agile EQ mindsets, self-assuredness can become limiting with overuse. If you get stuck in this mindset, you could:
- make other people feel intimidated or wonder if you like them
- prevent more reserved colleagues from speaking up with critical information
- view your interactions as a battle for control
- be so confident in your perspective that you don’t consider other views
- take control in situations where power is meant to be shared
- steamroll over other people’s rights and needs, leading to frustration and resentment
Growing your emotional agility
The Everything DiSC Agile EQ assessment guides you through individualized and concrete ways to grow your EQ. It’s a great tool to use with a leadership or life coach, a mentor, or a friend serving as your accountability partner.
Becoming a more emotionally intelligent person has huge benefits for your professional and personal life. For a long time, EQ was seen as something squishy and abstract that some people were just born with. But years of research show that EQ is a skill and that everyone has the ability to become more emotionally agile through dedicated practice.
See also: How to be more self-assured
