Transform your communication

What if the reason some conversations feel impossible has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with communication style?

In this episode of Decoding Confidence, I break down the DISC framework and show how understanding your own communication style, and the styles of the people around you, can transform your confidence at work.

Whether you’re a communications professional managing up, an HR leader building team capability, or a leader trying to get your message to land, this episode gives you the tools to communicate more intentionally and lead with greater self-awareness.

How communication style shapes confidence at work
What you’ll learn in this episode
The four styles explained
Miscommunication and confidence
Priya’s story: flexing without losing yourself
Power dynamics
Practical steps for confident leaders
Timestamps
Frequently asked questions
Resources and links
Final thoughts

How communication style shapes confidence at work

We rarely stop to think about communication style, yet it quietly shapes how confident we feel in almost every interaction. When a message lands, we feel capable. When it doesn’t, we often blame ourselves. This tool gives you a way to understand why some exchanges flow and others stall, and it starts with recognising that your way of communicating is just one of several equally valid approaches.

What you’ll learn in this episode

What the framework is and where it comes from.
How each style, Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness, shows up at work.
Why communication style mismatches are one of the biggest hidden confidence killers.
How to dial your approach up or down depending on context, without losing authenticity.
Why power dynamics matter when applying DISC in real organisations.
Practical steps to assess your own profile and read others more accurately.
How leaders and HR professionals can build more inclusive, confident teams.

The four styles explained

DISC was originally developed by Dr William Moulton Marston in his 1928 book Emotions of Normal People, and popularised for modern audiences by Thomas Erikson in his bestseller Surrounded by Idiots. It identifies four core ways people prefer to communicate, often described using colour-coded energies.

High Red energy (Dominance) prioritises clarity, speed and results.
High Yellow energy (Influence) thrives on connection, storytelling and enthusiasm.
High Green energy (Steadiness) values trust, consistency and deep listening.
High Blue energy (Conscientiousness) leads with logic, structure and precision.

Crucially, no energy is better than another, and most of us hold a blend that shifts depending on the situation.

Miscommunication and confidence

One of the most powerful ideas in this episode is the link between style mismatch and confidence loss. When something doesn’t land the way we intended, we tend to internalise it as personal failure. DISC offers a different lens: what felt like rejection or resistance was often just a difference in communication style. That reframe alone can be transformative for how confident you feel at work.

Priya’s story: flexing without losing yourself

I share the story of Priya, a communications leader who was told she came across as overwhelming in exec meetings. Rather than shrinking or changing who she was, Priya used DISC to read the room and adjust the order and format of her message, leading with data before story, not instead of it. Six months later, she had her promotion.

Power dynamics

This episode doesn’t shy away from the harder conversation. This is a powerful tool for building communication confidence, but it isn’t a solution to systemic bias or structural inequality. I explore how power shapes the way different styles are perceived, and why asking marginalised groups to simply adapt without addressing the system itself puts the burden in the wrong place. This assessment works best when leaders use it to examine their own power and build more inclusive environments, not just to coach others to conform.

Practical steps for confident leaders and HR professionals

I share four practical actions you can take straight away:

Get curious about your own profile.
Start reading the room before important conversations.
Use to audit your empowerment decisions and spot affinity bias.
Reframe difficult interactions through the lens of communication style rather than personal friction.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Decoding Confidence and the episode theme

01:09 How workplace communication frustrations quietly erode confidence

02:12 Why some conversations feel effortless and others feel impossible

02:41 How Advita discovered the tool through Thomas Erikson

03:11 The origin and core principles of the model

04:28 The four communication styles explained

05:24 Red energy: clarity, decisiveness, results focus

05:52 Yellow energy: connection, enthusiasm, storytelling

06:35 Green energy: trust, consistency and deep listening

07:41 Blue energy: logic, structure and precision

08:11 Why styles are adaptable, not fixed labels

09:11 The strengths and pressure points of each style

09:40 Advita’s own profile: balancing influence and dominance under pressure

10:24 How the tool reduces self-blame and rebuilds communication confidence

11:40 Priya’s story: navigating style mismatch to earn a promotion

13:54 How to flex without losing authenticity

15:17 Tailoring your approach to different people in real time

16:39 How power dynamics shape the way styles are perceived

18:48 Why it’s a tool, not a fix for systemic bias or inequality

20:23 Practical steps for assessing your own DISC profile

21:00 Using DISC to manage and empower others more effectively

22:07 Making intentional, confidence-building choices

23:53 DISC as a framework for growth, not a personality box

24:20 How confidence grows through self-awareness and understanding others

25:01 Resources, further reading, and how to connect with Advita

Frequently asked questions

What is the DISC framework?

DISC is a model of four communication styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. It was first developed by William Moulton Marston in 1928 and is widely used to help people understand how they and others prefer to communicate, process information and respond under pressure.

How does DISC help with confidence?

Much of our confidence is lost when a message doesn’t land and we blame ourselves. DISC reframes that as a difference in preference rather than personal failure, which takes the sting out of difficult exchanges and helps rebuild self-belief.

Can you change your DISC style?

You don’t change who you are, but you can flex how you communicate. Reading the room and adjusting the order or format of your message, as Priya did, is intentional adaptation rather than pretending to be someone else.

Resources and Links

Final thoughts

Understanding communication style is one of the most practical ways to grow your confidence at work. When you can name your own DISC profile and read the people around you, what once felt like friction becomes information you can work with.

DISC isn’t a box to put people in. It’s a framework for growth, for self-awareness, and for leading with a little more compassion for how differently we’re all wired. Used well, it builds confidence in you and in everyone you communicate with.

If you want support with confidence, culture or internal communications in your organisation, get in touch: hello@commsrebel.com.

Episode 11: Communication Styles: 4 DISC Types to Transform Your Impact