Respect. We all want it. How we earn respect may just depend upon who we’re trying to earn it from.

So, let’s take a look at how to win the respect of others from a DISC system perspective.

Capturing an Eagle’s respect requires candor and clarity. For example, if you make a mistake, one that you know your Eagle boss will be particularly unhappy with, your best course of action is to be prompt in reporting the situation and completely upfront about the impact of your error. Follow this up with what you learned, how the team got smarter because of it, and what safeguards you’ve put in place to prevent it from happening again. By stepping up and taking ownership, you will most likely have earned precisely what you feared had been lost: The Eagle’s respect.

Parrots are natural risk-takers and admire those who go out on a limb to experience something new. Whether or not you can point to a tangible result is of secondary concern to a Parrot. The fact that you faced your fears and just went for it is exhilarating enough. This doesn’t mean one needs to go bungee jumping to impress a Parrot, (although it will). Simply stretching yourself socially or choosing a challenging or unique project to tackle reveals an internal optimism that Parrots gravitate towards.

To win a Dove’s respect takes time. Doves are very careful about who they let into their lives beyond casual acquaintances and co-worker relationships. Doves appreciate sincerity and stability in others. Break a commitment with a Dove, whether cancelling a meeting at the last minute without notifying them or speaking carelessly about them to someone else, and the Dove will draw inward and be very careful about trusting you in the future. Patience and stability win a Dove’s trust and respect.

To win an Owl’s respect, plan ahead. Nothing turns off an Owl more quickly than being unprepared or sloppy in executing projects. Owls go to great pains to ensure that their work has been well thought-out and tested before involving others. Otherwise, you would be letting them down, something an Owl takes very personally. Your attention to the details and especially preparing for unexpected consequences will engender an Owl’s respect.

In a nutshell, we tend to value in others what we value in ourselves. This is one reason why a personality test can be so revealing. By learning about ourselves and applying the four styles, we can better understand the needs of others and discover a direct pathway to earning respect.