Meet the 4 Personality Types on Your Team (And Why Labeling Them Actually Helps)

kellylipp52
Dec 16, 2025
7 min read

Stop trying to change difficult people. Understand their personality type and watch how things change.

I know, nobody wants to be labeled. But in some cases, it is really helpful.

You've got four types of people in your organization right now.

The first type walks in and immediately wants to take charge. They're driven by results. They think "Let's move fast and get this done."

The second type brings energy and excitement. They're driven by fun and connection. They think "Let's make sure everyone's having a good time while we do this."

The third type makes sure nobody gets left behind. They're driven by harmony and peace. They think "I want to make sure everyone feels loved and cared for."

The fourth type asks a million questions and wants everything to be perfect. They're driven by quality and accuracy. They think "Let's make sure we do this right."

None of these types is better or worse. None is more valuable.

But here's what most organizations do: They hire all four types and then wonder why they don't communicate.

They assume everyone thinks the same way. Values the same things. Gets motivated by the same rewards.

They're wrong.

And that misalignment costs them millions in miscommunication, conflict, and lost productivity.

The solution? Understanding the four personality types and how to work with each one.

Why Personality Type Matters (Spoiler: It's Not About Stereotyping)

"The Framework That Explains Why Your Team Conflicts"

I know what you're thinking: "Don't personality assessments just put people in boxes?"

Fair question. And the answer is no—not when used correctly.

Here's the difference:

Bad use of personality assessment: "Oh, you're a D. You're aggressive and dominating. That's just who you are."

Good use of personality assessment: "You have a natural tendency toward directness and results-orientation. Understanding this helps me communicate with you in a way that works for your brain, and helps you understand why someone else works differently."

The first approach is limiting and stereotyping.

The second approach is liberating and empowering.

Here's why this matters for your team:

Different personality types have different communication needs.

When you understand this, you stop taking conflict personally.

Your direct reports isn't "rude" when they cut you off mid-sentence—they're a D who wants you to get to the point.

Your coworker isn't "unproductive" when they want to chat and build relationships—they're an I who gets motivated through connection.

Your teammate isn't "slow" when they want to double-check everything—they're a C who gets motivated through accuracy and quality.

Your peer isn't "passive" when they want the team to feel supported—they're an S who gets motivated through harmony and loyalty.

When you understand personality type, you stop judging differences and start leveraging them.

This is where team performance skyrockets.

I worked with an organization of 200+ employees. Their personality styles were all over the place. Half the team was frustrated with the other half because they couldn't understand why everyone didn't operate the same way.

Once we mapped personality types and helped each team understand the others' communication and motivation styles, something shifted:

Conflicts decreased
Collaboration increased
People felt more valued (because finally, their way of working was understood)
Productivity went up

Not because anyone changed who they are. Because everyone finally understood everyone else.

The Four Personality Types (Your Team Has All Four)

What Each Type Brings, What Each Type Needs, How to Talk to Each

Type 1: The D (Dominant) — The Driver

What They're Like:

Natural leaders
Results-oriented
Want to own it, control it, run it
Fast-moving, action-oriented
Sometimes seen as aggressive or steamrolling
Hate inefficiency and wasted time

What Drives Them: Results. Period. When they see forward movement, see progress, see outcomes—that's when they come alive. At the end of the day, a D feels either great or terrible based on one question: "Did we get results?" If yes, good day. If no, bad day.

How to Communicate with a D:

Be direct. Get to the point.
Don't circle the runway. Land the plane.
Give them autonomy. Say: "I know you'll take care of this. I'm not going to micromanage. Just bring me results."
Focus on outcomes, not process
Challenge them. They respect confidence and decisiveness.

What a D Looks Like When They're Not Understood:They become frustrated and bossy. They steamroll people. They make decisions without buy-in. They create a culture where people are afraid to slow down and communicate.

Type 2: The I (Inspiring) — The Sparkplug

What They're Like:

Outgoing, energetic, full of life
Love people and connection
Talkative, animated, often the person at the party
Fun-loving, optimistic
See possibilities instead of problems
Sometimes scatter-brained or unrealistic

What Drives Them: Fun. Excitement. Energy. Connection.

An I feels alive when they're around people, when things are engaging, when there's energy and enthusiasm. A boring task with no social connection? They feel drained.

How to Communicate with an I:

Be energetic and engaging
Make it fun or interesting
Give them social time and connection
Help them see the exciting parts of the work
Let them talk. They process out loud.
Acknowledge their enthusiasm and optimism

What an I Looks Like When They're Not Understood:They become hyper or scattered. They talk too much and don't listen. They over-commit and under-deliver. They create a culture where nothing feels serious because everything's being turned into a joke.

Type 3: The S (Steady) — The Supporter

What They're Like:

Reserved, calm, steady
Relationship-focused, people-caring
Loyal, team-oriented
Good listeners, empathetic
Hate conflict, prefer harmony
Sometimes seen as passive or people-pleasing

What Drives Them: Peace and harmony. Loyalty. Feeling valued and cared for.

An S feels alive when the team is working together, when everyone feels supported and included, when there's peace. Conflict or exclusion? They feel drained.

How to Communicate with an S:

Be warm and supportive
Show that you care about them as people, not just workers
Give them time. Don't rush them.
Acknowledge their loyalty and support
Reassure them about security and stability
Create safe spaces for them to share

What an S Looks Like When They're Not Understood:They become passive-aggressive. They say yes to everything but resent it. They withdraw. They don't speak up even when they disagree. They create a culture of niceness that hides real problems.

Type 4: The C (Cautious) — The Conscientious

What They're Like:

Reserved, thoughtful, analytical
Detail-focused, process-oriented
Ask tons of questions
Need data, quality, accuracy
Think before they speak
Sometimes seen as overly critical or perfectionistic

What Drives Them: Accuracy. Quality. Correctness. Having all the information.

A C feels alive when they know they have the right information, when things are done correctly, when quality standards are met. Making a decision without data? They feel uncomfortable.

How to Communicate with a C:

Be accurate and detailed
Have your facts straight
Provide data and evidence
Answer their questions (they're not trying to slow you down, they're trying to be smart)
Give them time to analyze
Respect their need for quality and precision

What a C Looks Like When They're Not Understood:They become paralyzed by perfectionism. They ask endless questions and slow everything down. They become critical and judgmental. They create a culture where nothing ever feels "ready" to ship because it could always be better.

How to Use This to Transform Your Team

From Understanding to Action

Here's what most organizations miss: Understanding the four personality types is not the end. It's the beginning. Once you know the types, the real work starts: building teams where all four types understand each other.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Team

Use a behavior communication style assessment tool (DISC is the most common). Have everyone take it. Map it out. See the distribution.

You'll probably find you have all four types, or at least three. Rarely do you have only one type.

Step 2: Help Everyone Understand Everyone Else

This is where the magic happens. Do a workshop or team meeting where you:

Share the four types
Help each person understand their own type and why they operate the way they do
Help them understand the other three types and why those types operate differently
Normalize the differences instead of judging them

Step 3: Create Communication Protocols Based on Type

When talking to your D: Be direct, get to the point, focus on results
When talking to your I: Be energetic, make it engaging, give social time
When talking to your S: Be warm, show you care, create psychological safety
When talking to your C: Be detailed, provide data, answer questions

Step 4: Build Balanced Teams

This is advanced work, but it's powerful: When forming teams for projects, try to include at least one of each type (if possible).

Why? Because:

D drives results
I brings creativity and connection
S ensures team morale and unity
C ensures quality and accuracy

When all four types are present and understood, teams perform at their highest level.

The Real-World Impact

What Happens When Teams Understand Personality Type

I worked with a marketing team that was dysfunctional.

The D on the team was always pushing for fast decisions and results, never really listening to anyone. The C on the team was always asking for more data and wanting to perfect everything. The I wanted to brainstorm wild ideas and chat (that was me...). The S wanted everyone to feel heard and valued.

They were driving each other crazy.

The D thought the C was slow and perfectionistic.The C thought the D was reckless and careless. The I thought everyone was overthinking everything. The S thought nobody cared about how people felt.

Classic dysfunction.

We did a personality type workshop. Each type explained their motivation. Each type explained what they needed from others.

Everything shifted.

Suddenly, the D understood: "Oh, the C isn't trying to slow us down. They're trying to protect us from mistakes."

The C understood: "Oh, the D isn't being reckless. They're trying to create momentum."

The I understood: "Oh, the quieter people aren't boring. They're processing."

The S understood: "Oh, people aren't being mean. They just communicate differently."

Within two months:

Meetings got shorter (because people understood why the C needed questions answered)
Decision-making got faster (because the D's pace wasn't being questioned)
Idea generation got better (because the I's creativity wasn't dismissed)
Team cohesion got stronger (because the S's concern for people was finally valued)

Productivity went up.

Conflict complaints went down.

All because everyone finally understood each other.

If your team is struggling with communication, conflict, or collaboration—communication style differences are likely part of the problem. The solution isn't to change people. It's to help people understand each other.

I've helped organizations transform team dynamics by teaching the four personality types and how to leverage them.

Whether you're a small startup team or a division of 500+, this framework works.

I offer:

Keynote presentations on personality types and team dynamics
Half-day and full-day workshops where teams learn their own types and how to communicate with other types
Team coaching to implement personality-based communication protocols - Next sessoin of Team Coaching begins January 13th. Click here to learn more.
Custom training for specific team challenges

Ready to transform your team's collaboration? Let's chat about what your organization needs.

https://www.kellylippenholz.com or reach out on LinkedIn—I'd love to show you what's possible for your team. Let's all play nice in the sandbox!