In this article I will review the book “DISC van A tot Z” from Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout. Translated in English the title is “DISC from A to Z. Everything you need to know about effective communication and colorful behavior.“
In addition to the book DISC Academy offers DISC assessments and certifications you can take. I will also share my experiences about the assessment and try to frame the assessment results in the context of the other personal development insights.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1 Book structure DISC van A tot Z
- 2 DISC Assessment results x DISC Academy Experience = Value
- 3 Concluding thoughts and wrap-up
Book structure DISC van A tot Z
Let’s start with a brief chapter overview of the book DISC from A to Z.
| # | SECTION | SECTION DESCRIPTION | PAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Prologue | – | 10 |
| 02 | Chapter 01 | What is the real color of the Chameleon? – Primary colors | 10 |
| 03 | Chapter 02 | Four friends on a trip | 62 |
| 04 | Chapter 03 | Bundeled twigs are unbreakable – Team colors | 85 |
| 05 | Chapter 04 | The gobstopper manager – Leadership | 126 |
| 06 | Chapter 05 | How can you drive buying behavior ? | 149 |
| 07 | Chapter 06 | Motives – The hidden colors | 167 |
| 08 | Epilogue | – | 177 |
1. What is the real color of the Chameleon? – Primary colors of DISC
Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout start with explaining the DISC model (as the umbrella framework for the book). Readers who don’t know anything about DISC get a speed course in the theory behind the model and its dimensions from which you can look at the differences in behavior and communication styles. The DISC model based upon the work of William Marston “The Emotions of Normal People”.
- D stands for Direct & Dynamic… and measure how you are focused on solutions and challenges;
- I stands for Inspiring & Interactive… and measure how you are focused on influencing and persuading;
- S stands for Social & Stable … and measure how focused you are on relationships and changes;
- C stands for Correct & Conforming … and measure how you are focused on structure and analysis;
Let me summarize:
- The different building blocks or quadrants from the DISC model;
- The differences between the upper half (red D and yellow I) and the bottom half (green S and blue C). This is thinking over the x-axis (horizontal axis);
- The differences between the left half (red D and blue C) and the right half (yellow I and green S) thinking over the y-axis (vertical axis)
- Understanding of the diagonal red D and green S are opposites;
- Understanding of the diagonal yellow I and blue C are perpendicular;
If you invest in a DISC assessment the resulting outcome will consist of three graphs, which will help you gain deeper understanding about your behavior. Three graphs will be presented:
- Response style, with a rating for each of the quadrants;
- Stress style, with a rating for each of the quadrants (when you are performing under stress);
- Basic style, with a rating for each of the quadrants. This more or less represents your average behavior based upon response and stress;
I see some conceptual similarities with the Management Drives App – Individual Profile Remo Knops. which also helps to understand stress, energy balance and more important how you will stack the different building drives in a stress situation. I will go deeper into the results in the assessment feedback section, when I visited the DISC Academy office at the beginning of 2025.
Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout furthermore introduce the concept of style flexibility. Can you recognize the different DISC profile-colors when interacting with people (just like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator can help) and can you adjust your own behavior to drive a certain outcome. For collaborators and teams and business leaders this is an important asset to carry n your toolbox.
2. Four friends on a trip
Chapter 02 will build upon the foundational knowledge of the DISC model. The title of the chapter describes the example used of how 4 friend try to plan a trip together. However it explains the concept of a quick scan:
Being able to recognize or assess the preferred behavior of other people (with help of the DISC model). This awareness will help you align and communicate in a more impactful way.
Another key concept from this chapter is the “emotional bankaccount” (adapted from Stephen Covey in a DISC model style). For me this is an important concept to manage my “internal balanstece” but is applicable for almost any relationship you are in (work, personal, friends, your better half).
But the alignment efforts will make sure that the balance on your emotional bank account is positive or negative. 🙂 This concept would fit perfectly into the Develop Influence and Generate Energy High Performance Habits from Brend Burchard.
3. Bundled twigs are unbreakable – DISC Team(culture) colors
Just like Management Drives, one could apply the DISC model on the individual level, on the team level and on the organization level. Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout did apply the DISC model onto teams and teamculture:
- Teamculture D – the “get it done” team (p. 107)
- Teamculture I – the “get recognition” team (p. 109)
- Teamculture S – the “get along” team (p. 111)
- Teamculture C – the “get it right” team (p. 113)
Each of the four DISC team cultures is summarized on a singele page with key words that describe the team culture, with a block of triggers, a block of stressors, a block of powers and a block of pitfalls. Finally some one liners, that could come from that specific team.
Just like the initial outlining the DISC model and the underlying theory, the same has been done in this chapter. Of course in practice a team will not be just one teamculture, but a mixed of unique individuals with different educational backgrounds, professional work-experience and different life experience as well. Concluding it will be a mix and therefore a new model is added to the DISC toolbox.
Team-wheel – How to analyse and balance your team in DISC style
The team-wheel looks like a pizza with 8 different slices (p. 114). The individual slices are broken down into more granular sections based upon the different individual DISC combinations. Do you want to analyze your team, than aggregate the individual DISC assessment results into the team-wheel and see who are leading, who are inspiring, who are supporting and who are organizing.
- Leader
- Motivator
- Inspirer
- Mediator
- Supporter
- Coordinator
- Observer
- Organizer
The aggregation on individual, team and organizational level is also seen with Gallup Strengthsfinder Assessment and the Gallup Team Strengths Grid (and in approach comparable to what the team-wheel does with individual DISC assessment results.
It is a visual tool that combines the Gallup Strengthsfinder 2.0 results of each team member, and show the distribution of talent and strengths, as well as the balance within the team.
4. The gobstopper manager – DISC for Leadership
In chapter 01 Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout explained the concept of style flexibility (based upon DISC as a uniform language). In leadership this is very important from my point of view, if you cannot gather the different characters in a (virtual)team behind a plan, it is very complex to lead.
Leadership is an important indicator for high performance and growth. The 6 Habits of Growth – Brendon Burchard and FitCEO Be the leader of your life. Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, Lillian So. And also when you think about creating a disruptive movement The Disruption Mindset – Charlene Li, you need the leaders to ignite and drive it.
Matrix Dynamic Leadership – Intentionally leading
The DISC Matrix Dynamic Leadership (p. 130) consists of 4 different leadership style categories, which just like the team-wheel can be broken down into 8 different leadership styles.
- Vision-oriented-leadership;
- Relation-oriented-leadership;
- Process-oriented-leadership;
- Result-oriented-leadership;
Just like with the DISC teamculture, context will determine the leadership style you need to pull from your toolbox. The matrix dynamic leadership gives a a great framework to develop and enhance your leadership skills and styles. For me personally another key take away from the book.
5. How can you drive buying behavior ?
A little while ago I’ve reviewed the book The Neuroscience of Selling – John Asher where a chapter covers identifying buyers (user, technical, economic) and coaches. And after identification the main question is how can you influence the go – no go decision.
Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout apply the concept of the DISC model quick scan from chapter 02 (how do you recognize a certain behavioral style) in a buying process. A red D has a different buying behavior, and different triggers during engagement than a green S. So again style-flexibility and foremost (self)awareness is required.
An excellent matrix summarizes the different triggers for each quadrant of the DISC model and the type of buyer you engage with.
Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout use an iceberg model to explain the relation between behavior which is the iceberg portion above the water surface and the motives or drivers which is the iceberg portion below the water surface. Behavior can be expressed and explained with the DISC model. Motives or drivers consist of two categories: (1) Thinking = Ratio and (2) Feeling = Emotions.
Eduard Spranger and Gordon Allport have build the foundation of motives-analysis. They distinguish 7 different motives, 4 of which are rooted in thinking and the other 3 in feeling.
THINKING
- Business motive/drive
- Political motive/drive
- Ideal motive/drive
- Intellectual motive/drive
FEELING
- Esthetic motive/drive
- Individualistic motive/drive
- Social motive/drive
Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout close this chapter with a matrix that combines the DISC model behavior style with each of the motives (in a high or low degree). This will give you a highly interesting view on how your motives, drives and beliefs shape your DISC model behavioral styles.
DISC Assessment results x DISC Academy Experience = Value
At the start of 2025 I visited the DISC Academy office to do a 2-3 hour feedback session on the assessment results. Basically the session consists of three blocks:
- Actively working with the DISC model based upon a card game
- Going through the three graphs (response, stress and basic styles) that are the resulting outcome of the DISC assessment.
- The Drives Report connected to the DISC model
Regardless of how you learn, step 1 is absolutely valuable to do. It is not just about the card game, but it is about understanding the differences between the upper and bottom half of the model, as well as the left and the right half of the model. The practical situations and communication examples discussed with Peter Haenraets throughout this part of the meeting was not only fun but also very valuable.
During the card game, I also started to reflect on how my profile would look like, based upon the situations discussed. This is a mental process that automatically happens. 🙂
DISC Profile – Assessment results
Discussing the three graphs from the assessment results as than a logical next step. Please note that there is absolutely no right or wrong in the profiles, and to be fair there weren’t any big surprises in my case. What is valuable here again is the experience of Peter Haenraets, who starts to challenge and discuss patterns he can see in the profiles (and where I wasn’t aware of). These discussion are truly valuable, because it requires you to provide context and explain the backgrounds and facts around these patterns in behavior. DISC is “just” a method to visualize it.
Drives Report connected to DISC Behavioral Styles
The Drives Report follows a same structure. Discussing the outcome of how I rate for the 7 different Drives. Overall no earth shocking surprises, and the rating for most drives can be explained. However there is some tension between two drives. Good news, I recognize this tension both in professional- and personal life.
When the Drives Report is combined with the DISC model the matrix from chapter 06 is used, where Drives enhance/reinforce DISC behavioral styles and also where drives conflict with DISC behavioral styles (and vice versa).
This is where Peter Haenraets has gone the extra mile and did some thorough analysis (upfront). The outcome is not just the overview where drives enhance, conflict or are neutral towards certain DISC behavior. The conflicts is where one potentially will loose energy, and these are summarized in a red thread. Again going through discussion around examples is what I feel is truly valuable.
We’ve briefly touched the combination of DISC and the leadership model presented in chapter 04. To flip it around, how can the model guide me in developing more leadership skills and style flexibility.
As homework I’m going through the details of the reports, and Peter Haenraets has invited me to get back with questions when I have them. Given the active engagement, the three hours just felt like 1 hour. And Peter thank you for tapping into your knowledge and broad experience. And please note there is a lot of valuable information in the reports, so it is worth reading through them.
Concluding thoughts and wrap-up
I’ve encountered the DISC methodology a couple of times in my professional life.
First when Arne Essers, HR Adviseur at Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek and Team Coach at Punt Komma Coaching, was discussing Management Drives and the fact that he was DISC certified as well.
Second when Peter Haenraets and myself started talking about personal development over a cooking class and a glass of wine. The result was … simply experience the book and assessment and see what value it can bring.
Main goal for me was to see what additional insights in self-awareness, leadership styles and practical application in coaching it would bring compared to:
- Myers Briggs Type Indicator
- Personality Big Five
- Willem Glaudemans Talentenspel
Despite the background I’ve had in various assessments, this book is very valuable for every professional. I’ve read many sections of the all chapters in detail, simply because my interest was sparked. What I really like is the different areas of application in which the DISC model is used (individual, team, leadership, sales) and the link to motivation, drives and strengths.
The price point of “DISC from A to Z. Everything you need to know about effective communication and colorful behavior.” is € 29,50 which is a very fair price for the value you can gain from the book. This book has been in the top selling book list of managementboek.nl for weeks and weeks.
At BMC Software within the EMEA Value Engineering team we have taken the route of Gallup Strengthsfinder 34 assessments on the individual level, all aggregated in a Gallup Team Strengthsgrid.
Based upon the book review, my current understanding of DISC and the assessment result (and discussion session) I can imagine that certification for application in a business setting makes sense to develop individuals, teams and leaders. If you consider a DISC certification, you are in good hands with Peter Haenraets and Hans van Elewout from DISC Academy.
Interested in other cool articles, please click on one of the categories below:
About DISC Academy
DISC ACADEMY is a trainer and supplier of DISC behavioral analyses. The DISC model is a value-judgment-free instrument that maps preferred behavior within a specific context or environment. It gives a “hands-on” answer, as it were, to the question “why do people act the way they do?”.
About Peter Haenraets
Peter Haenraets studied nursing in the mid-nineties and later obtained an MBA title Personal Leadership in Innovation and Change in Radbout University Nijmegen. In the process, Peter developed into a care manager and I did that work until 2010. Then I switched in the direction of trainer, coach and trainer-the-trainer.
The question of why people act the way they do has been on Peter’s mind for years. Peter like’s to use his passion, knowledge and experience with great enthusiasm to support organizations, teams and individuals to capitalize on their potential and convert it into quality and results. […]
Peter can be characterized as substantive, extremely humorous, performance-oriented, meticulous, slightly Burgundian and strongly analytical.
About Hans van Elewout
Hans originally has a commercial background. He followed various sales and management courses. From 1997 to 2004 Hans van Elewout was able to guide teams, in the beginning as a manager and later also as a trainer. In 2005 he took the step to the coaching profession. By nature, Hans is very interested in and inspired by people. They give energy and out of enthusiasm Hans can ‘help others on their way’. In other words, Hans was able to turn my passion into my profession.
Based on trust, Hans helps to ensure that people and/or in organizations get moving. Characteristic characteristics of Hans are: open, authentic, cozy, accessible, practical, confrontational, humorous, goal-oriented and direct.
