What It Means to Have a Dominant Personality

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Signs, traits, and how to manage dominant personalities

Co-authored by Eric McClure Reviewed by Allison Broennimann, PhD

Last Updated: October 30, 2023 Fact Checked

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• Signs of a Dominant Personality
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• Dealing with Dominant People
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• What is a dominant personality?
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• What are the other DISC personality types?
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• Tips

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The dominant personality type is one of the four key archetypes of the DISC personality model. Like Meyers-Briggs and the Big 5 Model, the DISC personality profile test is used to really get to the bottom of who someone is—specifically when it comes to how they see the world and solve problems. Dominant personality types are confident, assertive, independent, and ambitious. They think the world is their oyster and they’re in charge of the seafood buffet. In this article, we’ll break down dominant personality types so that you know how to spot and handle them.

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Section 1 of 4:

Signs of a Dominant Personality

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1. 1
   They’re assertive because they’re so confident. The central foundation of the dominant personality is that they feel good about themselves. They’re the master of their own destiny and nobody is going to convince them otherwise. Dominant people won’t hesitate to take the reigns or reject authority if they think they're right.

   • An example: There’s a team meeting where a football coach chides their players for underperforming. A dominant personality might talk back to point out that they’ve been playing well all year.
   • When this is good: If you need a leader or a problem solver, it doesn’t hurt to have a dominant personality on your side.
   • When this is trouble: Dominant personalities can be wrong the same way anybody can. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for dominant people to recognize they might be wrong.
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   They’re high-energy and sure of themselves. Dominant personalities tend to be very productive. This is why you find so many stock brokers, professional athletes, and police officers are dominant personality types—they know they can do anything they put their mind to and they have the energy to do it.

   • An example: It’s time for your study group to pull an all-nighter. Everybody is hazy and feeling kind of down on their chances of passing the big exam, but not the dominant personality type! They’re chugging coffee, smiling, and studying like there’s no tomorrow.
   • When this is good: Dominant people tend to get a lot done. It’s easy to be highly productive if you’re high-energy and self-assured.
   • When this is trouble: Dominant personality types have a tendency to take things too far. Dominance is associated with people who are bipolar, manic, or narcissistic.
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   They’re a little cold but extremely ambitious. Dominant personality types are known for not being the most sympathetic and welcoming people. On the flip side, this cool efficiency helps dominant personality types pursue their individual goals. As a result, a dominant personality type is extremely common in CEOs and politicians.

   • An example: Several coworkers are competing for a promotion, but come off as overly friendly and laid back to the manager. The one who gets the gig is the calm and hard-working dominant personality nobody expects.
   • When this is good: Dominant personalities tend to get things done, and they don't let feelings get in the way of things.
   • When this is trouble: Dominant people are often very career-driven. Dominance is one of the traits that's correlated with psychopathy.
4. 4
   They’re impatient and don’t handle restrictions well. All of this ambition, confidence, and energy does not lend itself well to waiting around for the approval of others. Dominant personalities are likely to get frustrated or throw a fit if someone tells them they have to wait their turn.

   • An example: A dominant person has a dentist’s appointment at 3:00 pm. They show up at 2:50 and are told the dentist is running late. By 3:15, they’re likely to get up and start complaining to the receptionist.
   • When this is good: People with dominant personalities get things done—they aren't likely to let red tape get in their way.
   • When this is trouble: Dominant people tend to ruffle feathers. They're impatient and not fond of waiting their turn.
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Section 2 of 4:

Dealing with Dominant People

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1. 1
   Emphasize what needs to be done, not how to do it. Dominant personality types thrive when you give them something to complete. They’re unlikely to care a whole lot about the method behind the madness, though. In fact, dominant personalities may even lash out if you try to restrict how they’re allowed to do things.

   • For example, instead of asking your dominant brother to wish your mom a happy birthday by sending a video message with you, just say, “Don’t forget it’s mom’s birthday! I was going to send a video if you want to help.”
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   Get to the point and forget about small talk. If you want to keep a dominant personality in your good graces, exude ruthless efficiency when you want something or need help. Trying to “soften them up” or shower them with compliments is likely going to annoy them. They’re people of action, and they don't have the patience for chitchat.

   • If you need help with a school project, just tell them. Don’t try to float the idea of casually working together on something. Even if they pick up what you’re putting down, they might just ignore you.
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   Don’t threaten their independence. Dominant personalities aren’t known for being great team players, and they prefer working alone if they aren’t in charge. So, if you’re managing a dominant personality type, don’t try to put a ton of restrictions on them or force them to work with others if it’s not necessary.

   • For example, if you’re a teacher and you have a dominant student, give them the option to complete group projects alone.
4. 4
   Keep them busy and fill in the gaps they leave behind. Dominant personalities can get up to no good if they don’t have something personally relevant to work on. Unfortunately, they can tend to overlook things when they’re in the business of pursuing their goals, so you may need to clean up after them a bit as they’re working on tasks.

   • Don’t hesitate to ask a dominant coworker to complete a tough task for you if they seem bored. Just don’t expect them to do it perfectly the first time.
5. 5
   Make decisions quickly. If a dominant personality type has to sit around waiting all day for others to make choices that impact them, you’re going to—at a bare minimum—get a strongly worded email. Don’t overthink things. Seize the day, make your choices with confidence, and don’t second-guess yourself.

   • Got a shift at your job with a dominant coworker? Don’t sit around worrying about how they’ll take it if you start a task. Just get moving. Do it, and do it fast.
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   Don’t take things personally. It’s easy for a dominant personality type to kind of rub people the wrong way, especially in professional settings. Don’t get bent out of shape. You might find yourself wondering if they hate you, or feeling like they’re trying to pick a fight with you. They don’t—that’s just their overall vibe. Try not to let it get to you.
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Section 3 of 4:

What is a dominant personality?

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1. 1
   Dominant is one of the four DISC personality types. In 1928, psychologist William Moulton Marston developed a model of human behavior known as the DISC model. It’s based on the premise that everybody falls somewhere within the four quadrants of dominance, inducement, submission, and compliance. Dominant personality types fall primarily within the dominance quadrant, but they may tilt a bit toward the inducement and compliance sides as well.

   • In modern times, DISC is often said to stand for dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness, instead. This lines up a little more cleanly with the Big 5-factor model of personality, which is slightly more popular among contemporary psychologists today.
   • The traditional DISC model is most popular these days among people in the business world. Unlike the Big 5, which specifically focuses on a person’s sense of self, the DISC model is about how people tackle problems based on their personality. This makes it a helpful tool if you’re managing people or working in sales.
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   People with dominant personalities are confident and assertive. People with a dominant personality tend to be outgoing, self-assured, strong-willed, and steadfast. They tackle problems with an assuredness that they’re in charge and capable. They’re likely to end up in management roles or volunteer to take the lead in group projects. While all of that sounds great, there are drawbacks. Dominant personalities are known for getting into conflicts with others, and they can be difficult to manage if they want to be in charge.

   • Just to be clear, very few people are “purely” dominant. Most dominant personalities have some secondary quality that smooths out a lot of their more intense features.
   • Studies show that dominance is actually the rarest personality trait. Only 12% of the global population qualifies as dominant. Interestingly, the majority of dominant types are male.
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Section 4 of 4:

What are the other DISC personality types?

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1. 1
   Inducement People with an inducement personality rely on charm, wit, and conversational strategies to get what they want. They’re verbose, intellectual, inspired, and self-motivated. They’re unlikely to upset the balance or rock the boat when they’re at work or school, but they’re more than capable of working by themselves to get what they need.

   • Positive Traits: Easy to get along with, personally productive, and often extremely interesting.
   • Negative Traits: Prone to lying if it helps avoid conflict, not a team player, and rarely open to negotiation.
   • Popular Modern Phrasing: Influence. Modern DISC tests shy away from the original adjectives because they can sound a little harsh. These days, people often swap out “inducement” for “influence” to highlight the emphasis on charm and wit.
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   Submissive People with a mainly submissive personality are naturally warm, friendly, and accepting. They go with the flow and use kindness to tackle the problems they face. They’re phenomenal at following orders, they’re often great learners, and they’ll go out of their way to ensure everybody is happy.

   • Positive Traits: Deeply sympathetic, often humorous and enjoyable, and good at following instructions.
   • Negative Traits: Won’t fight back if provoked, often need directions, and unlikely to be ambitious if they’re already happy.
   • Popular Modern Phrasing: Steadiness. “Submissive” sounds pretty negative in a modern context. Instead, people will use “steadiness” to emphasize stability, equitability, and authenticity.
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   Compliance People with a compliant personality are primarily concerned with avoiding conflict and preventing friction. They’ll be hostile with their friends if hostility is promoted as a core value in their friend group, then turn around and be cheerful at work if cheeriness is what the manager wants. For people with a compliant personality, avoiding punishment and trouble is of utmost importance.

   • Positive Traits: Easy to get along with, observant, and capable of navigating tough situations.
   • Negative Traits: Will lie to prevent conflict, won’t stand up for themselves, and rarely concerned with what’s right.
   • Popular Modern Phrasing: Conscientiousness. Like submissiveness, “compliant” can have a negative connotation. “Conscientiousness” more accurately reflects the core of this trait—it’s about getting along with others.
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Tips

• After DISC and the Big 5 Factor Model, the other popular personality assessment model is Myers-Briggs, which is even more popular in the business world than the DISC model is.
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