DISCIPLINE: What It Means to Have Discipline
StrengthsFinder Theme / CliftonStrengths Theme: DISCIPLINE
What Is the DISCIPLINE Theme
People with Discipline are the ones in our lives who bring precision, structure, and diligence to all that they do. It is their instinct to create familiarity and predictability in their personal lives and in the world around them. Through routines, schedules, and plans they create an orbit where they can execute effectively, reliably, and accurately over and over again. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it is likely a motto that resonates with them. Folks with Discipline like to know exactly why they are giving their energy to something and whether or not it is sustainable—the idea of one-offs is uncomfortable to them, maybe even hideous. Quality is crucial to their view of the world and understanding what the expectations are in any situation is key. Floating, for them, is simply not an option. They are intuitive people who naturally create structure and, when faced with a task, they tend to consider it in stages or phases. From there, they are able to get just about anything done. People with Discipline remind us that We are what we do everyday and they inspire us to create lives that have a lasting impact.
Why Should We Care
Because they are great at creating and implementing order and rhythm in their own lives, they are usually quite skilled at envisioning and implementing structure in teams, organizations, and the lives of others. They are extremely careful and will systematically check and re-check that any project or work that they are overseeing is developing correctly and according to the plan. The instinct of people with Discipline is to create things that are lasting—and when we are in their presence we can feel it. They are diligent, level-headed, and detail-oriented people who effortlessly curate order, establish timelines, and help teams meet deadlines. Simply put, we feel confident with them. In a sometimes-chaotic reality, they offer us peace: a vision of precision, progress, and order and then a plan that brings it into fruition.
Ten Things to Know About People with DISCIPLINE
1. Freedom. Those with the Strength of Discipline experience a level of freedom that others might not understand or appreciate. Their routines and structures can actually free them up to think big and go big in life. They lock-down life’s details as a way of limiting surprises and setbacks, which makes room for bigger and better things.
2. Anxiety. They may come to rely on a specific structure such that in its absence they feel floaty, disconnected, or slightly panicked. They may also wish for some predictability in all areas of their life and, because this is not always possible, they may experience some anxiety in normal everyday life.
3. Elephants. The teaching “How do you eat an elephant?” (One bite at a time) is really central to their view of getting things done. Rome wasn’t built in a day—but it was built. They deeply understand that big projects can be turned into smaller sequential projects—each with their own mini-win built in along the way to the big win.
4. Superhuman. There can be an element of superhuman excellence in what they do. Others are sometimes in awe of them, wondering how they are able to consistently get so much done. People with Discipline tend to receive a quiet satisfaction when this happens.
5. Confidence. They are generally confident people who can back up their methods, worldview, and intentions with an impressive track record of past excellence.
6. Perfectionism. What others may call “perfectionism” is simply the way to do things for Discipline people. They may feel the absence of structure or direction in their bodies. It may make them physically uncomfortable to move forward without a plan.
7. Chill. Most people with Discipline have been misunderstood, shamed, or mocked about their way of doing things—to them, it can feel like they are simultaneously doing too much and not enough. In that way, they can grow to feel sensitive and even resentful of others commenting on the structure that they’ve created in their lives. They more than likely hate any mention of being “uptight” or being told to “relax”.
8. Scaling. They generally appreciate that which can be scaled, reproduced, or refined, fine-tuned, and streamlined. They may ask, “Would this system work on a larger scale?”, “Can we do this over and over again with the same results?”, or “How can we apply this structure to other projects?”
9. Processes. It can be easy for them to get caught up in how things are done. Even if the proper results are achieved, it may bug them if the methods were sloppy or haphazard. They are often practicing the art of patience and allowing others to have their own ways of doing things (even if it isn’t how they would do it).
10. Love. Folks with Discipline may be their own harshest critic and they can often feel taken for granted and invisible—so, love can often be felt in the form of gentle validation, words of affirmation, and compassionate nudges that acknowledge their innate wholeness (aka That they are enough).