What about these compliant leaders who blend several styles. When they are effective, these leaders “mix it up” with other people and seek to engage in collaborative leadership. They wish to generating ideas, intentions and information through carefully orchestrated discussion and dialogue. In seeking to lead teams that operate at a high level, the Compliant leader may choose to use all three leadership styles and even to find a way in which to integrate all three. When they are ineffective, compliant leaders can readily be bound by specific procedures and traditional ways of operating. While they may pronounce an openness to diverse perspectives and practices, the Compliant leader can actually be reticent to engage in any activity that leads away from “smooth running” and toward controversy (and disruption).
While DISC provides a compelling description of four different leadership styles, it is in the blending of several styles that some of the greatest insights can be gained regarding effective leadership. I assign the full color spectrum—the Rainbow—to the Compliant leaders. The rainbow, in turn, requires collaboration among several elements and ultimately a beautiful integration of these elements. What are the three elements: a rainbow is created when there is sufficient heat (Ruby Red), light (Golden Yellow) and sky (Azure Blue). This, however, is not enough. There must be a precipitating (excuse the pun) event–a convening challenge if you will. This event is rain. When the challenge is being met, the rainbow appears and is cause for our appreciation of the wonders of nature.
The Rainbow Relationship
Those with a Rainbow orientation thrive in a team setting—especially when they had significant influence regarding its operations. One of McKenna and Pugno’s (2006, p. 137) points specially to the Mayo Clinic tradition and to recent broader trends of working in clinical teams:
“More and more there is a realization within medicine (It came later to us than to most people in business) that we can accomplish far more through teamwork than we could ever accomplish alone. This concept is well established in the Mayo Clinic practice.” [ Monte L. Anderson, MD, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, Mary Clinic Scottsdale]
In alignment with recent studies that demonstrate the greater “intelligence” of a team than any one member of the team (Arima, 2021), the Compliant Rainbow leaders acknowledge the strength of a team.
Compliant Rainbow leaders also tend to acknowledge the value of establishing diversity in the teams they establish and in which they work. This is where their Azure Blue joins with their Ruby Red (forming what I will soon identify as a Royal Purple commitment to advocacy leadership). This diversity can include bringing administrative staff together with physicians. McKenna and Pugno (2006x, p. 106) turn, as they often do in their book, to recommendations offered by Dr. William Jessee as President of the Medical Group Management Association:
“Only by working together in physician-administrator teams can we bring patients the needed diversity of skills and perspectives. Only by working as teams can we respond quickly to changing demands, reduce over-dependence on individuals, be willing to take risks, and enhance results.”
