Why Being ‘Too Enthusiastic’ Became My Superpower in Facilitation

“You talk too much in meetings.”

“Tone it down a bit.”

“Maybe let others speak first.”

If I had a dollar for every time I heard feedback like this throughout my career, I could have retired early. For years, I thought there was something fundamentally wrong with my professional presence. I was too animated, too optimistic, too… much.

Then I discovered DISC profiling, took the assessment, and stared at my results in disbelief: I/I – double Influence. Not just high Influence. Extremely high Influence.

Suddenly, everything made sense. And more importantly, everything changed.

The Revelation That Rewrote My Professional Identity

As a trained DISC facilitator, I’ve seen hundreds of profiles. But I/I combinations in the extended version are rare, representing only about 1% of the population. We’re the people who walk into rooms and unconsciously shift the energy. We’re wired to inspire, persuade, and connect. We see possibilities where others see problems, and we can’t help but share our enthusiasm.

The corporate world, however, isn’t always designed for people like us.

For years, I tried to dim my natural intensity. I practised being “more strategic” in meetings. I counted to three before speaking. I attempted to channel my inner D (Dominance) or C (Conscientiousness) because those seemed more “professional.”

It was exhausting. And it wasn’t working.

The Coach’s Awakening

Everything shifted when I began facilitating DISC training specifically for coaches. Not because I learned to suppress my I/I nature, but because I finally understood how to leverage it in the service of fellow coaches.

The first time I walked into a room full of professional coaches to facilitate DISC training, I felt the familiar flutter of nerves. These weren’t corporate executives who might not know much about behavioural assessments. These were coaches – people trained in psychology, human behaviour, and transformation. They’d spot any inauthenticity from a mile away.

Within ten minutes, something magical happened. These seasoned professionals were leaning forward, sharing vulnerable stories about their own client challenges, and having genuine breakthroughs about why certain coaching relationships felt effortless while others felt like pushing water uphill.

What happened? I had stopped trying to be the “expert teacher” and started being authentically, strategically me – a coach facilitating for coaches.

The I/I Advantage in Coach Development

Here’s what most coaching programs miss about high-I facilitators: we don’t just teach communication styles to coaches – we model the client engagement they’re trying to master.

We help coaches see their blind spots. When I’m explaining how a high-S coach might struggle with challenging a high-D client, I don’t just share the theory. I become animated, using my natural expressiveness to help coaches feel the dynamic, not just understand it intellectually. This helps them recognise their own coaching patterns.

We create immediate psychological safety. My I/I profile means I’m naturally optimistic about each coach’s potential and genuinely excited about their growth. Fellow coaches sense this authenticity instantly. When coaches feel genuinely seen and believed in, they’ll share their real client struggles, their impostor syndrome moments, and their fears about difficult conversations.

We turn theory into transformation. That natural I persuasiveness isn’t about convincing coaches, DISC works through data. It’s about helping them experience the “aha moment” for themselves. When a coach finally understands why their perfectionistic client (high-C) shuts down during goal-setting sessions, or why their relationship-focused client (high-S) avoids talking about boundaries, the breakthrough is profound.

The Double-Edged Sword: Coaching Coaches as an I/I

But facilitating DISC for coaches brings unique challenges and opportunities that corporate training never prepared me for:

The Downsides:

Coaches can be the toughest audience. Unlike corporate participants who might accept surface-level insights, coaches probe deeper. They want to know not just what DISC reveals, but how it integrates with their existing coaching frameworks. My natural I enthusiasm can come across as superficial if I’m not prepared with depth.

We can trigger their “expert identity.” Some coaches initially resist being “trained” by someone who appears to be “just excited about DISC.” I’ve learned that my I/I energy can inadvertently challenge coaches who are used to being the ones who create transformation, not receive it.

The meta-layer complexity. Coaching coaches means I’m simultaneously facilitating their understanding of DISC and modelling how to use DISC in coaching relationships. If I misread the room or overwhelm a high-C coach with too much enthusiasm, I’m not just losing a participant – I’m potentially damaging their confidence in using DISC with their own clients.

The Upsides:

Coaches “get it” faster. When I explain how understanding a client’s DISC profile can revolutionise intake sessions, coaches immediately see applications. My I/I ability to paint vivid pictures of transformation resonates with people who live for client breakthroughs.

They become evangelists. Coaches who experience the power of DISC through an engaging, authentic facilitator don’t just use it – they integrate it into their entire practice. My natural I influence helps coaches see DISC not as another tool, but as a lens that transforms how they understand every client interaction.

The ripple effect is massive. When I successfully help a coach understand their own DISC profile, they don’t just improve their self-awareness – they become better at reading their clients, adapting their coaching style, and creating more effective coaching relationships. One I/I-facilitated session can impact dozens of future coaching relationships.

The Shadow Side of Double I

Being I/I in professional settings isn’t all inspiration and influence. We have our challenges:

We can overwhelm introverts. I’ve learned to dial down my energy when working with high-C analytical types who need quiet space to process.

We sometimes mistake enthusiasm for expertise. Early in my facilitation career, I had to learn when to pause my natural optimism and really listen to what wasn’t being said.

We can oversell the solution. When you genuinely believe DISC can transform every workplace relationship (which I do), you have to resist the urge to promise the moon in every workshop.

The key is awareness. Now when I facilitate, I consciously modulate my I energy based on my audience. Leading a room of engineers? I start slower, more methodically. Facilitating for a sales team? I can unleash my full I/I energy from minute one.

Why the Coaching Industry Needs More I/I Facilitators

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about most coaching education: it’s intellectually rich but experientially dry. Coaches learn frameworks and models, but they don’t always feel the transformation they’re supposed to create for clients.

Coaching effectiveness requires more than theoretical knowledge. It requires someone who can help coaches experience what it feels like when communication styles clash, when rapport is instant, when resistance melts away because you’ve finally understood how to speak your client’s language.

This is where I/I facilitators excel in coach development. We don’t just teach DISC theory – we help coaches experience the emotional reality of style differences. We bridge the gap between “coaching education” and genuine coaching mastery.

When coaches experience DISC through authentic, enthusiastic facilitation, they don’t just add another tool to their toolkit – they fundamentally shift how they show up in every coaching conversation.

The Ripple Effect of Authentic Coach Development

The most rewarding part of embracing my I/I profile in coach development isn’t just about my own facilitation effectiveness; it’s about the multiplication effect.

When coaches see someone being authentically enthusiastic, optimistic, and people-focused in a professional development setting, it gives them permission to bring more of their authentic selves to their coaching practice, too.

The high-S coach realises they don’t have to fake assertiveness to challenge clients effectively. The high-C coach understands that their need for detailed preparation isn’t “overthinking”; it’s creating the structure that allows authentic connection to flourish. The high-D coach learns their directness isn’t “too harsh” when paired with genuine care for client outcomes.

But here’s the real magic when these coaches then create that same permission for their clients. A coach who has experienced the power of authentic self-expression becomes a coach who helps clients discover their own authentic power.

Your Coaching Style is Your Superpower

If you’re a coach reading this and recognising yourself, if you’ve been told you’re “too much” or need to “tone it down” in professional settings, I want you to consider something:

• What if the problem isn’t your intensity?
• What if it’s that you haven’t fully embraced how your natural communication style can become your coaching superpower?
• What if your authentic communication style isn’t a flaw to be managed, but the very thing that makes you uniquely effective with certain clients?

There’s no such thing as a “wrong” coaching style – only mismatched client relationships and misunderstood strengths.

Your high-D directness might be exactly what a high-D client needs to break through their own resistance and take action.

Your high-I enthusiasm might be the spark that helps a discouraged client reconnect with their vision and motivation.

Your high-S patience might be the steady presence that allows a traumatised client to finally feel safe enough to do deep work.

Your high-C thoroughness might be the structured approach that helps an overwhelmed client organise their life and thoughts.

The Future of Coaching is Authentically Diverse

As the coaching industry matures and becomes more sophisticated, the ability to understand and leverage communication style differences becomes critical for coaching effectiveness.

But it’s not enough for coaches to just know DISC theory. The most effective coaches are those who understand their own profile deeply, who’ve learned to flex their style while staying authentic, and who can help clients discover their own communication superpowers.

We need coaches who don’t just ask powerful questions. We need coaches who understand how to ask the right questions for each client’s style of communication and preference.

Your Next Step as a Coach

Whether you’re I/I like me, or any other DISC combination, the question isn’t whether your coaching style is “right” or “wrong.” The question is: Are you using it strategically?

Are you leveraging your natural strengths while adapting to your clients’ communication needs?

Are you helping clients understand how their own style impacts their relationships, goals, and challenges?

Are you creating coaching relationships where both you and your clients can show up authentically while still achieving transformation?

The coaching world needs more authentically diverse practitioners-coaches who understand that different styles aren’t just acceptable, they’re essential for reaching different types of clients.

Your natural coaching style is not a limitation. It’s your competitive advantage.

The question is: Are you ready to own it?

Fellow coaches: What’s your DISC profile, and how has understanding it transformed your coaching effectiveness? I’d love to hear your stories about style-aware coaching in the comments.

P.S. – If you’re curious about how DISC profiling could revolutionise your coaching practice, or if you’re interested in deepening your understanding of communication styles in coaching, let’s connect. Sometimes the most powerful coaching development happens when we stop trying to coach like someone else and start coaching strategically ourselves.

About the Author: As a certified DISC facilitator and professional coach with an I/I profile, I help coaches understand how communication styles can revolutionise their practice effectiveness. Through authentic, engaging workshops designed specifically for coaches, I help transform DISC from theory into practical coaching mastery. Let’s connect if you’re ready to discover how your natural coaching style can become your greatest competitive advantage.