The Link Between Personality and Employee Engagement in Marketing Teams
Unlocking Hidden Motivators to Build Thriving Marketing Teams
When we think about what makes a marketing team truly great, it’s tempting to focus on the obvious things: the flashy campaigns, the creative ideas, the metrics that prove our impact. But behind every high-performing team is something far more powerful - an environment where every team member feels engaged, valued, and ready to bring their best.
Yet, engagement can be a slippery thing to hold onto, especially in current times when marketing is so misunderstood. One minute, you’ve got a team buzzing with ideas and healthy debate. The next, you’re stuck with a group of people going through the motions, doing just enough to keep things ticking over.
And the biggest challenge is that disengagement rarely announces itself loudly. It creeps in quietly, eroding the trust and energy that fuel a great team. Left unchecked, it spreads, dragging even your top performers down with it.
So, what’s really going on? And how do you fix it before it gets toxic?
For most marketing leaders, the answer lies in understanding one simple truth: engagement is personal. It’s driven by what makes each of us tick, our quirks, our preferences, and the way we’re wired to show up at work.
One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is understanding personality and behavioural drivers. And that’s why the DISC personality model can be such a game-changer.
Understanding the Four Styles
The DISC model breaks down human behaviour into four primary preferences and styles:
D: Dominance – results-focused, competitive, loves a challenge
I: Influence – sociable, energetic, and driven by connection
S: Steadiness – calm, patient, and a reliable team player
C: Conscientiousness – detail-oriented, analytical, and committed to getting it right
Each of these styles brings something unique to the table. But they also have different motivators and stress triggers. If those needs aren’t met, it’s not just individual performance that suffers - team cohesion, creativity, and even your marketing ROI take a hit.
Here’s what to watch for and how to re-engage each style within your marketing team:
Motivating the D Style: Power and Autonomy
Your D-style marketers are your challengers and your big thinkers. They’re energised by having ownership and the chance to move fast. But take away their sense of control, and you’ll see them retreat.
High-D marketers are the ones who want to drive results, own campaigns, and lead the charge. They thrive when they’re trusted to make decisions and shape strategy. But take away that sense of control, maybe by bogging them down with endless sign-offs or ignoring their ideas, and their fire fizzles fast.
Nothing kills their engagement faster than empty gestures.
Warning Signs:
They stop championing new initiatives
They withdraw and stop offering solutions
They become passive, a sharp contrast to their usual assertiveness
Re-engage them by:
Giving them ownership of a campaign or problem area
Actively seeking their input and following through
Avoiding micromanagement—they need room to run
Motivating the I Style: Recognition and Connection
Your I-style marketers are often the glue in the team, the ones who build relationships across silos, spark creative brainstorms, and bring energy to everything they do. But when they feel undervalued or isolated, that energy can quickly sour into gossip or detachment.
I-styles are your natural networkers and morale-boosters. But if they feel left out or undervalued, you’ll see that spark fade fast.
Warning Signs:
They stop bringing people together
Their chatter turns negative
They seek validation elsewhere, not from the team
Re-engage them by:
Involving them in morale-building initiatives or customer events
Publicly recognising their contributions
Giving them chances to collaborate and shine
Motivating the S Style: Stability and Appreciation
S-style marketers are your steady hands. They’re reliable, calm under pressure, and always ready to help. But rapid change or a lack of appreciation can make them anxious and unsure.
Warning Signs:
They become quieter, less responsive
They avoid conflict entirely
They seem overwhelmed by constant pivots
Re-engage them by:
Giving them time to adjust to change
Reinforcing that they’re a valued part of the team
Rebuild trust slowly.
Listen (really listen) to their concerns.
Motivating the C Style: Clarity and Competence
C-style marketers are your data-driven strategists, the ones who pore over campaign metrics and fine-tune the details. But without clear expectations and logical plans, they’ll disengage from frustration, not defiance.
Warning Signs:
They get stuck in the weeds of minor issues
They stop offering insights altogether
Their productivity drops, especially when faced with ambiguity
Re-engage them by:
Providing clear briefs and success metrics
Valuing their thoroughness and logic
Creating space for them to do what they do best: elevate the work through precision
Why This Matters for Marketing Leaders
Disengagement might look the same on the surface - fewer ideas, less collaboration, and a sense of “coasting.” But the reasons behind it differ for each personality style. Leaders who understand this can take targeted action to restore trust, motivation, and ultimately, performance.
It’s not about a one-size-fits-all approach. No blanket “pizza Fridays” or forced brainstorms will fix a disengaged team if it doesn’t meet their core needs. Instead, we need to create an environment where every marketer feels seen, respected, and free to do their best work.
The Cost of Ignoring Personality
When marketing leaders ignore these nuances, even well-intentioned efforts to drive engagement can backfire. You might think you’re helping your C-style strategist by involving them in open-ended creative sessions, but they see it as a muddled mess. Or you might think giving a D-style leader less to do will reduce stress, when in reality, it’s exactly what makes them check out.
Understanding DISC can give you a strategic edge that can transform your marketing team from functional to phenomenal.
Ready to Lead with More Impact?
If you’re serious about building a thriving marketing team, it’s time to go deeper.
Join my next DISC-based training session for marketing leaders, where we’ll explore how to harness these personality insights to unlock engagement, drive collaboration, and build a culture where your marketers don’t just survive, they shine.
Learn more about the DISC Training Day here
