Leadership development at scale using DISC + TEIQue; identical behavioral profiles diverged based on TraitEI.
Thames Valley Police needed to revolutionize their leadership development approach. With traditional training falling short, they faced the critical task of equipping Sergeants and Inspectors with the advanced interpersonal skills necessary for modern policing.
How could they identify high-potential officers and provide them with personalized development that would transform both individual careers and organizational effectiveness?
Thames Valley Police implemented a groundbreaking development program built around two powerful assessment tools: DISC and TEIQue©. This dual-assessment approach became the foundation for their Developing Potential Cohorts – an intensive two-year journey designed to transform leadership capabilities.
What made this program truly innovative was its specialized focus, creating dedicated cohorts including "Women in Police" and role-specific groups for "Sergeants and Inspectors" – ensuring development was tailored to unique leadership challenges.
The program revealed a game-changing insight: officers with identical DISC profiles achieved dramatically different leadership results based on their trait emotional intelligence (TraitEI) competencies.
Consider this revelation: officers with high Dominance (D) profiles were naturally directive and action-oriented. However, those who also possessed high Empathy, Self-control and Emotion Management transformed this dominance into inspirational leadership, while those lacking these TraitEI facets often created resistance and disengagement.
This discovery allowed for laser-focused development interventions that worked with natural behavioral tendencies while enhancing trait emotional intelligence skills.
The transformation was remarkable:
The program's success led to the establishment of a dedicated Leadership Academy with 15-16 specially trained coaches who continue applying these powerful psychometric tools.
"The combination of DISC and TEIQue© gave us insights we simply couldn't have gained any other way. We're now able to develop leaders who aren't just effective commanders but who truly inspire their teams."
Thames Valley Police continues expanding this successful approach:
This case demonstrates how combining behavioral assessment and trait emotional intelligence tools creates a development framework that transforms performance in high-pressure environments where interpersonal effectiveness makes all the difference between good and exceptional leadership.
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