Mission in Motion: A Minute With Maxwell

In this 2 part episode of Mission in Motion: A Minute with Maxwell, host Heather Maxwell sits down with Nicole Belanger, a DISC and leadership development specialist, to unpack how understanding communication styles can transform teams in senior living, long-term care, and healthcare.

Nicole demystifies the DISC framework: D (Dominance), I (Influence), S (Steadiness), and C (Compliance) explaining what each style looks like in real life: how D’s drive results, I’s energize relationships, S’s create harmony, and C’s safeguard quality and compliance. She shares how DISC began as psychological research and has evolved into a practical assessment tool used in hiring, leadership, and team development.

Grounded in the reality that senior living is a people business, Nicole and Heather explore why DISC is so valuable in environments where leaders must balance resident care, family expectations, regulatory compliance, and team well-being. They connect DISC to pressing issues like employee engagement, burnout, retention, and psychological safety, highlighting Gallup’s finding that only about 20% of employees are engaged globally, and that managers influence 70% of that engagement.

Listeners hear vivid examples of how different DISC styles commonly show up on a senior living leadership team, such as an Executive Director (high D), a Director of Care (high C), and a Recreation Manager (high I)—and how clashes often arise when a results-oriented D and a risk-averse C see the same situation through very different lenses. Nicole offers language and strategies leaders can use to reframe tension, validate each other’s perspectives, and co-create a path forward instead of slipping into command-and-control or silent resistance.

About Maxwell Management Group:

This podcast is brought to you by Maxwell Management Group, a national executive search and education firm specializing in the continuing care and healthcare sectors. For nearly two decades, they’ve partnered with organizations to build values‑driven leadership, vibrant workplace cultures, and purpose‑led employer brands.

Learn more: maxwellmanagementgroup.com

0:00 – Intro & Welcome
0:49 – Why DISC in Senior Living
2:32 – What Is DISC?
3:35 – D, I, S, C in Everyday Terms
7:06 – DISC, Engagement & Burnout
11:48 – DISC on a Leadership Team
15:11 – How Styles Act Under Pressure
18:20 – When D and C Clash
22:37 – From Frustration to Understanding
25:40 – Using DISC with Families & Residents
27:38 – Story: Turning Conflict into Connection
31:15 – Key Takeaways & Next Episode Teaser
32:47 – Closing & Call to Action

What is Mission in Motion: A Minute With Maxwell?

Mission in Motion: A Minute with Maxwell is a bold new podcast and a leadership companion for mission-driven organizations and changemakers across the care sector and beyond. Hosted by Heather Maxwell, founder of Maxwell Management Group, each episode delivers transformative insights through candid conversations with renowned leaders, innovators, and trailblazers who are redefining what it means to lead with purpose.

In every short, powerful episode, listeners will uncover “aha” moments in leadership—those pivotal insights that shift perspectives, spark innovation, and drive meaningful change. From navigating people and culture to leading through uncertainty, challenge, and change, the podcast is designed to offer real value to executive leaders, HR professionals, and visionaries who are seeking meaningful conversations and lightbulb moments that both inspire and challenge the status quo.

Whether you're looking for inspiration, strategy, or just a moment to reflect, A Minute with Maxwell - Mission in Motion brings the voices and stories that matter most—amplifying the lessons and leadership breakthroughs that can move your mission forward.