DLF: Dominion Leadership
& Freedom
The DLF is best described using the word “institutional.” The DLF, above all other MDNA gifts, is considered a fighter and a builder. They are hard-wired to build personal and professional empires. They thrive on being under pressure and prefer seeing others under the same pressure as well. But at the heart of the DLF is the desire to provide an institutional umbrella that provides freedom to people—the freedom to work, the freedom to grow, the freedom to live.
The term “dominion” means to exercise control and sovereignty. This is what makes the DLF a true leader. In our society today, the DLF is celebrated by the media, all the while reviling them for their leadership methods. Armed with tenacity, strategy and laser-like focus, the DLF believes bigger is always better. Compared to the other gifts, the ability of the DLF to leverage something small into something exponentially larger is unparalleled.
DLF: Examples
Some examples of popular DLFs, today and throughout history, are empire builders like Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors; Richard Branson, whose Virgin brand extends across a multitude of industries such as music, airlines and wireless to name a few; Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship that singlehandedly made Mixed Martial Arts the fastest growing sport in the world. (Although the description of the DLF sounds overtly masculine, females are not excluded.
(Celebrity profiles are unofficial, unverified and for educational purposes only.)
DLF: Brand Culture
In business, the organization with this Motivational Value System is imprinted with the brand culture, “Scalable Systems.” (When something is scalable it means it is measurable and can be managed in size or scale.) The Scalable Systems organization is all about organized growth. Bigger is always better and is achieved through systems that provide opportunities for scalability. Most often, Scalable System brands are seen as institutions and leaders of industry. They aren’t always the most popular, but nobody can deny their economic impact. To this brand, everything can be bigger and better.
A healthy Scalable Systems organization operates in the core competence of freedom. In essence, these brands provide the banner, resources, structure and clout in order to employees, vendors and customers to experience economic, social, emotional and even spiritual freedom.
IBM and Walmart are empires in their respective market. At the time of this writing, Walmart employs 1.4 million people in the United States alone. Both companies have achieved global expansion. This level of profitable growth in IBM and Walmart is only possible through scalable systems.
Additional examples of the Scalable Systems brand include Google, SpaceX, Virgin, Tim Horton’s and Fedex.
DLF: How to Live by Design and Change the World
You are a leader. You are designed to organize and administrate people, plans and resources. You make things happen. You can take a vision and systematically break it down step-by-step for real results. You set the intensity and standard for execution.
You can make any group, no matter the size or skill, successful. This comes from recognizing the opportunities to develop people. You can maximize results regardless of the level of people you are working with. You can set people up for success while mitigating the risks. You use systems to optimize the environment so everybody can win as a team.
There is a fine line between being a manager and a micro-manager. The same fine line exists between delegation and abdication. You are designed to understand the difference and keep everybody’s focus on the finish line. This means you thrive under pressure. Which also means you can help others do the same and surprise themselves on how much they are actually capable of. Just remember, while yes, pressure can create diamonds of people, it can also crush their spirits if not applied with wisdom and empathy.
While you manage tasks, you also have to manage the opinions of people. Being a leader starts with listening. But you also need thick skin to not be distracted from the vision and mission. This means you may face heavy opposition and criticism. Don’t fall for the trap. You don’t have to justify yourself. Eventually, you know vindication will be yours.
This means you won’t always be appreciated. That’s ok. People might resist you, resent you, revile you, and of course be jealous of you. Again, don’t fall for it. Just remember, while having thick skin is good, combining it with a soft heart is even better. Be gentle with people, even when you don’t feel they deserve it.
Your leadership has a way of growing people up. While you inspire, encourage and challenge your team, you have an opportunity to nurture their greatness through action and accountability. Everybody wants to feel like they are making a difference. Optimize everybody’s role to make a positive contribution. But keep in mind you are designed to not just use people as resources or minions, but create confidence through approval, praise and emotional sensitivity. Remember, soft heart and thick skin.
There are many problems to fix in the world. The best part about your design is you have the leadership to fix those problems without playing the blame game. You are willing to take responsibility and action on tasks without wasting time blaming others or yourself.
Bigger is always better to you. This may not have to do with size, but it does have to do with systems and scalability. For you, generating results that are beyond the initial investment is where you excel. It can actually be quite extraordinary. But don’t let this success go to your head. Yes, you are as busy as you want to be but don’t get stretched too thin. Not everybody can operate at your standards and intensity no matter how much they want success.
With that being said, don’t compromise on your standards. Protect your moral integrity. Don’t abuse your authority and power. Too many individuals that have your gift end up destroying their legacies as they drive towards more and more.
Want to really know how to change the world? Focus your purpose, passions and potential on building people—not just products and profit. This will help you see that your gift has power beyond just an institutional organization, but society as a whole. Remember, dominion isn’t about domination. Dominion sets people free. And we all deserve the freedom to change the world.