ENTJ Personality Type: the "Commander"

The ENTJ is a personality regarded as a natural leader. Strong-willed, decisive, goal-oriented and hard-working, this type is a force to be reckoned with, capable of achieving a great deal with their life. At roughly 2% of the general population, ENTJ is among the least prevalent personality types and is more common among men than women. As a type dubbed as “the commander” and “the strategic field marshall”, it should come as no surprise that this type statistically tops the list of highest earning personalities.

These types are super industrious planners and strategists who make it their business to attain and exercise control over their external world. Even from an early age, they show a lot of initiative and self-confidence. They have the mind of a coordinator and enjoy the responsibility of taking charge. These individuals are skilled at communicating and explaining processes and procedures. Their style tends to be blunt and straight to the point. ENTJs love to share their views and insights and are typically very candid about what they think. Fortunately, they are often compelling and insightful.

The ENTJ’s internal world by contrast is a realm that poses greater difficulty for them. Because they feel less in control and even inconvenienced by their inner world, ENTJs prefer to focus more on controlling the world outside of them. They have to apply more effort to develop their inner judging function, introverted feeling. Being outwardly focused, they are type A personalities who are driven to get things done.

In their push to do so, they are prone to ignoring what they feel. This means they may have a tendency to overlook or compartmentalize actions that might serve their objectives while being uncompassionate and ruthless. They have a lot of confidence in their judgement and can often come across as arrogant and even aggressive to others. ENTJs don’t necessarily see themselves this way and may not even realize how pushy they can seem.

Additionally, “commanders” are cited as being the most argumentative personality type. This can make it very intimating for conflict-averse people to confront or challenge them. However, anyone with the courage to stand up to them and make a good point or argument, is bound to win ENTJ’s respect, if nothing else. At their best, this type is firm, direct and compelling. Developing their inferior introverted feeling will allow them to incorporate better moral wisdom, and manage their emotions better. Emotional awareness is a blind spot for them and can also contribute to stressed-induced burnout.

This MBTI type can get really deep in their work and forget to enjoy the journey or savor the moment. Once they’ve achieved some success in the world, they may start to take interest in more altruistic and humane goals. They may begin to take inventory of what is truly meaningful to them and follow their heart, so to speak. These individuals are not the type to wax poetic but can be quite profound and inspirational. The ENTJ would entreat others to work hard and take responsibility for their own success and dreams.

While ENTJs don’t have the same harmonious social instincts that allow Fe dominant types like ENFJ and ESFJ to ingratiate themselves through helpful service, they instead are able to win approval with others through their humor, showmanship and storytelling ability. ENTJs are less concerned about other people’s approval anyway and actually take pleasure in being a bit edgy and provocative. This can contribute to their tendency to sometimes cause offense and run roughshod over the sensitivities of others, either out of anger or through their sense of humor.

Although they have a funny side to them, the ENTJ’s approach to life is no joke. Their aim is to win and they will utilize all resources available to them to achieve that end. They have a natural understanding and awareness for what is needed to achieve a given outcome. They also have strong opinions and a strong sense of how to go about setting plans into action, breaking down complex tasks and determining what needs priority. Juggling multiple moving parts in their mind, ENTJs can envision the most efficient path forward and do so in relatively short time.

This type doesn’t suffer from procrastination, at least not to the degree that many others do. This is in part due to the fact that “commanders” are motivated by tangibles and results. They’re not inclined to sit on their laurels theorizing and analyzing for too long without taking any significant action or steps forward. ENTJs are rational operators who are disposed towards scheduling tasks and directing programs.

They’re hungry for achievement and knowledge, and are highly driven to become major players in the fields of Science and Technology. Logistics and tactics are their forte, which is why many famous military leaders share this MBTI type. What they bring to the table is order, efficiency and ingenuity. The scope of their perspective is long ranging and many of their decisions will be based on gut instincts about what the future holds and can be uncannily accurate.

ENTJ Strengths:

Natural Leaders: ENTJs are often charismatic and authoritative leaders, capable of inspiring and guiding others.
Strategic Thinkers: They have a knack for strategic planning and can see the big picture in complex situations.
Decisive: ENTJs are quick decision-makers, unafraid to make tough choices in the pursuit of their goals.
Goal-Oriented: They set clear objectives and are determined to achieve them, often with a focused and results-driven approach.
Confident: ENTJs are self-assured and project confidence in their abilities and decisions.
Efficient Organizers: They excel at organizing people and resources to maximize efficiency.
Effective Communicators: ENTJs are articulate and persuasive communicators, skilled at conveying their ideas convincingly.
Resilient: They handle setbacks well, quickly adapting to challenges and finding new solutions.
Assertive:ENTJs are not afraid to express their opinions and assert themselves in various situations.
Visionary: They often have a clear vision for the future and are capable of inspiring others to work towards common goals.

ENTJ Weaknesses:

Intolerance for Inefficiency: ENTJs may become frustrated with inefficiency or those they perceive as incompetent.
Impatience: They can be impatient with those who don’t keep up with their pace or fail to meet their expectations.
Insensitive Communication: ENTJs may prioritize logic over empathy, appearing blunt or harsh in their communication.
Overbearing: Their strong leadership style can be perceived as overbearing, especially in collaborative settings.
Reluctance to Accept Criticism: ENTJs may be resistant to criticism and may struggle to acknowledge their own mistakes.
Workaholic Tendencies: They may become consumed by work and struggle to balance professional and personal life.
Risk-Prone: ENTJs, while often calculated risk-takers, may sometimes underestimate potential downsides.
Difficulty Delegating: Due to their desire for control, they may find it challenging to delegate tasks to others.
Overlooking Emotional Factors: They may prioritize logic and efficiency, sometimes overlooking the emotional aspects of a situation.
Intolerance for Weakness: ENTJs may have little patience for perceived weakness in themselves or others.