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The Leadership Style of Each MBTI Type

leaders mbti

There are many styles of leadership and some are better suited than others for certain situations. Here is a look at the way in which each MBTI personality is likely to lead.

INFJ – “Lead With Passion”

As a leader, INFJ can extravert themselves convincingly well to reach people and convey their purpose and vision. INFJs lead with their heart and they believe in the importance of teamwork. INFJs listen to and care about the people they oversee. They are accommodating and will strive to make others feel appreciated and valued for their contributions. Because they are introverted, INFJ will need a private space where they can periodically retreat. Because leadership roles can demand a lot of interaction with people, INFJ will likely allocate a private refuge where they can be alone to recharge themselves and gather their thoughts.

ENFJ – “Lead By Example”

ENFJs have the potential for being very effective and inspiring leaders. Because of their substantial faith in humanity and strong vision, ENFJs can lead with their heart and passion and motivate others to follow them by sheer force of their charisma. With humor, love and wisdom, ENFJs can position themselves as a strong, benevolent leader who shows heartfelt appreciation for each and all their constituents. They bring people together and foster an environment of respect, cooperation and decency.

INTJ – “Lead From Behind”

The INTJ leader is likely to be atypical in how hands-on their style of leadership may be. INTJs are likely to lead from behind but not from the sidelines. They prefer to be heavily involved in almost every aspect and personally work to ensure that everything will go according to their plans. INTJs are bound to be highly competent leaders with high standards. They are very direct but fair with the people they oversee. They are also efficient strategists who can systematize everything to operate as best as possible. INTJ leaders have vision and formidable determination. Their focus is on improvement and pushing boundaries to achieve bigger and better goals.

ENTJ – “Lead Like A CEO”

The ENTJ personality is pretty much built for management since they tend to act like they’re in charge anyway. As a leader, ENTJs are efficient managers who are great at organizing and taking decisive action. They easily spot areas in need of improvement and can implement effective changes. ENTJ leaders may be seen as highly ambitious, competitive and power hungry. Because they tend to be very strong-willed, they may have a tendency to undervalue the input and opinions of others. They may function better as facilitators who can create opportunities for others. Although it is often ENTJ’s instinct to foster competition within their group, it may be better to shift that dynamic externally to compete with other groups.

INTP – “Lead With Solutions”

As a leader, INTPs are bound to be flexible and able to keep up with constantly changing demands. INTPs are good at defining and tackling bigger goals by breaking them down into logical, achievable steps. But they may also have a tendency to overcomplicate otherwise simple objectives. INTPs prefer to work with smaller groups of people in whom they trust and respect. INTP leaders may be tempted to lead from a distance, checking in only when necessary. They may need to make an effort to socialize more and consider people’s feelings. INTP’s introverted tendencies may be viewed as disrespectful and antisocial, and apathetic by those who don’t understand them.

ENTP – “Lead With Ingenuity”

As leaders, ENTPs are innovative and visionary. Solving problems is their forte and so they are well suited for playing the role of the bellwether. They are likely to favor bringing people together for collaborative brainstorming sessions. They are interested in good ideas no matter who they are from but their ego may bias them to favor their own ideas more than others. ENTP leaders are very communicative and mercurial. They like creating a work environment that is mentally stimulating and fun. They can be very fast paced in how they communicate and may grow impatient with those who not grasping their ideas or keeping pace. It is important for ENTPs to try an compliment and show appreciation for other people’s input.

ISTJ – “Lead With Loyalty”

As a leader, ISTJs will stress accuracy and precision in the execution of tasks. They follow clear guidelines which they in turn expect others to follow. ISTJ leaders are diligent in planning ahead and work hard behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. Their strengths as a leader include their dependability, thoroughness and efficiency. On the other hand, ISTJs may lack enthusiasm for new ideas. They may be slow to change or try new approaches to familiar routines they are comfortable with. Although they may not be very vocal about their appreciation, they tend to show it through their dedication and commitment.

ESTJ – “Lead With Authority”

As leaders, ESTJs are take charge types. They do not shy away from delegating people and assigning tasks. They do it well, thanks to their natural penchant for establishing efficient systems for productivity. ESTJs may run the risk of alienating team members with their impatience and short temper. They may also have low tolerance for underperformance and people challenging the conclusions they reach. To avoid some these pitfalls, ESTJs would do well to develop better understanding of themselves to better regulate how they respond to people. They should adopt more patience and allow people more time to process their ideas and share feedback.

ISFJ – “Lead With Quality”

As a leader, ISFJ is warm and personable but take their responsibilities seriously. The details are important to them and they may sometimes engage in micromanagement tendencies. ISFJ believes in doing things a certain way and this may serve as the benchmark or standard by which they measure performance. They can be very particular in their expectations but may need to make sure they are clear in communicating them to subordinates. ISFJ leaders will facilitate a comfortable and well-structured work environment. As a creature of habit, ISFJs may cling to old ways of doing things that may no longer be very efficient. They are however, willing to reevaluate and streamline their processes from time to time.

ESFJ – “Lead Like A Parent”

ESFJ leaders treat their subordinates almost as though they were family. They seek to create a nurturing and harmonious working environment and enjoy working closely with their team. They will make a distinct effort to ensure everyone feels valued and supported for their contribution. ESFJ leaders invite others to give their input and suggestions and in many cases they can be very accommodating and receptive. They may sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture and get caught up with petty details and minutiae. ESFJ leaders may get criticized by more logical types for their sometimes inconsistent judgment and over-dependence on external opinions.

INFP – “Lead With Purpose”

As an introvert, INFPs may need to find a way to balance time to themselves with time spent with their team. INFP leaders have a good amount of interpersonal skills and can easily engender the trust of their subordinates. They are thoughtful and seriously consider the consequences of their decisions. Micromanagers they are not and they are willing to give others freedom and room to do what needs to be done. INFPs expect people to perform and they can be very good at finding ways to motivate and inspire others to do great work.

ENFP – “Lead From The Heart”

ENFP leadership may be marked with passion, integrity and sincerity. ENFPs seek to inspire and elevate the consciousness of those around them with the gospel of truth, love and beauty. As a leader, they are likely to be very charismatic and exciting to their subordinates. ENFPs are inclined to be very open to ideas and input from their team. They sometimes feel conflicted with setting up boundaries at the risk of damaging their relations with people. They find it easy to relate to their team on an authentic level and take pleasure in showing their appreciation and offering encouragement for a job well done. On a practical level, ENFPs may struggle with following through on certain commitments and managing deadlines reliably.

ISTP – “Lead With Proficiency”

The ISTP leader is good at making quick decisions and finding solutions in a pinch. They may skimp on the bonding aspect of working with their team. Adapting to new situations comes naturally to them and so they are great at navigating and adjusting to unfamiliar territory. They function well as mentors to their subordinates. They enjoy sharing their knowledge and instructing others on the “ins” and “outs” of a project. As leaders, ISTPs prefer to be hands-on and very involved in the operations. At the same time they can also be very distant and aloof and as a result, people may sometimes view this in a negative light.

ESTP – “Lead With Courage”

ESTP leaders are very reactive and keen to capitalize on the opportunities around them. They respond well to crisis situations and seem able to focus and take decisive action without faltering. ESTPs are direct and unafraid to give criticism where they feel it is necessary. At the same time they may also undervalue feedback from others and lack consideration for their needs. They focus on speed over accuracy and may sometimes leave others feeling left out of the loop in their decision-making process. ESTPs can be very effective and heroic leaders, but sometimes their dominant nature can affect others negatively.

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ISFP – “Lead With An Open Mind”

As leaders, ISFP’s strengths include their hospitable attitude to other people’s views and ideas and their unwillingness to force their views onto others. However, their avoidance of conflict may render them uncomfortable with stepping in to take corrective action or steer things back under control. ISFPs can be very committed to the values and ideals represented by their group. As a leader, they may operate in a very pragmatic way and be well able to manage situations effectively on a day to day basis. Longer term planning may pose a greater difficulty to them as they are more focused on dealing with situations in the present and short term. They are subject to sudden bursts of inspiration which they like to explore as they come.

ESFP – “Lead With Enthusiasm”

As a leader, ESFPs are energetic and outgoing. They enjoy working with their teams and genuinely value their input. They may at times be guilty of “playing favorites” in regards to the recognition and positive feedback they give to others. They have an upbeat demeanor though and they are very hands on and active. They lead from the front and enjoy rewarding and celebrating the good work and accomplishments of their team. ESFPs may sometimes get lost in the details and lose sight of the end goal and larger context.

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Jetta Moon

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