Type and Leadership Development
Your personality preferences describe the core of who you are. They also provide you with a tailored path for development, starting with your favorite process and moving on to your second, third, and fourth processes. Intentional type development increases self-awareness, a core emotional intelligence ability possessed by most successful leaders.
Although we use all four mental processes, we each have our favorites. Type development refers to your increasing ability to use your less preferred processes well. As you develop them, you can call on them as needed.
Specialist to Generalist
Jung described the first half of life as being focused on specializing—developing your favorite and second processes and improving your ability to use them well. He described the focus of the second half of life as becoming a generalist—increasingly developing your third and fourth processes and using them with less effort. Each of the 16 types has a unique development path based on its type dynamics.
Leadership development parallels type development. A leader develops in much the same way Jung described. New managers begin their leadership journey with certain perspectives, derived in part from their favorite and second processes, which are represented by the middle two letters of their four-letter type.
Use the type grid to learn about the leadership perspectives and development paths for the 16 MBTI® types.
Type and Leadership Development for the 16 MBTI® Types
Select a type:
Perspectives of ISTJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Work hard to fulfill their duties while often avoiding the limelight
Provide clear structure and order
Keep things moving forward steadily, following a tried-and-true path to success
Leadership Development Path for ISTJs
- Introverted Sensing (Si ). Your detailed memory helps you build effective implementation plans. Cultivate a similarly detailed understanding of what others find motivating to better enlist their help.
- Extraverted Thinking (Te ). Others see your ability to move efficiently toward your goals. Try telling others about your plan before you start. Their input may not only enrich your plan but also engage them in its implementation.
- Feeling (F). Develop the ability to recognize group dynamics. Practice reading the interpersonal subtext in group meetings and then later trade observations with a trusted colleague to continually sharpen your skills.
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne). Practice strategic thinking by predicting how industry trends might affect your organization and what it will take to compete successfully 50 years from now. Discuss these ideas with your colleagues.
Perspectives of ISFJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Make sure the work group provides attentive, careful service to the people both inside and outside the organization
Remember the value in meeting the pragmatic needs of the people served and improving their lives along the way
Leadership Development Path for ISFJs
- Introverted Sensing (Si ). Your clear focus, diligence, and commitment to service help you provide leadership when facing modest change. In situations of larger-scale change, practice using your imagination and following hunches to spot and take advantage of important windows of opportunity.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe ). In addition to building a good environment for others, attend to your own needs. Make sure you are clear on your values and how you expect them to be manifested in your organization, and then communicate this to others in your usually friendly, down-to-earth manner.
- Thinking (T). Apply logical analysis more consistently so that you increase your confidence in this aspect of your decision-making process.
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne ). When you start to feel that all future options can only lead to disaster, take a break and get some distance from the issue at hand. Break the problem down into its component parts so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. You can’t make good decisions when you can’t think clearly.
Perspectives of INFJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Articulate a direction, along with the actions required to reach the destination
Leverage the skills and abilities of the team to achieve the organization’s goals
Leadership Development Path for INFJs
- Introverted Intuition (Ni ). Take time to allow your vision to evolve. Support your creative needs by spending time alone while an idea germinates.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe ). Balance the preceding idea with time spent sharing your ideas while you’re still developing them. This will allow others to contribute and can help you increase buy-in to the vision.
- Thinking (T). Project what your vision will look like when you bring it to life, using analytic tools to model the results of putting your ideas into practice. Include others in identifying the pros and cons of various options to help you see potential gaps in the plan.
- Extraverted Sensing (Se ). Focus on reading the specifics of each situation in the moment using body sensations and staying focused on the present. You will pick up on cues that increase your political awareness and will also notice when you need to rest, exercise, or take time for yourself in order to reenergize and do your best work.
Perspectives of INTJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Can see clearly where to go and work intensely to take the organization in the right direction, as directly as possible
Leverage the best knowledge and technology in the business, considering anything else unacceptable
Leadership Development Path for INTJs
- Introverted Intuition (Ni ). Increase your visionary expertise by being more open to hearing others’ visions and learning from them, and by improving your ability to communicate your vision in an inspiring and motivating way.
- Extraverted Thinking (Te ). While you can often see the fastest way to get work done, you can’t do it all yourself. Learn to delegate effectively and make space for others’ ideas. You may have to decide which is better—a perfect plan poorly executed, or a decent plan well executed.
- Feeling (F). Study the various things that motivate people in your organization. Understanding the range of motivations will help you find ways to engage others to rally behind your vision.
- Extraverted Sensing (Se ). When you find yourself procrastinating, break the task down into manageable steps and concentrate on the first few steps you need to take, one by one.
Perspectives of ISTP Leaders Early in Their Career
Focus on efficiently reaching their targets
Adapt as needed along the way to ensure that the work gets done right, using the right tools
Don’t let people problems inhibit progress
Leadership Development Path for ISTPs
- Introverted Thinking (Ti ). Further refine your decision-making strengths by clarifying precise differences between alternatives. Try to factor in other people’s perspectives more overtly. This will give you the added benefit of being seen as easier to work with.
- Extraverted Sensing (Se ). Your ability to take prudent risks springs in part from your ability to assess quickly the specifics of each situation. Improve your risk assessment skills further by noting and also factoring in more specifics about how the people involved will be affected.
- Intuition (N). Balance your tendency to be practical and tactical at work by developing the ability to brainstorm new possibilities and ideas with others outside your small cadre of trusted advisers.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe ). Learn to use teams better, especially to build shared commitment to the work. Learn how to facilitate conversations to make meetings more productive. Others appreciate having a voice in planning implementation, especially when it will affect them and their work.
Perspectives of ISFP Leaders Early in Their Career
Know they can deliver the quality warranted, with complete personal integrity, which makes taking the leadership role worth the effort
Have complete and total passion for the task, sometimes at high personal cost
Leadership Development Path for ISFPs
- Introverted Feeling (Fi ). Understand what matters most to you. Separate what is important to you from what others think should matter to you or what they want for you. While their intent is probably supportive, you must be clear on your values and needs or you risk feeling adrift.
- Extraverted Sensing (Se ). Be aware of your greatest stress symptoms, such as engaging in harsh self-judgment and feeling unappreciated by others. Use your ability to refocus on the here and now as a way to manage such symptoms. This could mean getting exercise, getting out into the world, or having friends remind you of your strengths.
- Intuition (N). Reflect on your day-to-day life, how well it matches what matters to you, and what other possibilities you might consider—where to move, what job to take, what to do in your retirement, and so on. Choosing the first practical option that seems reasonable can limit your vistas. Reflecting is a critical midlife skill to develop for all SP types.
- Extraverted Thinking (Te ). Develop your own way to strengthen your resolve and stand by the hard decisions you’ve made, even when facing dissent. Don’t shy away from giving critical feedback to others, especially when further development is needed or expectations are not being met.
Perspectives of INFP Leaders Early in Their Career
Have a clear, deep vision of what is important to accomplish
Are flexible about how to achieve the vision, as long as their actions can be authentically aligned with their values, without taking ethical shortcuts
Leadership Development Path for INFPs
- Introverted Feeling (Fi ). Set clear priorities for yourself based on your values—that is, what matters most to you—rather than on what others want for you. Stick to the tasks that demonstrate your values until you finish. Protect your priorities from any distractions, deflecting or deferring them until you’ve accomplished what you set out to do. Honor your values with action.
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne ). Generate adequate choices, especially when making a crucial decision. If you feel driven to choose by impulse, stop yourself and ask what else you need to know to ensure that you make a decision that reflects your values.
- Sensing (S). Develop systems to help you recall and track details and keep on top of schedules, commitments, and deadlines. Managing time well signifies more to others than it may to you. You may need to project a more dependable, professional image to support reaching your goals.
- Extraverted Thinking (Te ). Practice conversations in which you give and receive feedback, discussing what behaviors you have seen and the consequences of those choices, until you no longer feel nervous about having these direct, sometimes tough, conversations.
Perspectives of INTP Leaders Early in Their Career
Have some clear expertise in their field (or don’t step into leadership in the first place)
See how all parts of the system should fit together elegantly
Prefer to work in pairs and small groups, as involving too many people will bog down their progress
Leadership Development Path for INTPs
- Introverted Thinking (Ti ). Use your precise, analytic way of categorizing concepts and information to help you communicate better. For example, identify the critical points that will give the essence of what your colleagues need to know.
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne ). Your Intuition reveals the patterns that don’t quite fit together. Use this to find a better organizing framework, one that simply and accurately shows how things really work rather than merely describes how they are supposed to work. This kind of learning helps refine your expertise.
- Sensing (S). As you broaden your observation skills, you will begin to see not only the inconsistencies all around you but also the integrity of existing systems and the pieces that fit seamlessly. Then you may be ready to apply the more advanced lessons of noticing actual sights, sounds, and other concrete data.
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe ). Know yourself well so that you can be as authentic as possible. For example, lead from your values: Demand excellence, appreciate uniqueness and original thought, and work independently as colleagues, integrating as needed.
Perspectives of ESTP Leaders Early in Their Career
Act quickly and confidently
Assess risk in the moment and adapt without hesitation to what is needed
Are active and energetic
Do and say what is needed, even if it is irreverent or blunt
Leadership Development Path for ESTPs
- Extraverted Sensing (Se ). Leverage the joy you get from taking risks and making deals, and exercise your skills in this area. At the same time, use your practical side to make sure the excitement doesn’t pull you away from your goals. Regularly take time to revisit those goals and check whether your decisions are helping you reach them.
- Introverted Thinking (Ti ). Rather than always taking quick action, practice a discipline of listing several options that might work in addition to what you’ve considered. Ask questions and learn what others are considering, as well as what concerns they have about different choices. This will help you make reasoned decisions in addition to more impulsive ones.
- Feeling (F). Practice being empathetic. See if you can anticipate how others will react to situations. Try asking them how they reacted and check how well you did.
- Introverted Intuition (Ni ). As you advance, learn to trust your hunches more. You may find an answer within and not be able to explain how you got it.
Perspectives of ESFP Leaders Early in Their Career
Are quick to adapt to what they see as right for each unique situation
Are masters of improvisation, at ease even in the most unexpected situations
Attend first to pragmatic issues, often starting with people’s practical needs
Leadership Development Path for ESFPs
- Extraverted Sensing (Se ). Use details about your audience to tailor your messages to their needs, not yours. For example, when presenting choices watch that you don’t overwhelm colleagues with too many specifics. Balance content to include both the purpose and the specifics.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi ). Your naturally energetic style often keeps you jumping from action to action. Learn to slow down. Observe both your feelings about what matters in a situation and the nuanced cues for what others care about. This may help you anticipate others’ concerns.
- Thinking (T). Although you may be at ease taking your life journey one step at a time, challenge yourself to develop your analytic side. Try setting specific goals for where you’d like to be in three to five years. Evaluate your progress periodically.
- Introverted Intuition (Ni ). Use your Intuition to uncover the meaning of others’ words. For example, others may criticize you by saying you’re too easygoing when a situation seems serious or worrisome to them. Ask yourself questions that may help you discover the underlying truth. Do others see your lighthearted style as a lack of seriousness, undermining their trust in you? Or do they actually wish they were as easygoing as you are?
Perspectives of ENFP Leaders Early in Their Career
Are passionate about their organization’s purpose
Place a high priority on a culture that values teamwork and people
Prefer consensus-driven decision making, when possible
Leadership Development Path for ENFPs
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne ). Imagining new possibilities comes so easily to you that you may overuse this strength. How can you know when an idea is the right one to pursue? What signals tell you it is time to move to decision making? Train your mind to focus on fewer key ideas at a time, selecting between two at a time to help you decide.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi ). Ask questions about others’ motivations, intentions, and goals to help ensure that you are clear on your own and that you don’t confuse the two. Then you’ll be able to balance what matters to you with what matters to others when choosing a direction or course of action.
- Thinking (T) . Hone your ability to create action plans, setting key milestones and deadlines and identifying metrics for success. By doing this, you’ll help yourself and others assess progress.
- Introverted Sensing (Si ). Cultivate an appreciation for sitting still. Reflecting on what happened in a situation and how it worked out will allow you to learn from, rather than repeat, your mistakes.
Perspectives of ENTP Leaders Early in Their Career
Are passionate about innovation, leaping forward from what is already known
Are visionary and optimistic, developing expertise in their field
Expect people to manage their own work; dislike bureaucracy
Manage through equally high expectations of themselves and of others
Leadership Development Path for ENTPs
- Extraverted Intuition (Ne ). Seeing many options and possibilities helps you face challenges. Cultivate your focus so that you can target your efforts effectively on what will yield the most important outcomes. When priorities do change, be sure to spread that message widely. Avoid changing priorities so often that you appear capricious.
- Introverted Thinking (Ti ). Remain open to learning. If others see you as a know-it-all, they may stop sharing their really good ideas with you. Nothing is worse for you than not being able to share ideas.
- Feeling (F) . Identifying your own operating values will help you match your behavior to your priorities. This will make it easier to appear congruent even when acting outside your comfort zone.
- Introverted Sensing (Si ). Be careful if you find yourself obsessing over trivial details and losing sight of the bigger picture. This likely means you need to clear your mind and gain some perspective. Try taking a walk outside, exercising, or learning to meditate as an easy way to connect with the more grounded part of yourself.
Perspectives of ESTJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Are reliable, hardworking, and dependable
Either know the answers or will go and find them
Clarify everyone’s role, the resources available, and when the work is due
Leadership Development Path for ESTJs
- Extraverted Thinking (Te ). Being efficient isn’t always effective, especially in the long run. Take time to explore with colleagues what unintended consequences may result from your plan.
- Introverted Sensing (Si ). History and experience are important inputs to setting strategic direction. However, other types of data, such as information about current industry practices, anticipated trends, and customer needs, are required as well. Avoid defining the future purely based on the past, whether the topic is company growth or your next job.
- Intuition (N). Driving too hard to take action may lead to suboptimal choices, especially if you haven’t factored in whether people can or will implement what you have chosen to do. What hidden information or meaning might you uncover if you asked more questions? See what additional possibilities you can identify.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi ). Try blurring the line between work and personal conversations just enough to let others get to know you and understand what matters to you. This will help you build relationships and engage people more fully in their work.
Perspectives of ESFJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Focus on what must be accomplished
Create clear roles and processes to help everyone get their work done well and enjoy their work group
Make sure that the people are supported and have the resources they need to do their best work
Leadership Development Path for ESFJs
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe ). You expect your organization to show personal care for each employee, and you can become cynical or disgruntled if management’s behavior doesn’t reflect this expectation. Instead, help other leaders understand the connection between caring for employees and increased employee engagement, which will benefit the organization’s bottom line.
- Introverted Sensing (Si ). Draw on your past successful experiences to help you identify the specifics or details that were important to that success. Apply this information to a new situation before you suggest or approve a course of action.
- Intuition (N). Practice strategic thinking by studying the trends and patterns in your industry. Be prepared for unexpected changes and entertain hunches about where your field may be headed.
- Introverted Thinking (Ti ). In the middle of a project or task, ask yourself what midcourse adjustment might be needed. Don’t let the task list drive the project just because it is what you started with. Take time to analyze what might help improve project progress.
Perspectives of ENFJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Can sense what the group needs to stay focused and on track
Help others see how each person contributes to the whole, and appreciate the total impact they all have
Lead by inspiration and example, and do first what they ask of others
Leadership Development Path for ENFJs
- Extraverted Feeling (Fe ). Clarify your boundaries by discerning whether an issue is yours or someone else’s to solve. Before you intervene, ask yourself, “Who really owns this problem?” Otherwise, they will be back the next time they have a problem.
- Introverted Intuition (Ni ). If a decision seems hard to make, it may signal that you need more time to access your Intuition. You generally trust your insights about others. With practice you can cultivate comparable insights about other situations and choices. Develop patience with yourself in this situation. You may become more patient with others later when they seem stuck.
- Sensing (S). Practice corroborating your insights with historical data and observable specifics, checking that the assumptions behind your ideas withstand “reality testing.” This is common practice for great strategists, who routinely test their models to make sure they don’t build a strategy on weak or wrong assumptions.
- Introverted Thinking (Ti ). Exercise your ability to categorize issues, clarifying the differences explicitly. For example, list all the options and then identify the pros and cons of each, making sure that you have a parallel con for every pro. Use this approach in your analytic efforts, as well.
Perspectives of ENTJ Leaders Early in Their Career
Are strategically savvy, knowing both the goals and the most efficient way to get there
Expect the best from others at all times
Prefer consultative decision making, since getting a group to decide can slow down the work and lead to disagreements
Tend to act first and apologize later, in the service of reaching goals
Leadership Development Path for ENTJs
- Extraverted Thinking (Te ). When tackling a problem, you often see the quickest path to success and are quick to critique other views. Periodically remind yourself (and others) that there is seldom only one right answer. A bit of humility may help you appear less intimidating and stay more open-minded to others’ ideas.
- Introverted Intuition (Ni ). You know the thrill of seeing a complex set of systems, principles, ideas, and interrelationships emerge intact. But you may still need to put your vision into words so that you can communicate the essence to others.
- Sensing (S). Celebrate successes with your team when you can. Emotions are contagious, and expressing the positive ones when the team succeeds has important consequences. People are more loyal to leaders who revel in their accomplishments before raising the bar again.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi ). Take time to express your appreciation to the people who make a difference in your life. Tend to what matters in your life and balance that with all the exciting work you will accomplish. The more firm your personal base, the better leader you will be over the long term.