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MBTI Personality Types

ENTJ

Extroverted - iNtuitive - Thinking - Judging 

What Is the ENTJ Personality?

The ENTJs will most often be found in some position of leadership with formal or informal power. They see groups of people as having the potential to achieve goals that may seem unrealistic to other members of the organization and they think they are the logical person to lead the group, because they have devised and understand the plan.  They breathe strategy and direction and have an almost mystic sense that they are the person to move the group forward.

Bill Gates (b. William Gates III 1955), founder of Microsoft, is an ENTJ whose vision and strategy changed the world  by overseeing an operating system that would go into most computers.    The richest man in the world, he is not always loved and admired but donates billions through his foundation.

They will frequently be seen writing implementation plans, conceptualizing projects, and spinning the vision. They have a classic hand gesture that looks like a divining rod, where they will point in a direction to illustrate where the organization should be going.

Interactive Type Table, Click on any one of the 16 MBTI types for a full description of your type or descriptions of colleagues, family, and friends. 

ENTJs can be highly motivating in that they are often articulate in portraying the grand vision. They bring to mind inspirational illustrations from their own lives and the lives of others. They often give to their ideas an exciting historical perspective, seeing ordinary events for others as being "D Day" or Gettysburg.

They are curious, intellectual, and are continually delving into the meaning of things.

They are often able to gain huge support for their directions through a thorough, logical and commanding approach.   They are frequently clever with words and phrase-making and are good at developing communication campaigns.  

ENTJs as Team Members

A team is fortunate to harness the abilities of an ENTJ. There will be significant strategies and initiatives and most often rapid progress. They will develop ways to accomplish objectives that are ground breaking and highly effective.  ENTJs can view people, however, as another obstacle to overcome and members of the team can be surprised that for the ENTJ, the end game is the only game.

Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925) was the first woman prime minister of England and held the post as a conservative longer than any other prime minister.  Dubbed "the Iron Lady," because of her strong will, she led her country back to a new vitality and prosperity.

ENTJs do well to ally themselves with those types who have a more natural understanding of feelings. They must learn to negotiate with others who don’t agree with them and stick by those agreements. Otherwise they can be seen as manipulative and appear to be just waiting for the right moment to return to their original plan.

What Are ENTJ Issues and Challenges in Groups/Best Alliances?

ENTJs often see accomplishing goals as the meaning of life. The people around them are one means of accomplishing the goal. They usually will declare themselves to be saddened by conflict, but can be quite ready to join a fight they believe is necessary to win the battle and accomplish the purpose.

They are often shocked when others see goal accomplishment as less important than they do. Because of this, leadership for the ENTJ may be for a period of time in a situation of special need. Winston Churchill, probably an ENTJ, spent a great deal of his life in splendid intellectual isolation, chosen to save England during WWII in its greatest hour of need, and summarily dismissed when the crisis was past and the world could settle back to kinder, gentler ways and more people-oriented leaders. ENTJs can then sink into despair, believing their own earlier confidence in themselves to have been misplaced.

ENTJs can be seen as overly intense and blunt and of all the types may convey the greatest sense of urgency. When they are promoted to management, they can be seen as high-handed and manipulative. Most ENTJs who become successful in management go through a process of learning to communicate in a more warm and collaborative way. They also must learn to lean on more people-oriented types to help them achieve their goals.

ENTJs and the Rest of Their Lives

As spouses and life partners, ENTJs can be quite idealistic and romantic, despite their intensity and driving personalities. They have a vision of the perfect plan, the perfect organization, and the perfect relationship. They can be as intense about relationships as about business and plans. They can also be harsh judges of family, spouses, life partners, and children. Their greatest frustration is when they believe people won’t change. The ENTJ must form partnerships and unions with those who hold similar ideas or they may default into cynically going through the motions of a relationship.