Temperament and leadership

By Shawn Bakker


People who work with type often group the preferences together in different ways that are meaningful to the task at hand. When you want to examine someone’s leadership style, using temperament can be very helpful. Temperament is based on observable clusters of behavior which can be described as activity patterns. One of the advantages of using temperament to look at leadership is that there are only four temperaments, rather than sixteen types, which makes it easier for people to understand quickly.

Temperament is a useful lens for examining leadership style since it provides insight into how a person views and exercises power and authority. When an individual is aware of how their temperament influences their leadership behaviors, they can work to their strengths and learn new skills to help them in situations where their natural style does not fit well.

NT Temperament
Competence is Key (ENTJ, INTJ, ENTP, INTP)
For NT’s, leadership power resides in competence. NT’s are focused on objective clarity and adopt a logical, strategic analysis of issues. Since they are highly focused on competence, they tend to be quick to criticize, which they believe will help others improve. Of course, other temperaments tend not to take the criticism this way. NT’s strive for competence in practically everything, which can manifest itself in overly competitive behavior.

SJ Temperament
Company People (ESTJ, ISTJ, ESFJ, ISFJ)
SJ’s believe that power lies in the structure and hierarchy of the organization and groups they work with. SJ’s rely on the system of their organization and the traditions their workplace has established. They place a lot of value in the workplace hierarchy. As leaders, they emphasize the importance of efficiency and practicality. They strive to impose order on their work, and pay close attention to details. The weakness of the SJ temperament is the tendency to be too bureaucratic.

SP Temperament
Trouble Shooters (ESTP, ISTP, ESFP, ISFP)
SP’s exercise power by solving problems, and acting with cleverness and timeliness. SP’s live in the moment, and are willing to ignore personal relationships and organizational procedures if they are confining the SP’s ability to resolve the needs of the moment. Since SP’s are spontaneous and resourceful they are good trouble shooters and effective in crisis management. The weakness of the SP temperament is the tendency to be too expedient.

NF Temperament
Leaders of People (ENFP, INFP, ENFJ, INFJ)
For NF’s, leadership power is found in personal relationships. They strive to relate to others personally and win their commitment. In order to do this, NF’s are inspirational, sincere, and respectful of others for their contribution. NF leaders do not want people to simply follow them, but desire a connected, cohesive group that firmly believes in their work. The blind spot for many NF leaders is their tendency to be too idealistic.