MBTI: For all ENTJ's
MBTI: ENTJ’s This is for You!
You will know that you are in the presence of an ENTJ because you will immediately feel the presence of strong leadership. ENTJ’s are called “field commanders” in the MBTI world for a reason. At the core of an ENTJ is the desire to build and command something that is intellectually sound and effective. No wonder why this type is highly represented in high positions in the military and in the executive suite of the corporate world. But what does an ENTJ really look like on the inside?
How are ENTJ’s wired?
Extraverted Thinker “Effectiveness” (Pilot)
Introverted Intuition “Perspectives” (Co-Pilot)
Extraverted Sensor “Sensation” (Teenager)
Introverted Feeler “Authenticity”(Baby)
So what does this tell us about ENTJ’s
ENTJ’s are hardwired to think “effectiveness”. This is the air that they breathe. When it comes to decision making the ENTJ is always thinking about what is the most effective way to accomplish this mission. Because of this, ENTJ’s are decisive thinkers who know how to make decisions using a wealth of information.
The Co-pilot for the ENTJ is their sense of Internal Intuition. This function is how they take in information. ENTJ’s love to learn and especially as it pertains to the field they are in. You will see most ENTJ’s with some sort of masters degree and/or list of certifications because they are constantly challenging themselves to learn and grow. This is what guides their primary function when making decisions.
The Teenager in the car is their Extraverted Sensor. Often times you will notice that ENTJ’s love to cut up and be the life of the party when its time to have fun. This is when you know that the “armor is off” and you’re getting their fun side. ENTJ’s are not dominant in sensory details but as a teenage function know how to flex this muscle when necessary. You will often notice that ENTJ’s know how they want things to look and sound.
The Baby function is their Introverted Feeler or “Authenticity”. For most ENTJ’s their weakest part of their conscious state is their sense of internal feeling. Often times when you ask an ENTJ how they are doing or how they are feeling, you will sometimes be met with a blank stare or with a sense of slight confusion as they don’t necessarily take the time to always ponder this question for themselves.
So what would I want to say to ENTJ’s?
1. You are a GIFT to the WORLD and we NEED YOU. ENTJ’s are some of the most brilliant people you will ever come across especially as it pertains to brining organizational clarity and leading a company or organization. These are high level leaders in the sense that they are able to both think critically as well as take in a wealth of information that helps guide them. ENTJ’s care about a sense of structure that serves the overall vision of the team. We need these types when it comes to being the bold leader that is calculated and decisive.
Coaching Tip: ENTJ’s will naturally rise to the top like foam on coffee. They are hardwired to be effective in whatever they do. Recognize that this is a gift to the world and that healthy leadership is needed now more than ever.
2. Your BRILLIANCE can become your DOWNFALL when left unchecked or unaware. Yes as always, every personality type has a definitive “shadow side”. For ENTJ’s their shadow side really comes out in their inability at times to deal with the abstract. It’s not that ENTJ’s can’t see conceptual things, but when it comes to the more philosophical parts of life they can feel like they are in the dark. Why is this important? It’s important because for most ENTJ’s the ends will justify the means, meaning as long as the outcome is what they anticipated, they may view that as success. But where most ENTJ’s will get tripped up is the MEANS. Sometimes thinking through your philosophy behind why you do what you do can help you by creating a sense of ethos or value to the method of your work. That way you learn how to incorporate strong values to whatever you do to keep you grounded and “human”.
Coaching Tip: The ends only justify the means if you’re only concerned about the ends. However, often times ENTJ’s will recognize that people can feel bulldozed in the process which will eventually bite them in the butt. Create a list of internal values. What are you going to value through the process? What are your non-negotiable values that will keep you in check in your pursuit of _______ endeavor? What are some of the soft skills you want to prioritize? What are some non-negotiables as it pertains to relationships that you want to safeguard?
3. Your sense of INTERNAL FEELING will be one of the areas of greatest BREAKTHROUGHS. As I’ve coached a handful of ENTJ’s, often times they will tell me in their consultation that they want to grow in “high performance”. No surprise there. I tell them, “I can help you in breaking through to new thresholds of high performance but you will have to trust me in the process”. Many times with ENTJ’s, its the area of deep internal feeling that is the most under developed. But what happens when an ENTJ can learn how to access that part of themselves in a healthy and repeatable way is that their entire conscious functionality gets supercharged and starts to breakthrough into a new levels. I’ve seen it time and time again and it is always amazing to watch.
Coaching Tip: This may sound foreign or even completely irrelevant to you at times, but practice the art of mindfulness and feeling. Yes sounds very zen, but you will discover the profound benefits when you realize the amount of breakthrough that it brings to your entire person. Train yourself to ask yourself “how am I feeling?” or “how do I feel about ______?”. It’s not that ENTJ’s are mechanical robots, but it’s that their sense of internal feeling is actually the baby in the car. The analogy I give is either the baby can wake and scream its head off, or we learn how to wake it up or get playful with it enough that is is happy and smiling. Learning to access the internal feeling will bring a “third brain” into the equation by allowing you to make decisions from your whole self.
4. If ENTJ’s can learn to value people and allow themselves to SHARE VULNERABLY, your growth and INFLUENCE with people will GROW beautifully. Often times (keeping it 1000) when dealing with still maturing ENTJ’s, you can feel like you are a “cog” in a wheel of their grand scheme. In short, you can feel like you are a means to an end. This is not to say that this is the intention with ENTJ’s, but our greatest areas of growth as people and leaders is to always see our “blind spots”. When ENTJ’s can learn to access their playful and vulnerable side with people, you are allowing people to see beyond the leader and into the heart. I’m not saying that this is always easy, but when coached and developed can really bring safety to the people that are around you and a sense of trust that only comes through the heart.
Coaching Tip: Emotional intelligence is key for this day and age. Many people are initially impressed with how brilliant we are, but most people are subconsciously asking the question “can I trust you?”. For ENTJ’s they will often have difficulties winning over those who have a strong sense of internal feeling. But there is so much hope and breakthrough in this area that can allow you to be the mature and full version of yourself. We are never trying to be something that we are not, but we are learning how to flex muscles that may be unfamiliar to us. In the process, what ends up happening is that our overall agility and psychological fitness starts to make major “gains” which leads to greater levels of effectiveness in life.
ENTJ’s, you’re a gift to the world. We need your leadership, brilliance, and decision making skills!
Andy Eun