Leadership

[htb]

I tend to dismiss those who do not work or think like I do.

That seems to be shared by INTJs here -- though not by me. I try to preclude incompatibility between work ethic and task through assignment. Like minds make for narrow application, and rejection deprives one of talent that could be useful elsewhere.

I also keep more than one solution in mind, occasionally resulting in someone having to "hurry up and wait" because they respond to a request after I have turned to the second choice. Working around a non-performer, if I possess the relevant skill, I often appropriate the task and complete it myself.

 

[Jezebel]

My preference is to work on a team with competent equals with very little supervision. I'll only step forward when I think it's necessary and nobody else is getting the job done. I don't have problems telling others what needs to be done, but I don't like being responsible for other people.

If I had to choose, I'd rather lead than be led by someone I don't respect. I have some issues with respecting authority on their titles alone. If what they tell me to do doesn't make sense to me, I have a tendency to challenge them or do things my own way anyway. That's probably not a good thing though.

 

[Simplexity]

I think I fundamentally hate the concept of controlling. I actually really don't mind the leadership aspects of being a leader at all, I'm always willing to hear criticism, can adjust well to things and consider myself moderately articulate. On a more personal aspect I wouldn't even say that its particularly stressful or worrisome to interact with people. I just do not enjoy the more Te aspects of leadership at all. I do have to preface this that my experience is mostly theoretical, haven't been entrusted with a "true" leadership job so any thoughts on how an NTP can successfully lead would be great.

 

[animenagai]

yes and no. i like creating conversation and i like being the ideas guy. i'm not too huge in actually having the responsibility and having to deal with all the details though. i like being second in command, but i never feel like i'm a great leader when i'm top dog.

 

[bluebell]

If there's a leadership void at work, I tend to step in until the situation is fixed. However, if someone is competent then I'd rather they lead instead of me.

Apart from those ad hoc events, I'm currently supervising one person and a handful of contractors. I think I struggle most with delegating. I have way too much work and can't do it all myself, but it's hard to hand over things I know would take me less than an hour to someone who will spend several days and still get it wrong.

I also struggle with working out how much explanation or background to give. I hate having things explained to me in excruciating detail because it feels like it's being assumed I can't think, so I'm very reluctant to do that to other people. But I'm learning (the hard way) that a lot of people do need things spelled out repeatedly because they can't join the dots themselves. *sigh*

 

[Simplexity]

If there's a leadership void at work, I tend to step in until the situation is fixed. However, if someone is competent then I'd rather they lead instead of me.

Apart from those ad hoc events, I'm currently supervising one person and a handful of contractors. I think I struggle most with delegating. I have way too much work and can't do it all myself, but it's hard to hand over things I know would take me less than an hour to someone who will spend several days and still get it wrong.

I also struggle with working out how much explanation or background to give. I hate having things explained to me in excruciating detail because it feels like it's being assumed I can't think, so I'm very reluctant to do that to other people. But I'm learning (the hard way) that a lot of people do need things spelled out repeatedly because they can't join the dots themselves. *sigh*

Yes. I absolutely hate that. My INTJ dad is the king of describing every little aspect in his explanations, and he wont even stop in the middle if you ask a question to show that you understand. He just keeps chugging a long in chronological order, its excruciating for me I feel like a little kid trying to get my parents to get me some candy at a store.

That always feels like to me I'm shortchanging people and not allowing them the freedom to go about it how they wish. I still can't grasp the need that some people need all those boundaries and details for them to feel comfortable, on top of that constant supervision to see if their progressing along nicely. It's like doing exactly what I personally hate.

 

[swordpath]

I enjoy the notion, but it's important to me that I feel confident in my ability to lead before I'm put in position to do it. I haven't taken on a whole lot of leadership responsibilities, but it is something I'd like to do more and refine.

 

[Chris_in_Orbit]

Actually, I think I would enjoy the leadership role as long as it was in an area I was comfortable with. Being a leader in like...an army, no I can't do that.

 

["?"]

I mis-voted after reading the second response. I asked this many years ago on INTPc of how often INTPs are thrust into a leadership role. This occurs constantly for me either in my community or at work. I think this is where similarities come in for all "Chart the Course" types where they are asked to lead or when someone does not step up they take a leadership role to keep things moving. Once things are on track, ISTJ, INTJ, INFJ and ISTPs are usually okay with being part of the team.

 

[disregard]

I get my satisfaction behind the scenes.

Being a leader is a big obligation.

 

[entropie]

I guess I am a leader in a "Han Solo" way .

At least I am not a good follower. I can project an aura of competence and security within a team and they often make me the leader without a vote.

Surely I enjoy this but I do not need it. I need to be treatened independent and to be given the chance to implement my abilities and present my ideas.

In military for example, I would suck bigtime. I am not proud of the fact that I have a problem in following a leader without question, but I see this attitude to be necessary for progress. In military that is of course not needed.

I have just applied for a new job, besides university, where I will be put in charge of the engineering division and I have to deal with the communication between our company partners and the project team. That is going to be fun, even if I foresee that there is going to be a lot of "blabla" involved

 

[Kora]

^ Same as entropie.

 

[Wade Wilson]

If it is unavoidable, I prefer "mock" leadership where, even if I am designated the leader of a group, everyone has a say in the decision-making process, allowing me to step in to give the final vote on a decision.

Being in charge of a large group of varying backgrounds and goals, however, is not something I would ever like to do again. You have to be "on" 24/7 for that type of thing and sometimes I just really do not want to deal with anyone, regardless of the issue at hand.

 

[substitute]

I don't really like being a leader... I prefer not to follow either, but just sorta freelance. But I very often find myself thrust into positions of leadership, and when I am I tend to struggle to get the situation up to a point where I can pass it onto someone else. I usually get it put onto my shoulders when it's been FUBAR'd, and I'm expected to fix it somehow. I can do it, but where it's a primarily people-based situation - as opposed to say, needing to reorganize a system or make a new strategy for something - that's fine, but I hate it when it's lots of people at each other's throats and someone needs to get them working together towards a common goal, as well as defining and inventing that goal - I hate that. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

But I always want to get it so I can pass it over to someone else. Just dig it out of the shit, then hand it over.

 

[Moiety]

I don't like to lead because I really dislike telling others what to do. I'm very independent and respect others independence a bit too much to see myself telling others what to do.

But occasionally I have stepped up when no one wanted to be the leader.

 

[substitute]

yeah I hate it for that reason too sytpg, but I also hate it because people are so fucking stupid sometimes, they make it REALLY hard for anything to get achieved... they can be so petty, small-minded, selfish, y'know, someone will be willing to ruin the entire project by refusing to take part any longer, despite having volunteered for a key role, unless this person who has offended them by some trivial remark grovels and apologizes, and the other person would rather die than apologize... so much time is wasted on people's petty bickerings...

edit - having said all of which, I must admit that sort of thing is much worse in the voluntary sector... when it comes to leading people who are PAID to cooperate, I tend to find leadership quite enjoyable...

 

[LucrativeSid]

I just do my best in whatever situation I'm stuck in. So I guess sometimes, I'll be so excited about the challenge of producing a desired outcome that I'll take a leadership role, but it doesn't even cross my mind that I'm the leader. I'm just doing what I can do (or want to do), and so is everybody else. I enjoy performing well no matter what the role, and I often find one that's fun and challenging for me, or just whatever suits my mood at the time.

I can be very informative, directive, and influential, but I think most of the time people don't even notice that I'm leading, and neither do I.

If someone else is obviously more qualified than me for whatever we're doing, I love to take the assistant leader role, because I know that the leader can count on me and I'll be able to learn more by being right up in all the action.

If things seem pretty well taken care of, I can back off and be the analyzer coming up with new ideas and spotting flaws in the current ones. (But then once my thoughts startle everybody, I'll come into the picture a lot more.)

I've never really understood exactly what leadership means. I guess I'd rather lead than follow. Is it still considered leading if nobody follows you? If so, then I'm definitely a leader every day.

 

[6sticks]

If someone asks you to lead and you obey... who's the real leader?

 

[entropie]

If someone asks you to lead and you obey... who's the real leader?

Dad, I told you to stay off my forum !!

 

[kelric]

I've done a bit of it, and I don't particularly care for it. I can do it, but I'd rather have my own responsibilities that I can do on my own. It just seems to work out better that way... I wasn't originally like this, but over the years I've turned into a "if you want it done right, do it yourself" person. I've had numerous BAD experiences where I've been assigned "help" that was anything but.

Apart from those ad hoc events, I'm currently supervising one person and a handful of contractors. I think I struggle most with delegating. I have way too much work and can't do it all myself, but it's hard to hand over things I know would take me less than an hour to someone who will spend several days and still get it wrong.

I'm in pretty much this exact position (sorry, Bluebell, it sucks ). I've (rather guiltily) assigned a relatively simple task to someone to keep them busy, knowing that I'll probably have to go through and fix it, but that while they're working on it I'll have some (relatively) uninterrupted time to try to get some of the larger part done. I'm really not proud of that... the person in question tries hard, cares, and wants to help/learn (and I DO honestly try to help/teach - I'm always available for questions, etc.) - but it's literally an "I could do this in an hour - and you've spent three days on it and aren't even close" sort of situation (and it's not the first time I've encountered that with this person).

Part of it's my boss. He's one of those people who assumes that anyone who's even trivially exposed to something is capable of doing anything related. I'm constantly getting into arguments with him where he says "Why don't you have person X do that?", and I say "I don't think that person X can do that - I'd rather do that part of it myself" (normally my position comes from direct evidence - like Person X saying "I don't know how to do that") - followed by him instantly getting angry and condescending about it, saying things like "You always say that, and we have to get this done fast. No - I'm telling you, Person X IS doing that - end of discussion." So I tell person X to do it, then spend twice the time I'd have taken to do it answering questions and redoing things. Enough about that.

I don't know. I've been lucky over the last 7 or 8 years in that most of my job's NOT been involved in leadership sorts of things - nobody's told me how to do my job, and I've not had to rely on people to do much for me (unfortunately, all of this is getting worse, in pretty much every way, over the last year or so). I tell myself that I could be a good leader... and in the right situation it's certainly possible... but I may just be wrong. I'd much rather be building/fixing things than dealing with the red tape and blame-avoidance that seems to be part and parcel of leadership in the office. "Give me a project, then shut up and leave me alone so that I can get it done" isn't a work-friendly sort of attitude, but it's what I'm thinking quite often these days. Maybe my answer is "no, I'm not a good leader - but in a perfect situation, I could be one - just like anyone could."