ENTJ people use their thinking to run as much of the world as may be theirs to run. They enjoy executive action and long-range planning. Reliance on thinking makes them logical, analytical, objectively critical, and not likely to be convinced by anything but reasoning. They tend to focus on the ideas, not the person behind the ideas.
They like to think ahead, organize plans, situations, and operations related to a project, and make a systematic effort to reach their objectives on schedule. They have little patience with confusion or inefficiency, and can be tough when the situation calls for toughness.
They think conduct should be ruled by logic, and govern their own behavior accordingly. They live by a definite set of rules that embody their basic judgements about the world. Any change in their ways requires a deliberate change in their rules.
They are mainly interested in seeing the possibilities beyond what is present, obvious, or known. Intuition heightens their intellectual interest, curiosity for new ideas, tolerance for theory, and taste for complex problems.
ENTJs are seldom content in jobs that make no demands upon their intuition. They are stimulated by problems and are often found in executive jobs where they can find and implement new solutions. Because their interest is in the big picture, they may overlook the importance of certain details. Since ENTJs tend to team up with like-minded intuitives who may also underestimate the realities of a situation, they usually need a person around with good common sense to bring up overlooked facts and take care of important details.
Like the other decisive types, ENTJs run the risk of deciding too quickly before they have fully examined the situation. They need to stop and listen to the other person's viewpoint, especially with people who are not in a position to talk back. This is seldom easy for them, but if they do not take time to understand, they may judge too quickly, without enough facts or enough regard for what other people think or feel.
ENTJs may need to work at taking feeling values into account. Relying so much on their logical approach, they may overlook feeling values--what they care about and what other people care about. If feeling values are ignored too much, they may build up pressure and expression in inappropriate ways. Although ENTJs are naturally good at seeing what is illogical and inconsistent, they may need to develop the art of appreciation. One positive way to exercise their feelings is though appreciation of other people's merits and ideas. ENTJs who learn to make it a rule to mention what they like, not merely what needs correcting, find the results worthwhile both in their work and in their private lives.
Summary - ENTJ
Contributions to the Organization
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Bring strong ideals of how organizations should treat people
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Enjoy leading and facilitating teams
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Enjoy cooperation
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Communicate organizational values
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Like to bring matters to fruitful conclusions
Leadership Style
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Lead through personal enthusiasm
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Take a participative stance in managing people and projects
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Responsive to followers' needs
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Challenge the organization to make actions congruent with values
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Inspire change
Preferred Work Environment
Potential Pitfalls
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May idealize others and suffer from blind loyalty
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May sweep problems under the rug when in conflict
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May ignore the task in favor of relationship issues
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May take criticism personally
Suggestions for Development
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May need to recognize the limitations of people and guard against unquestioning loyalty
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May need to learn to manage conflict productively
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May need to pay as much attention to the details of the task as to the people
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May need to suspend self-criticism and listen carefully to the objective information contained in feedback
ENTJ - Murray State