Myers Briggs Type Indicators
Personality Types and Thinking Styles
Why Most People Don't Think Like You
The Myers Briggs Type Indicators are based on the theories of Carl Jung, which he developed to attempt to explain the differences between normal healthy people.
Based on observations, Jung came to the view that differences in behaviour are the result of innate tendencies of people to use their minds in different ways.
This is a brief introduction and an overview of the Myers Briggs Type Indicators and their significance in relation to individual differences, and how this applies in change leadership and management.
This is a subtle, complex and dynamic method and needs to be applied and administered in practise with trained accredited support.
If you are a leader - less than 1 in 50 people think like you do
The Myers Briggs type of a leader [ENTJ] is only shared by approximately 1.8% of the population.
There are significant differences in how you think and how many other people process things and how they think.
A key aspect of successfully working with and interacting with people lies in your recognition of these individual differences.
In summary:
More blind to this than we realise
I know this may seem obvious, and it may be so, yet over the years I have heard so many CEOs and directors complaining that their managers "just dont get it".
In my experience, most of us are more blind to this than we realise. And that includes me!
I worked with a guy as a close colleague and friend for 17 years and I could not figure out why he didn't grasp and respond to some of my ideas and initiatives. He is a highly intelligent, gifted and experienced businessman with great people skills and yet this was a significant source of friction between us for years.
It was only when I became acquainted with the Myers Briggs Type Indicators, a few years ago, that I saw quite clearly - for the first time - that our types were very different and thus we functioned completely differently, our mental processes were very, very different.
The components of the Jungian types
Myers Briggs types are based on 8 basic mental functions observed by Jung.
The start point is that when people's minds are active they are involved in one of two mental activities:
He identified two ways in which people take in information, based on:
He identified two ways in which people process information, based on:
Jung also observed that people tend to be energised by one of two orientations:
Finally, Jung observed that people use these different functions in a form of hierarchy of preference, described by Jung as functions:
The Myers Briggs model brings these components together into 16 types.
There are many caveats and qualifiers as how all this is applied and they do not describe fixed states but rather dynamic preferences that can change and develop in reponse to changing environment and personal development.
I repeat what I said above, this is a subtle, complex and dynamic method and needs to be applied and administered in practise with trained accredited support.
I recommend the Myers Briggs Foundation for full information.
Summary of Myers Briggs Type Indicators
Just click on any link in the table below to open a summary and brief description of the type.
Books
Tests
Take the Myers Briggs Test
[Note: This currently costs $49.99. I have no commercial relationship with this company and do not receive any commission or financial payment if you do the test.]
Free Online test - Identify Your Type with Jung Typology Test
Return to: Managing Personal Change
LATEST ARTICLES
Belief and Thought: What Zen Tools Works With - What It Leaves Alone
A Clarification Of Scope Within Zen Tools - Not A Position On Belief As soon as people begin to notice their own thinking more clearly, questions about belief and thought naturally follow: - If though…How Thought Becomes Identity - The Hidden Mechanism Behind Overthinking, Self-Worth, and Inner Conflict
Thought Is an Event, Not a Self Most people believe identity is something they have - a stable sense of who they are. In reality, identity is something the mind is continuously producing. It is not fo…When the Brain Is Hijacked - Where Does Choice Sit?"
Pressure, the Hijacked Brain, and the Question of Authority
When the brain is hijacked, people are often told they have “lost control”.That language is understandable - and misleading. In reality, man…Reduce Digital Overthinking To Lower Your Constant Inner Noise
Why Constant Micro-Stimulation Increases Your Internal Noise. Modern digital life generates a level of mental activity that previous generations never had to deal with, and this is fundamentally why w…Pausing Before You Act - Make It a Meta-Habit
How A Tiny Moment Unlocks Clarity, Choice, And Self-Leadership. There is a moment in life so subtle you barely register it. A colleague questions your idea. A notification flashes. A moment of uncerta…How to Interrupt Emotional Spirals Using Thought-Awareness
The spiral is fueled by your mind believing the story your thoughts tell. No one sets out to be swept away by a surge of emotion. One second you’re handling life, and the next, your mind has broken in…Universal Awareness and the Machinery of Thought
You Can’t Control Thoughts - But You Can Learn To See Them. Why do our thoughts have so much power over us - and how do we reclaim clarity? The foundation of thought-awareness is the ability to see yo…Rewiring Your Autopilot – How To Harness Your Subconscious Mind
How to harness your subconscious mind and move from passenger to pilot. The case for rewiring your autopilot is that most of what drives your thoughts, reactions, and decisions happens below your cons…Why You Need To Be Intimate With Your Own Thinking
How self-awareness and insight transforms delusion into wisdom. We live inside an invisible weather system - one made not of clouds and wind, but of thoughts - and this invisibilty is why you need to…The Illusion of Closeness in Always-On Relationships
Closeness that cannot survive absence was never intimacy - only constant stimulation mistaken for connection. We live inside an unprecedented experiment in human connection. For the first time in hist…Why Approval Feels Like Safety And Distance Feels Like Danger
Safety is not found in being approved - it appears when approval is no longer required. When approval feels like safety, connection stops being something we enjoy and quietly becomes something we rely…You Do Not Need Better Boundaries - You Need Clearer Thought
What no longer feels like your responsibility no longer crosses your boundaries. This article explains why you don’t need better boundaries - you need clearer thought - how modern life systematically…