ENTJ Personality Type: Common Strengths And Areas For Growth Of The Commander
Developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test has been used by millions of people to understand individual personality and use that knowledge to enhance daily life.
This assessment can be a valuable tool for developing a more profound understanding of yourself and others, and it may help you better utilize your strengths and manage your areas for growth. Based on the assessment, there are 16 personality types. One of these types is ENTJ (extraverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging), often called "the commander." To understand this personality type further, learning about the traits assigned to it can be beneficial.
The Commander: Overview of the ENTJ personality type
The MBTI assessment identifies 16 possible personality types, divided into four broader categories. These types are listed below:
Analysts: Architect (INTJ), Logician (INTP), Commander (ENTJ), Debater (ENTP)
Diplomats: Advocate (INFJ), Mediator (INFP), Protagonist (ENFJ), Campaigner (ENFP)
Sentinels: Logistician (ISTJ), Defender (ISFJ), Executive (ESTJ), Consul (ESFJ)
Explorers: Virtuoso (ISTP), Adventurer (ISFP), Entrepreneur (ESTP), Entertainer (ESFP)
Referred to as the "Commander," ENTJ is the abbreviation for extraversion, intuition, thinking, and judgment. These traits involve the following:
Extraversion: ENTJs are often motivated by interacting with people. They're sociable and generally have a wide circle of acquaintances. Social events energize the ENTJ personality type.
Intuition: ENTJs focus on the "big picture" and future possibilities; They tend to pay less attention to detail and the current situation. The final product is of more interest to the ENTJ personality than the steps taken to get there.
Thinking: ENTJs base their decisions on logic and objective facts. ENTJ personality types may not focus on emotions and social values when making decisions.
Judgment: ENTJs are planners and quick decision-makers. The ENTJ personality type likes predictability and often tries to envision various outcomes to plan and control situations.
People with his personality type are often self-motivated and confident. They may look at the overall picture and develop long-term strategies to achieve their goals before considering immediate actions. These people may be called ambitious, knowing what they want and intuitively understanding how to persuade others.
ENTJs may be organized, authoritative, and leading due to their innate power to influence others. In addition, ENTJs may sometimes be insensitive to the needs of others, impatient, and intolerant. They might come off as harsh to those who don't meet their high standards and who they see as inefficient or incompetent.
Common qualities of the ENTJ
While each individual is unique, according to the MBTI types, some qualities tend to be common among ENTJs, including the following.
ENTJs may be efficient
The ENTJ personality type is said to be exceptionally efficient and organized in planning a long-term strategy to achieve a task. They may set realistic goals and can be invariably successful in reaching them. The ENTJ often loathes inefficiency, seeing it as a waste of time and energy that could delay or sabotage the results they want.
ENTJs can be independent decision-makers
ENTJ personality types are often strong-willed and may not be influenced by the opinions and ideas of others. They often see the world in a logical, straightforward way and may discard emotional and social considerations when they make a decision.
ENTJs may feel confident
ENTJs are often assertive and outspoken because they can be confident in their abilities. Conflict and criticism might not bother them, and they may try to impose their worldview on others, often with success.
ENTJs may believe they can achieve anything they set out to do, and they often meet their goals due to their ambition. While ENTJ personality types are often outgoing, charismatic, and natural leaders, they can also intimidate others if they display arrogance or insensitivity.
ENTJs may be powerful
ENTJ personality types often like to be in positions of power. They may enjoy taking charge of situations that they believe are out of control, putting their own and others' personal needs aside until the tasks are complete.
ENTJs can be career-oriented
ENTJs often focus on work and may struggle to make time for other activities. If they have interests or hobbies outside of their careers, they may be in leadership positions in community clubs or organizations. They may also tend to play competitive sports, including when it helps further their careers.
ENTJs may love a challenge
Whether in the workplace or at a dinner party, the ENTJ personality type often loves a challenge. These individuals may stride through the world, looking for problems to solve while believing they have the best solutions. They can respect people who engage in lively and challenging discussions with them, but their forceful personalities sometimes discourage others from engaging with them.
ENTJs may enjoy leadership roles
Any career that offers the ENTJ personality type a leadership role is often a valuable option to them. ENTJs may succeed as politicians, judges, and entrepreneurs, but they often succeed at whatever career they choose due to their talent for strategic thinking and willpower.
ENTJs may be challenging partners
The ENTJ personality type can be challenging, as they can have high expectations of themselves, their partners, and their children. These individuals may be domineering about how they want their homes structured and organized, often with strict rules they expect to follow.
In addition, ENTJs can be rational and consistent disciplinarians with their children. They might not take their partner's or children's feelings into account in disagreements, and they may not take the time to listen to family grievances due to impatience. However, ENTJs aren't necessarily heartless or unemotional. They may have profound feelings about others but keep these feelings close to their heart and reveal them in intimate moments.
ENTJ strengths
With these common qualities in mind, it can also be helpful to recognize some of the strengths ENTJs may have, including the following.
Efficiency
The ENTJ personality type often has a natural talent for recognizing and implementing the best use of time and resources to reach a goal. This skill can be beneficial for career paths like operations managers or CEOs.
Confidence
ENTJs are often confident in their skills and abilities. The personality types often trust themselves and don't hesitate to express their opinions. They often know they have strong leadership abilities, which can help them succeed in their careers.
Strategy
ENTJs are often strategic thinkers. The ENTJ personality type may examine all aspects of any problem and find a permanent solution instead of a short-term fix. This leadership and problem-solving ability in teams can help groups develop solutions quickly and efficiently.
Willpower
ENTJ personality types may not believe in giving up. They might overcome obstacles and rise above them, keeping the lessons they've learned in mind as they go. These individuals may find that they often meet their goals.
Determination
ENTJs often see challenges instead of problems. This personality type can tackle many issues that may stop them from reaching their goal. Where others may feel exhausted and helpless when faced with a complex challenge, ENTJs are often exhilarated and energized.
Charisma
ENTJ personality types often use their charisma to inspire others to follow their lead to achieve their ambitions.
Areas for growth for the ENTJ personality
Meanwhile, some common ENTJ weaknesses can include the following:
Dominance and stubbornness
An ENTJ's confidence and trust in their abilities can prevent them from entertaining someone else's ideas and opinions. The ENTJ personality type may be competitive, trying to win every argument and pushing their vision without considering the people around them. They can be ineffective leaders if they take their dominance and confidence too far.
An ENTJ may work on this by setting time aside to listen to other ideas and consider how others might expand on their ideas. In a leadership position, it can be beneficial to hear other points of view, even if you believe your ideas are the most efficient.
Arrogance
ENTJs can be arrogant. Because ENTJ personality types are often praised for their considerable leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving talents, they can become overconfident and overbearing.
ENTJs who let praise go to their heads may look down on those with a different viewpoint. The ENTJ personality type that acts arrogantly can have difficulty maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
Impatience
ENTJs may feel intolerant and impatient with people they believe are inefficient or disagree with them. They might come off as direct, telling people exactly what they think of them, perhaps with little regard or respect for their feelings or limitations.
ENTJ personality types tend to be quick thinkers and may brush off those who don't keep up with them. Their disregard for those they see as inferior can lead them to misinterpret or miss out on valuable insights from those around them.
Difficulty with emotions
ENTJs may have difficulty with emotional intelligence. ENTJ personality types often see emotional expression as a weakness and may rarely show emotion themselves. In these cases, it might be beneficial to talk to a counselor and work through strategies for emotional expression. Studies show that suppressing emotions can worsen physical and mental health and have long-term consequences.
Therapy options for ENTJs
Each person has unique strengths and areas for growth. At times, it can be beneficial to work with a trained professional to figure out how to better leverage your strengths and build on these areas for growth. A counselor can help you understand your personality type while offering a personalized plan. Some ENTJs may have difficulty with emotional intelligence, so working with a therapist could help them strengthen interpersonal skills and increase emotional intelligence. You do not have to have a mental illness or profound challenge to see a counselor, and over 41.7 million US adults currently see a therapist, showing how prevalent this treatment can be in society.
As ENTJs are often career-oriented, many may have a busy schedule that makes it challenging to create time for therapy. In this case, online therapy with a platform like BetterHelp can be beneficial. With an online therapy platform, you can meet with your therapist wherever you have an internet connection, eliminating the need to commute to and from an office, which may be more convenient.
Research has shown that online interventions can be an effective way to improve emotional intelligence. For instance, one study found that emotional intelligence could be trained with the help of an online training program targeted at adults. If you're struggling with identifying or expressing your emotions, you're not alone, and therapy may support you.
Takeaway
ENTJs or commander types are often efficient, confident, and powerful. However, they might struggle with dominance, stubborn ideas, and arrogance.
The MBTI is a tool for people to use that is often studied by psychologists. However, not everyone with an ENTJ personality type may relate to the information above, and MBTI is not a replacement for advice from a licensed professional.
You can connect with a therapist for personalized support in understanding your personality and your unique strengths and areas of growth. Consider reaching out to a provider in your area or online to get started.
Is ENTJ the rarest personality type?
The letters ENTJ stand for extroverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging. It is a rare personality type represented by 1.8% of the US population. However, it is the second rarest, preceded by the personality type INFJ (introverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging) at 1.5% of the general population.
What is ENTJ known for?
People with this personality type are known as "the Commander" for their ability as natural-born leaders. The ENTJ is highly capable of efficiently solving problems and facilitating positive change. They are often charismatic with solid communication skills, and they enjoy social interaction.
ENTJs are future-oriented, rational, and objective. They tend to view feelings and sentimentality as a weakness, so they may hide their own. At times, this can make them seem cold and emotionally unavailable. Some well-known ENTJs include Margaret Thatcher, Bill Gates, and Carl Sagan.
Is ENTJ flirty?
ENTJ individuals can be very flirty but in a direct, assertive way. Depending on the object of their interest, their intense energy and confidence can be intimidating or attractive. Either way, the ENTJ has no problem speaking plainly and asking for what they want from a potential partner.
What is an ENTJ girl?
Every ENTJ has a unique expression of the personality type, and the personality traits of an ENTJ girl are no different. You may expect her to confidently take the lead in relationships and work hard to keep her partner entertained and happy. She will be a committed, loving partner— but an ENTJ girl will not stay in a relationship if she doesn't see a future in it.
Girls who identify with the ENTJ personality may have trouble with sensing a partner's emotions, and their "easy-come-easy-go" attitude towards relationships can come across as somewhat cold and ruthless if they don't make an effort to practice empathy.
How smart is an ENTJ?
ENTJs have a strong sense of intuition, giving them the ability to recognize patterns when they're faced with a problem. People with Commander personalities often have a strong capacity for intelligence and strategic planning.
What is the biggest fear of ENTJ?
Because of their driven, determined nature, ENTJs tend to fear failure and appear incompetent above all else. Because they value excellence, some fear mediocrity. They may also have an intense fear of being helpless or controlled by others. As one of the least sensitive personality types, some ENTJs may fear being emotionally vulnerable.
What's the smartest personality type?
There is ongoing research on the potential links between intelligence and personality. However, intelligence is a complex, subjective concept, making it difficult to determine which personality types are more or less intelligent.
For example, when measuring general intelligence, studies indicate that MBTI types including INP factors (introvert, intuitive, perceiving) rank higher. When assessed by these standards, INTP is considered the smartest of the sixteen personality types. However, when measuring emotional intelligence, research suggests that the INFJ personality ranks the highest.
Is ENTJ talkative?
ENTJs are often highly talkative and are at their best around people in social gatherings who provide a level of communication as energetic as theirs. If their conversation partner doesn't understand that the ENTJ has an intimidating and direct communication style, it can be easy to misinterpret them as confrontational or argumentative.
Who is the best friend of ENTJ?
These personalities often meld well with other intuitive thinkers but may appreciate anyone who can match ENTJ values and keep up with the assertive Commander's fast-paced learning style. They also prefer to spend time with people who commonly have a need for meaning and purpose. If they want to spend time together, the best friend of an ENTJ should prepare to engage in leisure activities like competitive sporting events and outdoor activities.
Why is ENTJ so successful?
ENTJ is considered the personality type that best personifies leadership because they're confident, ambitious, and excellent problem-solvers. They often thrive in environments where they can use their considerable leadership traits to motivate people toward a unified vision for the future. ENTJs are commonly found in the working world as small business owners, architects and engineers, and financial professionals.
The ENTJ may have challenges handling routine stress depending on whether they possess ENTJ A or ENTJ T (assertive or turbulent) tendencies. Assertive commanders may find it easier to cope with stress and the challenging feelings it sometimes brings. On the other hand, the complicated emotions associated with stress may affect a turbulent commander's ability to make clear, decisive decisions.
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