My recommendation to all Managers, Talent Acquisition folks, and Executives for best utilizing the INTJ goes as follows:
The INTJ is fundamentally a future-oriented strategic thinker who works very well within systems they can understand and can manipulate into the most efficient way possible.
Utilize the INTJ for brainstorming sessions where their creative mindset can reveal ways forward that other people may not be able to see clearly.
Do not bog them down with administrative details or they will tire out quickly and become stressed.
Pair them with a type like the ENFP or the ESFP in order to balance out some of the more hard-line decision-making tendencies. A good P type will be able to present more options or consider alternative ways to proceed that the INTJ is likely overlooking.
When asking for feedback from the INTJ, make sure you give them some time to collect themselves and do not demand an answer right away. Too quick of an answer may not be their true thoughts
Keep their intelligence in check and let them know that although you appreciate their intelligence, that if their attitude of superiority and/or condescension continues, disciplinary action will be required
Overall, the INTJ is a great asset when used for strategy and brainstorming sessions that utilize their future thinking orientation for long-term success of the organization.
When running a meeting where Introverts are present, consider a couple of factors:
Introverts will not give you their true feelings right away. They need time to collect their thoughts and respond appropriately. Giving them a small window to respond to, “Anybody got any questions or concerns?” will likely just end with a “Nope, I’m all good.” Ask for a response in the morning or by email later in the day. This way, you can be sure you will get their honest input.
Consensus is not consensus. Any response that is coerced or given too quickly under pressure can be discarded.
Conflict will arise down the line when the Extraverted boss finally hears the opinion of the Introverted colleagues and exclaims, “What! Why didn’t you tell me in the meeting when I asked if anybody had any concerns?!” Avoid this by following Step 1 and giving ample time for a response.
Extraverts will blurt out what is on their mind as a way of solving their problems or brainstorming. This is their cognitive process playing out for all to hear. Most of this bluster is not a final decision but a collaborative approach that happens to be out loud in front of everyone. For the Introvert, this process is internal and should not be viewed as disinterest or lack of focus.
People tend to think that the natural progression of a corporate job is management. It’s almost a perfect formula: start at the bottom, put in 5 to 10 years, become a manager. And if you have extraordinary ability, move up into a VP, Director, or C-level role.
In speaking with candidates, the current mindset seems to be that they are ready for management, or rather, they deserve management. Not everyone can be Manager, and not everyone has the chops to effectively do it.
Motivating Factors
The ideal manager is somebody that has an innate tendency towards leadership, and through their sheer attraction and willpower, can convince others to follow them. Others are inspired to take action on their behalf. There are only a handful of leaders in world history who fully achieved this ideal (Napoleon, Caesar, Washington) . In a corporation, these are the types of people you notice right away that are destined for leadership. There’s an aura about them that exudes confidence and influence.
Believing that it is your turn, or that you put in enough time at the company as a qualifier for leadership, is pervasive. It does make sense from a strictly “promote the most senior colleague” point of view, but it might not be the most effective. After all, those that have been there the longest likely know the business the best, the rationale goes.
Now, the worst reason people become managers is that some peoplejust don’t want to grind anymore. If you are in sales, you don’t want to knock on doors or make cold calls. It’s not necessarily negative to want out of that daily struggle, but moving into management to avoid it doesn’t seem like a noble cause. It’s a harsh way to look at it, but we’ve all worked long enough to know this is a reality that can’t be denied.
Interviewing managers
Here are some questions to ask potential managers:
Why do you want to be in management?
What are the skills that qualify you for management?
What is your management style?
In your mind, who exemplifies great leadership?
Will you step in for an underling and do a “low-level” task?
What is your day-to-day plan for personal and professional growth?
Using these questions, you should be able to get a good sense of whether this person is destined for leadership, or if they are hoping for management to “get out of the trenches.” The goal here is to find out if a potential managers has genuine intentions towards leadership.
P.S. You can use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to assess potential managers. The science behind Type and leadership has been proven out.
I heard the absolutely worst story you could possibly imagine. Well, to a recruiter like myself and someone that cares about people’s careers, it’s the worst kind of story.
A teacher friend of mine had a really exceptional student who was looking for an internship. They were ending their junior year in college, heading into the summer. This is prime summer internship season for those looking to land permanent jobs after they graduate. This teacher knew a business owner in her field that was offering summer internships, and contacted them in hopes of getting this student an interview. This business owner interviewed the candidate twice and ultimately offered them the job! A dream scenario for the student.
The student turned it down.
Turned. It. Down. I couldn’t believe this!
Hearing this story made me more angry than I’ve been in a while. How could you possibly turn down an opportunity like this that would help you get your foot in the door to your industry?
Here were the reasons given:
• I just don’t feel ready • The drive is too far (45-60mins)
Lessons
Internships are exceedingly hard to come by. A paid internship, even more so. You have to seize opportunities like that no matter the cost. The drive or inconvenience can be worked out later. Focus on your inner Grant Cardone and commit, then figure out the details later. When you have no experience and someone is willing to give you experience, the first thing you say is absolutely yes, and fill in the blanks later.
When you are young and coming out of college, you don’t really understand how things work in the professional world. (You actually need to de-program yourself after college and start self-teaching right away.) Professionally, you aren’t aware of what it means when somebody puts their professional reputation at stake on your behalf. More than that, you aren’t aware of what time means to professionals. Remember, this was two interviews with a business owner, the person with the least amount of time. The fact that you have turned this opportunity down reflects poorly not just on you, but also on the teacher who referred you. It’s very unlikely this person will vouch for you again moving forward.
Solutions
I think the reasons this whole transaction derailed so terribly are:
No expectations were set from the beginning (blame teacher)
No context was given for what this internship would mean down the line (blame teacher)
Possible issues with travel were not brought up at the beginning (blame student)
Being uncomfortable as a reason to turn down a once in a lifetime opportunity (blame student)
Everyone involved will (hopefully) learn that if this situation happens again, the best solution is to get out in front of the problems before they arise by setting proper expectations at the forefront.
For other content related to the job search, resumes, and MBTI, please check out my other terrific articles.
Everybody wants more power; not in the negative, evil way, but as in more power over their lives, more power over their discipline, more power over their careers and success. If we can agree on a foundational level with the title of this article, then the rest of my argument will be coherent.
Gaining knowledge
If knowledge does equal power, then it’s a simple formula; to acquire more knowledge gets us more power. Then why aren’t we spending a little part of each day becoming more powerful? There are limitless amounts of free, or nearly free, resources to gain a skill, acquire more knowledge, or become a better person.
I’m not talking about knowledge as in following current events or watching the news. In fact, I say you should stop reading the news and only read books. The reason for this is that scrolling through a news feed is a passive, rather than an active action, which is scientifically proven to be a better way for your brain to function. YouTube is also a great source, but the vaunted rabbit hole exists and will probably derail you from your goal.
I have a recommended reading section on this blog that lists the books that helped me with my personal development. Browse through it and find something that sounds interesting to you.
Becoming Complacent
Right now, there are endless advertisements for subscription streaming services that only serve to pacify and distract you from utilizing your valuable time to gain more knowledge/power. You’ve always said, “Man, if I only had the time I would read that book, learn that skill, or get back into (insert passion) .” Entertainment as it exists today is a weapon of mass distraction meant to hypnotize you into regression, not progression.
People you idolize
90% of extremely successful people (my own statistic) are well-read and have a profound desire to learn and understand more than everybody else. They are never satisfied with just “knowing enough to be dangerous.” It’s been widely circulated that Bill Gates reads 50 books a year which, for someone as busy as he is, can’t be easy. He never said he “didn’t have the time to read.” You can surmise the importance he puts on gaining knowledge as a cornerstone of his success.
Gary V, a very influential hype-man and beanie-wearing motivational speaker, has been a proponent of obsessively studying your passion to the point where you know all there is to know about it. This follows the same general idea that says to become a professional, one needs to be put in at least 10,000 hours of practice. This applies to any industry or career without fail.
If you desire to become a digital marketing expert, you should have:
a giant stack of books on your nightstand
a queue of YouTube videos waiting to be devoured
100 LinkedIn messages out to professional digital marketers asking for their advice.
Your goal is to be a giant sponge that soaks up as much information as humanly possible.
Becoming Powerful
If you do not try to acquire more knowledge, then you can never attain more power. You will always be somebody that is dictated to by others. How to live, how to work, how to be happy. I don’t want anybody to settle for mediocrity.
The very first thing you need to do is take the Myers-Briggs type indicator assessment and figure out who you are. This is the foundational knowledge from which everything else blossoms. Once you do that, you can begin to direct your life towards that which gives you happiness, and utilizes your best characteristics.
Contact me if you would like a personal Myers-Briggs consultation.
According to the book Type Talk At Work and the over 10,000 individuals the folks at OKA have interviewed over the last couple decades, over 60% of managers in corporate America are of the Thinking-Judging preference. As you climb the corporate ladder into the C-suite, this consolidates even further to about 90%. And of course this makes sense as you want to surround yourself with those who are most like you.
The issue with this is quite obvious. A whole ton of people aren’t of the T/J persuasion and fall into the Feeling-Perceiver preference. The major conflict comes with the J vs P function and the (J) manager’s inability to be flexible to the (P) employee’s agile work mindset and methodology. As a (J) Judger, deadlines are met, tasks are checked off in a linear manner, and projects plow full steam ahead with little room to change direction. And for the corporate leader, this is a very desirable trait to have. As a (P) Perceiver, flexibility is a must. There needs to be room to adjust schedules and deadlines as things come up as they are guaranteed to do. The ability to be successful comes down to having room to fly by the seat of our collective pants.
In addition, having a preference for (F) Feeling over (T) thinking will cause strife when it comes to conflict resolution and interpersonal communication. (F)’s make considerations based on the group and who it will effect. They want to make sure there is a consensus and that the group comes away harmonious after a decision is made. The (T) wants to take an objective stance and be pragmatic. What is best for the business, despite the feelings of the group? What makes the most sense? So, the conflict is awfully apparent and is one of the harder workplace conflicts to reconcile in the short term.
My advice to those who consistently find themselves in this predicament is to consider starting your own business. Or, at the very least, finding an outlet where you can put your own schedule, talent, and creativity to the test. Most recently, I have spoken to a number of F/P types who are starting an Etsy page to sell their art or pursuing other creative avenues where their flexibility won’t be challenged, their timelines can be in flux, and not everything comes down to what is most pragmatic.
There is no better time than now to start pushing for the things you want out of life. The first step is to know yourself. Once you do that, consider if you are utilizing your strengths to their absolute max, or if you are being held back.
