Women, Leadership and Personality: Insights Form the Myers-briggs Type Indicator
Posted on November 30, 2009
Filed Under Women Leaders | 10 Comments
The MBTI is extensively used for leadership development training and coaching in companies all over the world. Based on psychologist Carl Jung’s theory of personality types, for more than 50 years it has been the most widely used psychometric instrument for understanding normal personality differences.
How does the MBTI work?
The MBTI identifies your natural preferences in four areas or dichotomies:
1.Where you get your energy from
Extraversion(E) the external world of people, activities and things; or Introversion (I) the inner world or ideas and experiences
2. How you take in information
Sensing (S) a focus on facts and present reality; or Intuition (N) a focus on patterns and future possibilities
3.How you make decisions
Thinking (T) using objective logic; or Feeling(F) subjective and values based
4.Preferred lifestyle
Judging(J) Planned, organised, liking things settled; or Perceiving(P) Flexible, spontaneous, keeping options open
This yields 16 possible personality type combinations.
Is there a “Leadership Type”?
It is simplistic to label any one category as a “leader type,” for various reasons
1.We are more than our personality type. The MBTI does not measure factors such as intellectual ability, emotional intelligence, or skill level – all of which would impact on a person’s potential for leadership.
2. Different types have different strengths, all of which can be important in a leadership role.
3. We are not “boxed in” by our type. MBTI theory holds that whilst our underlying type does not change, as we mature we develop the non preferred parts of our personality and so become equipped with a wider choice of behaviours. This development is both a natural process and something which we can cultivate consciously.
Interestingly however, research across different countries has consistently shown that Thinking and Judging (TJ) types are the most frequently occurring in managers and leaders. Kirby, 1997 notes that because these types are so prevalent, it may be that “Thinking and Judging behaviours have become the accepted definition of what it means to lead, and therefore, people displaying these behaviours are seen as ‘leadership material.’”
Leadership strengths associated with Thinking-Judging include a focus on creating order, structures and processes, use of logical reasoning to analyse problems, and an emphasis on competence and efficiency. However there are also potential weaknesses such as limiting creativity and flexibility, failing to include and consult with others, and a tendency to rush decisions.
It is therefore clearly unwise for any organisation to rely too heavily on a TJ management or leadership culture; fortunately this beginning to be more recognised.
What does this mean for women?
It’s significant. Thinking – Feeling (T or F) is in fact the only dichotomy which shows a gender bias. Women are more likely to report as Feeling types (75% ). In part this may be due to pressure to conform to what is considered socially desirable.
The implications for women aspiring to leadership positions within predominantly TJ organisations are obvious. According to type theory, people are most effective and fulfilled when they have identified and developed their natural strengths. In an environment which rewards TJ skills, women with different preferences may not have been given the opportunity to develop their own natural leadership style.
So how can I use personality type theory to help me be a better leader?
First, take the MBTI questionnaire with an accredited practitioner to establish your MBTI type. Once you understand your type, you can apply your learning as follows:
1. Seek opportunities which will allow you to use your strengths. If you are a Feeling type, you may find these in Human Resources, Training and Development, or client facing roles where people skills are important. But remember any type can do anything – do not feel limited by your type.
2.Recognise that the goal of healthy type development is to acquire a repertoire of skills which you can draw on as appropriate; so work on your least preferred areas as well.
3.Identify the dominant organisational culture (likely to be TJ) and work on developing your skills in these areas, particularly if these are your least preferred behaviours.
Above all, use your new knowledge as a framework for understanding and appreciating colleagues’ viewpoints and behaviour. Through understanding others you greatly increase your capacity for influence – as Blanchard states “the key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”
Watch the video related to women leadership positions
Beth Craig and Judge White Women in Leadership Positions
Help answer the question about women leadership positions
How can Palin run for Vice President if her religion opposes women in leadership positions?About Author
Sarah Cooper is a career coach who specialises in working with people who want to follow their passions, express their creativity or help people or society in some way. Sarah worked as a solicitor, then as a marketing manager in the voluntary sector before defining her own ideal work. Kick start your new life by signing up to Sarah’s FREE mini e-course 5 Keys to Finding Freedom By Doing What You Love at http://www.cowsfrommywindow.com
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10 Responses to “Women, Leadership and Personality: Insights Form the Myers-briggs Type Indicator”
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Hoop Sisters! I love the holistic program that teaches so many positive skills. The other programs that link corporate leaders with community based programs, women connecting, sharing, and changing lives… so powerful!
No..just an embarrassment to herself and her family.
Well to be fair, the VP doesn't actually DO anything.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church currently states:
The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry.
The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.
With love in Christ.
In Islam women can't lead a prayer of mixed people (men and women) but women can lead other women. Women can give speeches on Islam and be used as spritual guidance though. They can be teachers (most of them are at our mosque) but the actual Imam (Muslim "priest") has to be a man. I don't think it is sexist or anything; there are actually reasons behind it that sound fair enough. Most women don't feel discriminated against (at least not in my community). The Bible should follow what it says if they really want to defend it as "truth" Peace.
anyone who simply doesn't believe in science is suspect in my opinion to start off with… but yes positions like that scare me, no I would never support someone like that. Ideally religion is to be seperate from state and therefore his southern baptist doctrine should not affect his politics, but I have seen little to no evidence that this ideal would hold up. I wouldn't trust this man any further than I could throw him.
A lot of people, past and present, have misconstrued what the Bible says about women. It was easy to do in the past, because women were not allowed to even read the Bible, or whatever scripture their religion used.
I can tell you one reason why women weren't allowed in positions of leadership for the last 1000 years or so … men. Men of position and leadership, men of power, could not look at a woman as equal.
The main reason why Paul addressed the issue so much in his letters is that the churches were new, the concept of women even in the same service was new. They had no theology taught to them at all prior to becoming Christians.
We would say the same to anyone (male or female) who joins the church. No, you cannot be in a position of leadership, you are a 'babe' in Christ right now.
But if you think women are not in positions of leadership in the church then you've never met the preachers wife lol
I dont have any problem with it…in Islam we believe that women are the sole caretakers of life…mothers. Being a mother is the "foundation of community" as it is stated in the Qur'an several times, and a foundation of community is the highest leadership position. But of course, in this post feminist revolution world, no one believes that to be a blessing, so yes, I do and Islam does, believe that women can be apart of government, and spiritual leadership…Most of the Arab world does as well….dont believe me look at the polling data. Even if they dont exercise it, they believe it.
I know my Puddin' sometimes loves me being the leader
Why do you think? They had the same problems blacks did, and still do!