ENTJs are strategic leaders who seek to accomplish their vision. They are full of energy and enjoy working with others to achieve their goals. They are structured and organized, creating order among people wherever they can.
They thrive when they can set long-term goals and make analytical decisions. They are competitive and demand the best of themselves and others. They can often seem assertive and domineering.
Commander
Leader, Charismatic, Assertive, Rigid, Arrogant
Motivations: To be in charge and successful
Values: Achievement, creativity, productivity, and hard work
Fears: Feeling trapped, controlled, and helpless
2% of General Population; 3% of Men; 1% of Women
Extrovert (E):
Energized by being around others
Intuition (N):
Focused more on ideas, abstracts, and patterns
Thinking (T):
Decisions are made with logic
Judging (J):
Perceived by others as organized and structured
Strengths & Weaknesses
Healthy personality types will often relate more to the strengths, while unhealthy types relate more to the weaknesses. However, most people are a combination of both.
Strengths:
ENTJs are excellent at leading people to success with a charisma that puts others at ease. They maintain high levels of energy even in stressful situations and have a natural confidence when facing criticism. They are usually full of ideas.
- Efficient
- Energetic
- Self-Confident
- Strong-Willed
- Strategic Thinkers
- Charismatic
- Inspiring
Weaknesses:
ENTJs leadership and assertiveness can be too aggressive for others. They have the potential to be insensitive in emotional situations and can be inflexible when following plans. They are prone to being arrogant and are impatient when progress is not being made.
- Stubborn
- Dominant
- Intolerant
- Impatient
- Arrogant
- Poor Handling of Emotions
- Ruthless
Development
Like any personality type, INTJs can be healthy, unhealthy, or anywhere in between. Here is what they look like at their best and at their worst.
At Their Best
At their best, ENTJs are great leaders who are highly ambitious, pragmatic, and analytical. They remain calm in stressful situations. Their clear-headed reasoning and quick decision-making make them excellent to lead during times of calm or crisis.
At Their Worst
At their worst, ENTJs are domineering, intolerant, and arrogant. They are rigid and unable to see various viewpoints or the nuances of a situation. They are cruel when handling the emotions of others. They will not be open to challenge or criticism.
Personal Growth
Though ENTJs have many great qualities, there are always areas for any type to grow in. Here are some tips for growth.
- Patient listening: ENTJs are quick decision-makers who can hold onto their convictions or the idea of being right. They can benefit greatly from slowing down to listen, and not simply listening to argue. There is value in the viewpoints of others if the ENTJ would not interrupt and truly hear them out.
- Get in touch with emotions: ENTJs can come across as cold and unempathetic because they rely heavily on their logic. They can work on developing an awareness of their emotions, and the emotions of others in order to adapt the way they speak to and relate with others.
- Relax: Leisure and fun don’t come easy for the ENTJ who often have rigid schedules and strive for perfectionism. However such high-intensity work ethic can cause them to neglect their health and relationships. It is important to schedule in time for fun and social interaction.
Managing Conflict
When ENTJs find themselves in conflict with others, it’s important for them to practice restraint and patient listening. When communicating with others, ENTJs are direct and rational. It will most likely be difficult to communicate with highly emotional people, or anyone they find too passive. They are direct and may disregard other people’s feelings, but will want to quickly find a logical resolution.
It will be hardest for ENTPs to communicate with those they find emotional and sensitive. Their direct and unempathetic approach will not always be appreciated. When under stress, ENTPs tend to pressure others and dictate situations wanting to maintain control. Here are some tips for ENTPs to manage conflict:
- Listen carefully to the other person’s viewpoint before coming up with a solution. Sometimes people just need to be heard.
- With particularly sensitive people, practice speaking slower and with a focus on their feelings.
- Emotions are valid. Do not combat them with facts or logic.
- Break down your solutions into concrete steps so that others can better understand them.
Types they may struggle to communicate with:
Nurturing ENTJs
To take care of an ENTJ, it’s important to know what stresses them out and what they need to fill at ease. Below are some stressors for ENTJs, and also what others can do to help them feel cared for.
Stressors
- Working alone
- Communicating emotionally
- Disorganization and inefficiency from others
- Lack of control
- Challenges to their competence and decisions
Nurture
- Bring them into environments with lots of people
- Speak directly and factually to them
- Show them progress being made
- Reassure them of the areas they have control in, and that’s okay to not control everything
- Help them to pause and consider the challenges and if there is any validity
The Human Connection 