PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT 1
Personality Assessment
Lindsey Davis
School of Business, Liberty University
BMAL 500-D02
Dr. T. Perry
Author Note
Lindsey L. Davis
I have no know conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Lindsey L. Davis.
Email: ldavis197@liberty.edu
PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT 2
Abstract
Personality types, also sometimes referred to as personality profiles, can be a powerful
tool to evaluate individuals, as well as be used by leaders to form effective teams. From an
individual perspective, it can allow for personal introspection, as each personality type has
positives and negatives associated with it. This means that in order to find success in ones’
personal and professional life, there needs to be an understanding of how your personality
impacts yourself and your interactions with those around you. Being able to examine yourself
and your personality type means you have to be open, honest, and ultimately vulnerable. From a
leadership and team building perspective, there have been countless writing on how to find
organizational success through examining how dysfunctional teams are discovered and how to
avoid pitfalls. Patrick Lencioni writes this “team leaders must create an environment that does
not punish vulnerability” (Lencioni, 2021, p. 201).
Leaders can foster a space where individuals can explore their personality type, the good
and the bad, as well as receive feedback on how to integrate it into their personal and
professional lives. I had taken variations of this assessment throughout high school, undergrad
and even with my therapist, and my result has always been the same. While this may lead many
to believe that I have a strong sense of self and know exactly who I am, I feel that this is the
opposite in my case. As a person who has faced a great deal of turmoil and early childhood
trauma, I find that this greatly shaped my personality and therefor in many ways solidified my
personality type. Unfortunately, while ESFJs, can succeed in life, they can form poor habits in
early life that stay with them, as is the case with myself.
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Personality Assessment
Section 1: Meyers-Briggs Type (ESFJ)
1. E- Extravert (34%)
I start the conversations; I go out of my way to talk to others, and often am the
loudest in the room. However, I frequently have a problem interrupting others, not
thinking before I speak and ramble on without realizing when others have become bored
or have moved on. Recent research has found that “Listening and speaking are vital to
successful discourse; yet developing speaking skills is emphasized more than developing
listening skills” (Spataro & Bloch, 2017, "Discussion" section). This is particularly
problematic for extraverts because we will speak even if there is no one there, and if there
is, we do not even need the “listener” to provide feedback. Kroeger writes “without the
benefit of type watching you are likely to perceive such an extravert as anything from
superficial to borderline psychotic” (Kroeger et al., 2002, p. 123).
While it is our responsibility to understand our (E) type, it is also a blind spot in
the modern education and business environment in which we are taught more about how
to present a PowerPoint than to listen to one. The percentages for the MBTI are a scale of
100:0:100 with extraverted being on one side and introverted being on the other
respectively. It should be noted that being 34% extraverted is not a high percentage out of
this 100%, and this is not totally surprising. What this means for the workplace is that
after a long meeting, I have to remove myself to “recharge my batteries”. There is also a
large amount of anxiety about being extraverted in the workplace due to being a minority
and constantly second guessing my abilities.
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2. S - Sensing (6%)
Being on the spectrum, sensing the feelings and moods of others, is something I
have worked on. This is not a trait that comes naturally, but rather is something that has
been learned over fifteen plus years. I have seen this percentage grow very slowly over
many years as I obtained new skills. Something I really struggle to sense and understand
in conflict, and how to process and how to resolve it. If I am able to sense a conflict, no
matter how small, the goal is to minimize it in an effort to keep peace. This is because
often small issues can snowball and become out of control. However, Kroeger refers to
the ESFJ type as “everyone’s trusted friend” but that “conflict and disagreement are part
of everyday activity” (Kroeger et al., 2002, p.384). When these conflicts are sensed, we
must not shy away from them, but instead to see them as a chance to continue to guide
the organization or team towards organizational success.
Because sensing can be difficult for me, and I am in a position of leadership, it is
important to note that there are many ways to approach conflict resolution. Because of
type watching, we are given a different perspective on how all the personality type may
approach conflict resolution and therefor ADR (alternative dispute resolution) may be a
valuable resource. ADR allows for the needs of different personality types to be met, so
an actual solution can be decided upon, and rather than force those into an already built
box another box is formed all together. Research has found that “ADR also helps the
organization to address the cause(s) of the conflict for the attainment and articulation of
its goals and visions” (Afolabi, 2019, para. 6).
3. F- Feeling (38%)
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It is no surprise that I received feeling over thinking, however my percentage was
actually lower than I thought it would be. Those around me often tell me I see the good in
people and this is most certainly true. When looking at Meyersbriggs.org it says this of
the (F) type “I make decisions with my heart and want to be compassionate” (Meyers
Brigg, n.d., "(F) Type" section). While this can be a powerful tool because it allows me to
show that I am sympathetic and not just a cold-hearted leader, it also means that I easily
get taken advantage of. When faced with ethical dilemmas, this can put a person like
myself who is has a strong feeling personality is precarious situations. This is because we
may try to step in, and help “save” them from their situation because we are overly
compassionate and therefore get wrapped up in it and jeopardize our own careers.
It is difficult for an (F) person to remain impersonal but, Kroeger says “ your
ethical system is a reflection of a lifelong development of your personality type”
(Kroeger et al., 2002, p.231). This is a really powerful statement, especially for
Christians, because even though we have personality types, and they do affect our
actions, we still or responsible for our actions. Much of one’s personality is formed in
early childhood, and I faced extreme trauma in mine. I am in recovery through ACoA
(Adult Children of Alcoholics) and because of what faced; it is common to stayed
involved with something when it would be better dissolved. In the workplace as an F
type, I often enable my employees by “accommodating and covering up for poor
performance” (Woititz, 1989, p. 127). This has a strong correlation to the (F) type, as I
am overly concerned with harmony and will fix any problems even if it is a detriment to
myself.
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4. J- Judging (19%)
Planning is important to me, so much so that I picked a career that revolved
around it. As a production engineer, and project manager depending on the company
needs at the time, my whole purpose is to be task orientated, make lists and be on time.
The issue with this in the workplace becomes the inflexibility and the expectation that
others around me operate at the same standard and with the same work ethic. As a (J)
type leader it does not allow me to give those around me autonomy in their roles, and
therefore they have low task control. This can be a stressor because high workloads can
be placed on employees “without the ability to adjust the pace of the load to their own
energy, attention span and other resources” (McShane et al., 2017, p. 112).
The other issue that I have faced in the workplace because of my inflexibility is
the inability to adjust when projects change, which in inevitable. Materials get delayed,
clients adjust timelines, machines break and being a stringent (J) type, while most of the
time it makes me a successful employee, it also can become problematic. This is the
section where I struggle the most because it is the most noticeable by both my
subordinates and management.
5. ESFJ Discussion
As an ESFJ one of the biggest things I have faced is burnout. I feel like I get taken
advantage of and come home angry, or I get reprimanded when I thought I was doing my
best, or I am upset because I did not do something to the best of my ability (and yet
someone still praised me). It is important to note here, that has an ESFJ I have a high
level of Self-orientated perfectionism which “comprises beliefs that striving for
PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT 7
perfection and being perfect are important and is characterized by setting excessively
high standards and having a “perfectionist motivation” for oneself” (Stoeber & Stoeber,
2009, "1.1" section).
What this means, is because of my personality type, I place this stressor of
perfectionism upon myself rather than others placing it upon me. I often find myself
emotionally drained and used the phrase “my heart hurts” because I have a strong
expectation of others, and they often do not live up to it, and it is difficult for me to adjust
to it. However, I am a deeply passionate and love those around me.
Section 2: Personality Type Discussion
Discussion Question 1: In general, what have you learned from these personality tests
about organizational behavior that will help you be a better employee, coworker and/or
manager?
Personality types can greatly affect organizational success. Being able to
understand your personality type and analyze it requires a great deal of vulnerability,
because it means admitting that there are both negatives and positives to your personality.
Lencioni writes, “Trust lies at the heart of a functioning, cohesive team. Without it,
teamwork is all but impossible” (Lencioni, 2021, p. 195). Having knowledge of what
personality types each person has, and using that to form teams, means that these
individuals have to trust you with this information, and that you will use it to help the
firm succeed in its goals. Furthermore, as an individual with this knowledge, it is
important not to let it go to waste, even if it just a simple implementation such as learning
to wait five seconds before speaking, can mean the difference between closing a sale.
PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT 8
Discussion Question 2: In particular, what have you learned about yourself from
this personality test that will help you be a better employee, coworker and/or manager?
Overall, I have learned that while I am passionate and dedicated, and that can be a
desirable trait, it also can make me vulnerable and a risky hire. This is because coupled
with my lack of desire to handle confrontation and also inflexibility, I can be difficult to
deal with. Something I will implement is using SMART (specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic and time bound) goals. While this will still allow me to make a list, it will also
mean that there is a timeline that is not just held to my standard, as well as have a
checklist where those around me can see progress, and we can discuss any changes. In
addition to this, by using ADR, and finding methods that work best for different types,
perhaps scheduling employees when I am not in the office and giving a checklist. So that
they know their tasks, but I will not micromanage. This means they can work at their own
pace but have to complete it within the allotted shift.
Conclusion
No matter what our type is, we are still to act in a manner that best glorify God.
So regardless of whether I am a feeling person, and I want to help save someone who has
embezzled money to pay a debt that they got themselves into that is immoral and
unethical. It is important to remember that we have support in leaders, and because of
type watching there are others then can support us through the pros and cons of our
personalities. Proverbs 15:22 says “without counsel plan fail, but with many advisers they
succeed.
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References
Afolabi, O. O. (2019). Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Tool for Managing Leadership Conflict
in a Church. Journal of Leadership Studies, 12(4), 41–45.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21607
Kroeger, O., Thuesen, J. M., & Rutledge, H. (2002). Type Talk at Work. Dell Pub.
Lencioni, P. M. (2021). Patrick M. Lencioni 3 Books Collection Set (The Five Dysfunctions of a
Team [Hardcover], Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Advantage
[Hardcover]). John Wiley & Sons/Pfeiffer Wiley.
McShane, S., Glinow, M. A., & von Glinow, M. A. (2017). Organizational Behavior. McGraw-
Hill Education.
Meyers Brigg. (n.d.). The Myers & Briggs Foundation - Thinking or Feeling. 2003–2021, The
Myers and Briggs Foundation. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from
https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/thinking-or-
feeling.htm
Spataro, S. E., & Bloch, J. (2017). “Can You Repeat That?” Teaching Active Listening in
Management Education. Journal of Management Education, 42(2), 168–198.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562917748696
Stoeber, J., & Stoeber, F. S. (2009). Domains of perfectionism: Prevalence and relationships with
perfectionism, gender, age, and satisfaction with life. Personality and Individual
Differences, 46(4), 530–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.12.006
Woititz, J. G. (1989). Self-Sabotage Syndrome: Adult Children in the Workplace. Hci.
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