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CHAPTER 4: THE LEADER AS AN INDIVIDUAL 119
help people determine their preferences according to the MBTI. Individuals develop
unique strengths and weaknesses as a result of their preferences for introversion
versus extraversion, sensing versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and judging
versus perceiving. As with the whole brain approach, MBTI types should not be
considered ingrained or unalterable. People’s awareness of their preferences, train-
ing, and life experiences can cause them to change their preferences over time.
Leaders should remember that each type can have positive
and negative consequences for behavior. By understanding their
Go to Leader’s Self-Insight 4.5, on page
MBTI type, leaders can learn to maximize their strengths and min- Action Memo
imize their weaknesses. John Bearden, chief executive of GMAC 122 at the end of this chapter, to complete
Home Services, took the MBTI and learned that he was an ENTJ an exercise that will identify your MBTI
(extraverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging). ENTJ types can be personality type.

dynamic, inspiring, and self-confident in making tough decisions.
However, they can also be overbearing, insensitve, and hasty in their
judgments. Bearden said the MBTI was a “quantum leap” in his un-
derstanding of his strengths and weaknesses. He began consciously refi ning his
leadership style, making a determined effort to give more consideration to hard
data and listen more carefully to colleagues’ opinions. Bearden put himself to the
test at a recent national convention. “In the past, I would have gotten very much
involved interjecting my own position very early on and probably biasing the
process,” he said. “But here I found myself quite content to allow their positions
to be articulated and argued with creative tension. All I did was sit and absorb. It
was a very satisfying process.” 40
41
Application of the MBTI in leadership studies is increasing rapidly. There
is no “leader type,” and all 16 of the MBTI types can function effectively as lead-
ers. As with the four quadrants of the whole brain model, leaders can learn to
use their preferences and balance their approaches to best suit followers and the
situation. However, research reveals some interesting, although tentative, fi ndings.
For example, although extraversion is often considered an important trait for a
leader, leaders in the real world are about equally divided between extraverts and
introverts. In regard to the sensing versus intuition dimension, data reveal that

sensing types are in the majority in fields where the focus is on the immediate
and tangible (e.g., construction, banking, manufacturing). However, in areas that
involve breaking new ground or long-range planning, intuitive leaders are in the
majority. Thinking (as opposed to feeling) types are more common among leaders
in business and industry as well as in the realm of science. In addition, thinking
types appear to be chosen more often as managers even in organizations that
value “feeling,” such as counseling centers. Finally, one of the most consistent
fi ndings is that judging types are in the majority among the leaders studied.
Thus, based on the limited research, the two preferences that seem to be most
strongly associated with successful leadership are thinking and judging. However,
this doesn’t mean that people with other preferences cannot be effective leaders.
Much more research needs to be done before accurate conclusions can be reached
about the relationship between MBTI types and leadership.

Matching Leaders with Roles

Leaders, like all individuals, can differ significantly in their personalities, atti-
tudes, values, and thinking styles. These individual differences help in part to
explain why a leader might succeed in some situations yet fail in others, despite
appearing to have all the necessary skills and abilities for the job.