Leadership Analysis: Exploring MBTI Personality Test Results

This report provides an analysis of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test, focusing on the INTP personality type and its implications for leadership. The first part summarizes the INTP profile, highlighting characteristics like analytic and creative leadership, and potential strengths and weaknesses in leadership roles. It discusses how INTPs approach decision-making and problem-solving, and suggests suitable career paths. The second part critically evaluates the MBTI test, citing concerns about its scientific basis, lack of empirical support, and the absence of a nuanced understanding of human personality. It references criticisms from organizational psychologists and researchers, and mentions alternative personality assessments like the Big Five and Predictive Index. The report concludes by acknowledging the widespread use of the MBTI despite its limitations and the need for more scientifically validated methods for assessing leadership potential.

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Leadership in Business

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Part 1: Summary of MBTI Result
According to Myer-Briggs Type test, the INTP personality category is significantly rare and
only makes about 3 percent of world’s population. INTPs are analytic and creative leaders,
and they have a unique perspective and dynamic intelligence. Their personality is usually
easy going nature until their principles are violated, after that they may become blunt and
inflexible. The fears of INTPs include the sense of awaiting failure in organisational goals.
Generally, they are good leader in careers such as philosopher, architecture or professor.
There have been numerous scientific discoveries by INTP personality peoples (INTP 2017).
Effects on Leadership Skills
INTP personality peoples prefer to second guess their leadership decisions. They believe
there decisions could have several alternate solutions for one conclusion and it is possible that
critical data could be missing from the solution. In the case of a debate, the INTPs convince
themselves along with their employees. The INTP personalities are entirely different from
INTJ personalities because INTJs are considerably more confident in their acts and
capabilities as a leader, compared to INTPs. The leadership analysis of INTP personality

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includes introverted planning, extroverted instinct, introverted recognising and extroverted
feeling (Humanmetrics 2017).
The INTPs might appear to be undependable to become leader but in reality, they are
significantly passionate and capable of recognising a problem in the organisation. As a leader
they consider various aspects and details that include the issue and develop a solution for
such problem. The mathematics is the playground for INTP personalities, including
languages, computer programs, and other complex structures. As a leader the INTPs prefer to
recognise, discover, master and manipulate systems that can surpass the ideas of their
personalities (Vernon 2014).
According to Myer-Briggs Type test, the most suitable technical leadership jobs profiles for
an INTP personality include computer science, software engineering, technology teaching,
mechanics and automotive repairing. The social service jobs for INTP character include legal
services and librarian. As a leader they do not prefer practical, daily activities and
maintenance, but they expend all of their time and energy in developing a solution, once they
find the organisation where they could express their potential and intellect (Myersbriggs
2017).
The test questions covered internal and external factors ascertaining the leadership quality of
a person. Various traits and features suggested by the personality test matches my
personality. The test did not predict my entire personality instead it matched few of my
personality features. Those features include logical intelligence, unique perspective
leadership, creativity and easy going nature. But certain factors, such as interest in
mathematics, computer science, low confidence in leadership planning and not preferring
practical activities, did not reflect my character. The Myer-Briggs Type test has the ability to
evaluate several personalities of a leader but it is not based on a perfect science.
Part 2: Criticism of MBTI Test
Myer-Briggs Type test is considered to be most broadly used personality test in the world.
More than 2 million people take this test annually, for various human resource department,
managerial posts, colleges, and even government departments. The organisation that
developed and markets the test makes more than $20 million each year. Many people
consider that the test is not based on any scientific principles and it is not beneficial in
ascertaining a leader’s personality.

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According to Adam Grant, the test does not have any science behind it. Grant is working at
the University of Pennsylvania as an organisational psychologist. According to him the
features analysed by the test have no power of disarming person leadership or their
performance in a certain situation. For example, according to the test, a person is either
extrovert or introvert but there is no middle ground. The human nature did not work this way,
no normal person is either 100 percent extrovert or introvert (Colbert, Judge, Choi & Wang
2012).
The test was developed in the theories given by Carl Jung in the 1940s, which were not tested
or certified. Jung has warned that the personalities introduced by him are just rough
tendencies that he had observed in peoples, rather than a strict science. The test is like
horoscope because it used positive statements to tell people what they want to hear, such as
“you have unused potential in your work”. The scientists of Indiana University have tried to
evaluate the principle of Myer-Briggs test, but they decided that the test is not based on any
psychological principles. Many predictions of the test have not been confirmed or they are
either wrong. The result generated by the test has no evidence of being stable or that it
measured anything of value in a leader (Stromberg & Caswell 2015).
Professor David J. Pittenger, who is currently dean of the college of Liberal Arts at Marshall
University and an expert researcher in the field of social science statistics, has published
various doubts about MBTI test. According to Pittenger research, the methods for
determining a leader’s personality resemble each other. There is standard error of
measurement between various personalities of Myer-Briggs Type test because it just states
the features of a leader’s personality without criticising them. There is no evidence which
shows that there is a positive relation between MBTI type test and success in a leadership
(Post 2010).
After the downfall of Myer-Briggs type test in 2014, several other personality tests are used
by the organisations for evaluation of personalities of their employees. Some popular
alternatives include Big Five, Predictive Index (PI), and Traitify. Big five is focused on a
more binary approach to evaluating the degree of relative strengths of a leader. Unlike Myer-
Briggs, the Big five evaluate the person based on depression, anxiety, and anger. The
Predictive Index test is specially designed for a business structure. The test evaluates the
supremacy, sociability, patience, and formality of a leader. The organisations could use
various tests in order to ascertain the qualities of a candidate. The results of personality test

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are not significantly liable since the personalities of peoples change according to different
situations (Pittenger 2005).

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References
Colbert, A. E., Judge, T. A., Choi, D., & Wang, G. (2012). Assessing the trait theory of
leadership using self and observer ratings of personality: The mediating role of
contributions to group success. The Leadership Quarterly, 23(4), 670-685.
INTP Personality (“The Logician”) | 16Personalities. (2017). 16Personalities. Retrieved 14
August 2017, from https://www.16personalities.com/intp-personality
Leverage Your Personality Type. (2017). Humanmetrics. Retrieved 14 August 2017, from
http://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/intp-type?EI=-44&SN=-9&TF=6&JP=-19
Myersbriggs. (2017). The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Retrieved 14 August 2017, from
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/
Post, J. M. (Ed.). (2010). The psychological assessment of political leaders: with profiles of
Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton. University of Michigan Press.
Stromberg, J., & Caswell, E. (2015). Watch: Why the Myers-Briggs test is totally
meaningless. Vox. Retrieved 14 August 2017, from
https://www.vox.com/2014/7/15/5881947/myers-briggs-personality-test-meaningless
Vernon, P. E. (2014). Personality Assessment (Psychology Revivals): A Critical Survey.
Routledge.Pittenger, D. J. (2005). Cautionary comments regarding the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 57(3), 210.