Women, Leadership and Personality: Insights Form The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Author: Sarah Cooper

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."


About the 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