YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE IS: EXECUTIVE (ESTJ-T)

Portrait of an ESTJ - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging (Extraverted Thinking with Introverted Sensing)

The Guardian

As an ESTJ, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.

ESTJs live in a world of facts and concrete needs. They live in the present, with their eye constantly scanning their personal environment to make sure that everything is running smoothly and systematically. They honor traditions and laws, and have a clear set of standards and beliefs. They expect the same of others, and have no patience or understanding of individuals who do not value these systems. They value competence and efficiency, and like to see quick results for their efforts.

ESTJs are take-charge people. They have such a clear vision of the way that things should be, that they naturally step into leadership roles. They are self-confident and aggressive. They are extremely talented at devising systems and plans for action, and at being able to see what steps need to be taken to complete a specific task. They can sometimes be very demanding and critical, because they have such strongly held beliefs, and are likely to express themselves without reserve if they feel someone isn't meeting their standards. But at least their expressions can be taken at face-value, because the ESTJ is extremely straight-forward and honest.

The ESTJ is usually a model citizen, and pillar of the community. He or she takes their commitments seriously, and follows their own standards of "good citizenship" to the letter. ESTJ enjoys interacting with people, and likes to have fun. ESTJs can be very boisterous and fun at social events, especially activities which are focused on the family, community, or work.

The ESTJ needs to watch out for the tendency to be too rigid, and to become overly detail-oriented. Since they put a lot of weight in their own beliefs, it's important that they remember to value other people's input and opinions. If they neglect their Feeling side, they may have a problem with fulfilling other's needs for intimacy, and may unknowingly hurt people's feelings by applying logic and reason to situations which demand more emotional sensitivity.

When bogged down by stress, an ESTJ often feels isolated from others. They feel as if they are misunderstood and undervalued, and that their efforts are taken for granted. Although normally the ESTJ is very verbal and doesn't have any problem expressing themself, when under stress they have a hard time putting their feelings into words and communicating them to others.

ESTJs value security and social order above all else, and feel obligated to do all that they can to enhance and promote these goals. They will mow the lawn, vote, join the PTA, attend home owners association meetings, and generally do anything that they can to promote personal and social security.

The ESTJ puts forth a lot of effort in almost everything that they do. They will do everything that they think should be done in their job, marriage, and community with a good amount of energy. He or she is conscientious, practical, realistic, and dependable. While the ESTJ will dutifully do everything that is important to work towards a particular cause or goal, they might not naturally see or value the importance of goals which are outside of their practical scope. However, if the ESTJ is able to see the relevance of such goals to practical concerns, you can bet that they'll put every effort into understanding them and incorporating them into their quest for clarity and security.

Jungian functional preference ordering: Dominant: Extraverted Thinking Auxiliary: Introverted Sensing Tertiary: Extraverted Intuition Inferior: Introverted Feeling

ESTJ IN A NUTSHELL

ESTJs are hardworking traditionalists, eager to take charge in organizing projects and people. Orderly, rule-abiding, and conscientious, ESTJs like to get things done, and tend to go about projects in a systematic, methodical way. ESTJs are the consummate organizers, and want to bring structure to their surroundings. They value predictability and prefer things to proceed in a logical order. When they see a lack of organization, the ESTJ often takes the initiative to establish processes and guidelines, so that everyone knows what's expected.

WHAT MAKES THE ESTJ TICK

ESTJs are conventional, factual, and grounded in reality. For the ESTJ, the proof is in the past: what has worked and what has been done before. They value evidence over conjecture, and trust their personal experience. ESTJs look for rules to follow and standards to meet, and often take a leadership role in helping other people meet expectations as well. They concern themselves with maintaining the social order and keeping others in line. ESTJs often take on a project manager role at home as well as at work, and excel at setting goals, making decisions, and organizing resources to accomplish a task. The ESTJ wants to achieve efficient productivity and typically believes this is best accomplished when people and systems are well organized.

ESTJs command a situation, with the sense that they know how things should go and are ready to take charge to make sure that it happens. They are task-oriented and put work before play. Confident and tough-minded, the ESTJ appears almost always to be in control. ESTJs appreciate structure and often begin to organize as soon as they enter a room. They want to establish the ground rules and make sure everyone does what they’re supposed to. ESTJs are often involved in institutions: clubs, associations, societies, and churches, where they usually take a leadership role. They typically connect with others through sharing ritual and routine. Social interaction for ESTJs often means following an established tradition to engage with others in a structured way. ESTJs tend to respect and seek out hierarchy. They want to know who’s in charge, and will assign levels of responsibility if none exist. Once a structure is in place, ESTJs typically trust authority figures and expect obedience from people of lower rank.

9% of the general population11% of men6% of women POPULAR HOBBIES

Popular hobbies for the ESTJ include building and repairing things around the home, gardening, volunteering, community service, and playing and watching sports.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

"The ESTJs solve problems by expertly applying and adapting past experience. They like work where they can achieve immediate, visible, and tangible results." - Isabel Briggs Myers, Gifts Differing "These Supervisors are eager to enforce the rules and procedures, and they can be serious about seeing to it that others toe the mark—or else face the consequences." - David Keirsey, Please Understand Me II "As a general rule ESTJs will rise to the top of almost any organization." - Otto Kroeger, Type Talk at Work RESEARCH ON ESTJ

Interesting facts about the ESTJ: On personality trait measures, likely to score as Contented, Energetic, Prejudiced, Self-Satisfied, and Practical More likely than other types to exhibit Type A behavior Of all types, scored highest in coping resources (with ENFP) Ranked 3rd highest in marital satisfaction among all types Among top four types in college GPA Least likely of all types to think about suicide in college Among most likely to stay in college Among types most satisfied with their work High-ranking personal values include Health, Financial Security, Achievement, and Prestige Overrepresented among bank officers, financial managers, and business owners POPULAR CAREERS FOR THE ESTJ

Top careers for the ESTJ include: Sales Engineer Stockbroker Insurance Agent Sales Manager Purchasing Agent Real Estate Agent Hotel Manager Credit Analyst Budget Analyst Insurance Adjuster Financial Counselor Project Manager Management Consultant Office Manager Public Administrator Chief Financial Officer Chief Information Officer Military Officer Police Officer Airline Pilot Vocational Teacher Farmer or Rancher Chef Attorney Paralegal Judge Auditor School Principal Property Manager Restaurant Owner Pharmacist Dentist Physician Athletic Trainer Civil Engineer Mechanical Engineer Industrial Engineer Flight Engineer Database Administrator Real Estate Appraiser Cost Estimator Building Inspector Factory Supervisor General Contractor Funeral Director ESTJs generally have the following traits:

Natural leaders - they like to be in charge Value security and tradition Loyal Hard-working and dependable Athletic and wholesome Have a clear set of standards and beliefs that they live by No patience with incompetence or inefficiency Excellent organizational abilities Enjoy creating order and structure Very thorough Will follow projects through to completion Straight-forward and honest Driven to fulfill their duties