INTJ Personality Types

This page provides a description of INTJ personality types. If you would like to find out whether you are an INTJ, and what makes you unique and different from other INTJs, then complete our personality test:

INTJs direct their energy towards the inner world of thoughts and emotions. They use their imaginations to come up with new ideas, possibilities and perspectives. They often organise their lives on a logical basis, and produce plans and strategies to put their ideas into practice.

What makes an INTJ tick?

The Dominant function is the perceptive one of iNtuition. Characteristics associated with this function include:

• Likes looking at information from a global viewpoint, spotting patterns and relationships, that lead to an understanding of the key issues
• Focuses more on possibilities for the future than the here-and-now
• Enjoys change, challenge, and variety

The perceptive iNtuition function is introverted. That is, iNtuition is used primarily to govern the inner world of thoughts and emotions. The INTJ will therefore:

• Seek to develop a understanding of how the world can be
• Seek to understand the patterns underlying his/her observations
• Be strategic in nature, wanting to establish a clear vision towards which the INTJ is working
• Not involve others in the development of that vision

The iNtuition function is primarily supported by extraverted Thinking judgement. That is, Thinking judgement is used primarily to manage the outer world of actions and words. This will modify the way that the iNtuition is directed, by:

• focusing the (inner world) iNtuition on ideas and possibilities that relate to systems and concepts
• inwardly maintaining a long term vision. Rather than communicating this vision directly, it may tend to surface in the form of criticism of ideas and situations that do not conform.
• applying logical analysis to perceived patterns and possibilities, enabling the INTJ to quickly see the underlying principles in a situation

The classic temperament of an INTJ is Promethean, or Phlegmatic, for whom a basic driving force is the search for competence or excellence.

Contributions to the team of an INTJ

In a team environment, the INTJ can contribute by:

• challenging the status quo
• leading the team to a greater understanding of the concepts and principles involved
• finding ways to overcome apparently insurmountable difficulties
• developing and maintaining a sense of direction in the team's work
• observing and understanding the way the organisation works, and leading the team to take appropriate action
• producing work to a high level of quality
• ensuring that ideas and vision are translated into action

The potential ways in which an INTJ can irritate others include:

• being single-minded or stubborn
• not taking sufficient account of current realities
• not expressing appreciation for the contributions of others, particularly where it hasn't been fully competent
• not delegating
• making errors of fact, and appearing to make decisions irrespective of the facts

Personal Growth

As with all types, the INTJ can achieve personal growth by developing all functions that are not fully developed, through actions such as:

• articulating the INTJ's vision, and allowing others to contribute to its development
• expressing appreciation for work done, even when it falls short of the INTJ's personal standards
• investigating the facts, and documenting them, before interpreting what they mean
• taking time to consider the impact of the INTJ's approach and ideas on people's feelings
• looking for and acknowledging positive contributions and areas of agreement, rather than just seeing flaws and areas of disagreement

Recognising Stress

As stress increases, 'learned behaviour' tends to give way to the natural style, so the INTJ will behave more according to type when under greater stress. For example, in a crisis, the INTJ might:

• retire to a private place and think through a problem until the INTJ has formulated a complete plan for solving it
• try to maintain a high degree of quality in the solution
• criticise others' ideas, particularly if they involve compromising quality
• make errors of fact, or pursue ideas that are unrealistic

Under extreme stress, fatigue or illness, the INTJ's shadow may appear - a negative form of ESFP. Example characteristics are:

• doing things to excess - e.g.: eating, drinking or exercising
• acting very impulsively, perhaps starting off more projects than the INTJ could hope to accomplish
• expressing emotions in an intensive and uncontrolled way
• being very sensitive to criticism
• asking for lots of information that is irrelevant

The shadow is part of the unconscious that is often visible to others, onto whom the shadow is projected. The INTJ may therefore readily see these faults in others without recognising it in him/her self.

Develop Your Potential

Our personality questionnaire can help you:

• become much more self-aware;
• develop your leadership, management or influencing skills;
• find a career that matches your personality;
• Improve teamwork and team relationships.

You can either do the personality test yourself, or administer multiple questionnaires for use in team building and leadership development.