Exploring Leadership and Growth Potential: A Self-Diagnosis
The MBTI is one of many personality inventories that assists in the evaluation of personal leadership style and methodology. The MBTI was developed by researcher Isabel Myers Briggs in 1980 during practical experimentation on Carl G. Jung’s theory of psychological types, developed in 1971. Jung had proposed that three dichotomous relationships existed between basic characteristics of a person’s psyche. Namely, they included general attitude (characterized by extroversion versus introversion), perception (characterized by sensing versus intuition), and judging (characterized by thinking versus feeling.) Jung felt that a person’s character was a product of their unique combination of …show more content…
Unlike the prevailing misconceptions about introverts, I am not necessarily shy, quiet, reserved, or less sympathetic. Rather, I am predisposed to these proclivities and work actively to define my own self in the work place. One of the significant advantages of being an introvert occurs on a base chemical level in the brain: I am less likely to be impetuous or make decisions based on potential reward. Rather, I have a natural ability to be more thoughtful than an extrovert in my decision-making process, weighing the facts and data to support the decision. This is talked about extensively by Susan Cain in her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Cain (2012) points out research that shows that introverts have a less responsive reaction to dopamine, which is a chemical that acts as a transmitter of anticipated pleasure in the brain. When an extrovert makes a decision, researchers have been able to show an uptick in dopamine production based on the rewards of the decision. However, in introverts, the level of dopamine production is significantly muted, leaving a person more able to make “clear-headed” …show more content…
Due to this inclination, I may be perceived as aloof or disconnected from my employees. I have to take extra time and effort to be sure that I am not alienating or distancing myself from my employees. This is especially true of the Millennial generation, as they continue to enter the work-force in droves. Farrell and Hurt (2014) note that the Millennial generation will very soon outnumber the baby boomer generation in the workforce. Also noted by Farrell and Hurt is that the Millennial generation desires clear rules and regulations in their work environment. If I am not conscientious about the level of time I dedicate to my Millennial workers, they may feel that they have a laissez-faire environment, which can lead to lower work productivity as well as less buy-in to the organization. One of the ways that I combat this perception is with extended face-to-face time with my employees and clear expectations. Since this generation is so connected via technology, I make sure to share my expectations in a variety of mediums at the beginning of the employment period, while also making the effort to spend time, in person, with each employee and share of myself to help them feel connected to the
The MBTI is one of many personality inventories that assists in the evaluation of personal leadership style and methodology. The MBTI was developed by researcher Isabel Myers Briggs in 1980 during practical experimentation on Carl G. Jung’s theory of psychological types, developed in 1971. Jung had proposed that three dichotomous relationships existed between basic characteristics of a person’s psyche. Namely, they included general attitude (characterized by extroversion versus introversion), perception (characterized by sensing versus intuition), and judging (characterized by thinking versus feeling.) Jung felt that a person’s character was a product of their unique combination of …show more content…
Unlike the prevailing misconceptions about introverts, I am not necessarily shy, quiet, reserved, or less sympathetic. Rather, I am predisposed to these proclivities and work actively to define my own self in the work place. One of the significant advantages of being an introvert occurs on a base chemical level in the brain: I am less likely to be impetuous or make decisions based on potential reward. Rather, I have a natural ability to be more thoughtful than an extrovert in my decision-making process, weighing the facts and data to support the decision. This is talked about extensively by Susan Cain in her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Cain (2012) points out research that shows that introverts have a less responsive reaction to dopamine, which is a chemical that acts as a transmitter of anticipated pleasure in the brain. When an extrovert makes a decision, researchers have been able to show an uptick in dopamine production based on the rewards of the decision. However, in introverts, the level of dopamine production is significantly muted, leaving a person more able to make “clear-headed” …show more content…
Due to this inclination, I may be perceived as aloof or disconnected from my employees. I have to take extra time and effort to be sure that I am not alienating or distancing myself from my employees. This is especially true of the Millennial generation, as they continue to enter the work-force in droves. Farrell and Hurt (2014) note that the Millennial generation will very soon outnumber the baby boomer generation in the workforce. Also noted by Farrell and Hurt is that the Millennial generation desires clear rules and regulations in their work environment. If I am not conscientious about the level of time I dedicate to my Millennial workers, they may feel that they have a laissez-faire environment, which can lead to lower work productivity as well as less buy-in to the organization. One of the ways that I combat this perception is with extended face-to-face time with my employees and clear expectations. Since this generation is so connected via technology, I make sure to share my expectations in a variety of mediums at the beginning of the employment period, while also making the effort to spend time, in person, with each employee and share of myself to help them feel connected to the