ENTJ Description

"To be successful, an organization must have a strong leader who's willing to make choices and define the trade-offs."

ENTJs as They Typically Are

ENTJs are directional and assertive individuals who value achievement, accomplishment, and rationality. They tend to be very self-directed and are often good at isolating profitable standards and goals which they are able to present objectively, as "the thing that needs to be done," in a way that seems cogent and authoritative to others.

Many ENTJs like to have things well organized and for this reason ENTJs tend to be good organizers and managers - especially when it comes to complex and high-level challenges. They can often surprise others by the ease with which they reduce even difficult structural problems to essentials and then effortlessly rearrange them into a logical sequence that will achieve a particular goal.

ENTJs are often very future-oriented and many can't help but find themselves always thinking ahead. As opposed to the other three NT types, who might also be very future-oriented, the ENTJ does not look to the future in a dreamy or non-literal way, but rather in a profoundly logical one where the structures that are already present in reality are rationally extrapolated to reach into the future. Instead of flying cars and Mars colonies, they see how holdings could be expanded, businesses grown, and projects scaled in scope. They are, in other words, the most factual and realistic of all the NT types.

Many ENTJs are ambitious in nature and blessed with the ability to organize and lead. They tend to be interpersonally impartial and to give even outsiders a fair and open-minded hearing if they feel they can contribute to the task at hand. However, only rarely do they give others an easy pass; they tend to see individual merit as something that has to be proven, and it typically takes quite a while to earn their respect. Still, they often win the respect of others, as they are not inclined to play favorites, but tend to view everything and everyone from an impersonal standpoint where people are judged on the basis of their actions and the results that they produce.

Younger ENTJs may not always know what they wish to be known for in life or how they will earn their money, but even in early life, most are aware they want to own something, reform something, and be seen as a bit of a mover and shaker within their field. Later in life, many ENTJs develop a fondness for luxuries or articles of consumption that are associated with high status. They tend to enjoy them as the symbols of a life well spent; the rewards afforded by having applied one's talents to the full.

In their personal lives, ENTJs can sometimes be perceived as curt and businesslike - as if even their social and leisurely activities are also handled with a bit of a professional mindset. ENTJs tend to dislike small talk and trivialities, and they often feel a bit out of sync in chit-chatty conversations, where there are no clear objectives to be accomplished. On the other hand, some ENTJs have a provocative sense of humor where they enjoy ribbing people, often to see what they are made of, and what kind of reaction they can get from them.

Many ENTJs are confrontational in nature, and only rarely do they shy away from argument, debate, or competitive interaction in general. Even if they do not articulate this belief in full, many ENTJs instinctively believe that competition is the main mechanism of progress – an indispensable driver that serves to sort the wheat from the chaff and determine who should be at the top.

ENTJs tend to excel at instilling a sense of narrative, purpose and vision concerning whatever project they are involved with. In many cases, it is as if an air of authority comes naturally to them, with their words and instructions being felt as especially compelling by others, as if the ENTJ is not just voicing their opinion, but authoritatively pointing out what needs to be done.

ENTJs tend to be empirically minded, and most prefer to base their decisions on hard fact and evidence. They tend to be unsympathetic towards emotional arguments, and for this reason, they can sometimes come across as unforgiving and harsh. In actual fact, however, many ENTJs are not as rigid as they may appear. While they may appear decisive in their utterances and deeds, ENTJs are often much more flexible in their thinking than others perceive them. They understand that institutions, people and systems are prone to error and ossification and are almost always in need of optimization, repurposing, clearing out, and revitalizing.

While not emotionally expressive as such, ENTJs are often deeply principled people. Many care deeply about individual rights and value policies in an intense way where they can almost seem a bit religious or romantic about it. Regardless of political orientation, they tend to dislike collectivist or overly controlling styles of governance and would rather provide people with an opportunity to realize their talents than smother them in well-meaning but inflexible bureaucracy. They would rather create a world where every person can rise to be the master of their own destiny, and where each person is truly the ruler of their own life.