ENTJ Introduction

People of the ENTJ personality type are charming, straightforward, and rational in their actions. ENTJs are aggressive and love being in control; they perceive themselves as leaders and managers, managing people and procedures to attain their objectives.

I. What Does ENTJ Stand For?

ENTJ stands for Extraversion, iNtuition, Thinking, and Judgement and is one of 16 personality types studied from the MBTI test (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). The MBTI personality assessment developed by Isabel Briggs Myers, Katharine Cook Briggs, and David Keirsey from the work of psychiatrist Carl G. Jung, the types of psychology based on theories of cognitive functions. Keirsey named ENTJ The Field Marshal/ The Commander because their innate ability is to command and lead people. ENTJ is one of four personality types of The Rational.

II. Personality Traits of The ENTJ Group

ENTJs have a very charismatic, rational, and sharp personality. They are very good at leading and inspiring others. Naturally, ENTJs rarely have difficulty convincing others and that the goals chosen by ENTJs should also become one of their personal goals. 

ENTJs take their careers very seriously, and they inevitably fit into the workplace world. They always look at their surroundings for potential problems that they can turn into solutions.

People with this personality type embody charisma and confidence, and project authority in a way that holds people together for a common goal. However, ENTJs are also characterized by their extreme level of reasoning, using their motivation, determination, and sharp minds to achieve whatever goals they have set for themselves.

If there is anything ENTJs love, it is a good challenge, either big or small and they firmly believe that with enough time and resources, they can achieve any goal. This quality makes people with this personality group exceptional entrepreneurs, and the ability to think strategically and to focus on the long-term while executing the plan step by step with determination and precision that makes them a high-powered business leader.

Their determination is often self-fulfilling, as ENTJs advance their goals with sheer willpower while others may give up, and their Extraverted (E) nature means that they are capable of motivating everyone else to accompany them to achieve spectacular results in the process. 

III. The Cognitive Functions of The ENTJ Group

Dominant: Extraverted Thinking

This is the dominant function of ENTJs and is reflected in the way they make decisions and judgments. They tend not to listen but to make quick judgments before actually absorbing all the information related to a situation. However, they are also very rational and objective. They focus on imposing order and standards on the world around them.

Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition

They focus on the future and always consider the possibilities when approaching a decision. ENTJs are progressive-minded and are not afraid to change. They trust their instincts, even though they may tend to regret reaching conclusions too quickly.

Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing

This cognitive function gives ENTJs a sense of adventure. They enjoy novel experiences and can sometimes engage in thrill-seeking behaviors. Because of this tendency, they also have an appreciation for the beautiful things in life. They often like to surround themselves with things that they find interesting or appealing.

Inferior: Introverted Feeling

This function focuses on inner feelings and values. Emotions can be a difficult area for ENTJs, and they often lack an understanding of how this personality contributes to their decision-making process. When this aspect of personality is inferior, ENTJs may feel uncomfortable or awkward in environments where some type of emotional response is required.

IV. ENTJ Values and Motivations

1. ENTJ values

ENTJs have an organized mindset, they set strategy and create motivation for the organization to make progress. They excel in analysis, logical reasoning, and thinking. Besides, they are very assertive, direct, and always like to take responsibility when problems arise. 

ENTJs are confident of their ability, overwhelming others with their sharp mind and language. However, they are also very objective and not affected by conflict issues or criticism. Sometimes, some people may think that ENTJs are arrogant and emotionless but it is their instinct, after all, they still want to focus on the results of their work with the highest productivity.

ENTJs are the innate leaders. Their world is always full of potential which contains all kinds of challenges to conquer and they are the subjugator. They have a quick grasp of complex issues, can absorb large amounts of objective information, and finally, the acumen and decisiveness in making decisions. ENTJs are always the ones in charge.

ENTJs have a lot of talent, so their power is significant. ENTJs are creative, assertive, and visionary thinkers with an excellent ability to turn theories and potential into clear and concrete action plans. They have a strong personality and have all the tools to achieve whatever goals they set.

2. ENTJ Motivations

ENTJs tend to be motivated by ownership of their results. They like being able to make an impressive impact and produce quality results when working on a project. Their ability to work hard and find measurable results helps them make a big contribution to their team.

ENTJs tend to thrive when they can produce excellent results and fulfill ambitious goals. They enjoy continually working towards new, exciting, and are energized by contributing to their ambitious plans.

ENTJs feel most motivated and productive when they can create and follow a set plan. They thrive in stable and reliable environments so they can focus their energies on their goals, instead of managing the chaos of a disorganized environment.

When ENTJs can participate in exciting work, they will feel more comfortable and productive. They will be able to make good use of their abilities and enjoy the work they are doing, which will likely improve their overall level of engagement in the work environment.

V. Strengths and Weaknesses of ENTJs

1. ENTJ Strengths

ENTJs are foresighted and often very efficient at coming up with solutions to change situations – especially collective problems. They are often very successful in business fields because they always do their best in leadership roles.

ENTJs are very fond of human interaction. They are extroverted, very active, and mostly stimulated by outside forces. There is nothing more amusing and satisfying than a heated and challenging debate. ENTJs respect those who dare to fight and defend their views. However, very few people dare to do so because ENTJs are persuasive and have strong demeanor, they are extremely confident in themselves and believe they have excellent communication ability.

ENTJs are intelligent and assertive. They make decisions very quickly and are also very good at expressing their opinions and decisions to people. 

ENTJs are eager to learn and continuously improve their knowledge and develop themselves in all aspects of their life.

ENTJs have an impartial mindset and are always concerned with doing fair and righteous things.

ENTJs can transform a conflict situation into a positive lesson.

ENTJs take their promises and commitments seriously.

2. ENTJ Weaknesses

ENTJs can become very irritable when their patience is tested in unfavorable situations because they are less sympathetic to the feelings of others, and they believe that they do not need to adjust their comments to adapt to the feelings of others. In the world of ENTJs, there is no room for failures. They dislike seeing mistakes, especially repeated ones, and they cannot tolerate incompetence and inadequacy. 

ENTJs need to learn to listen to and acknowledge people's opinions, as well as the value of understanding their feelings. Once these issues are unaware, ENTJs can become overbearing and intimidating. This is a major problem for ENTJs whenever they feel a lack of important information and cooperation from others. In terms of personal life, this can lead to them being tyrannical in the role of spouse or parents.

Sometimes they are strongly influenced by emotions. This sentimentality has a huge impact on ENTJs, even though they always seek to hide it because they know that it is their weakness. Because they are not good at working on emotional factors, occasionally, they make subjective judgments and believe in unfounded, inappropriate emotions, which will put ENTJs in trouble.

When ENTJs have not developed intuitional cognitive function, they often make hasty decisions without understanding all aspects of the problem and other possible solutions.

An ENTJ that is not fully developed in terms of thinking will have difficulty in using logical reasoning or understanding the problem, and they often make inaccurate decisions. In such cases, ENTJs may have creative ideas and discernment about the current situation but are unable to decide how to act, or their actions can be very contradictory. They can become dictatorships, rude, arbitrarily make decisions or orders without good cause, and disregard the opinions of those involved.

ENTJs are not sensitive or delicate in appreciating or recognizing the need to be appreciated by others.

VI. Personal Relationships of ENTJs

1. Romantic relationship

ENTJs will constantly learn and review the principles and properties of their romantic relationships. They greatly appreciate relationships, especially those that bring them new challenges and stimulate the spirit of learning. In the process of acquiring that knowledge, it has contributed to improving true affection and satisfaction for ENTJs.

ENTJs approach dating and relationships with a set of goals and plan to achieve them, while at the same time proceeding with impressive energy and enthusiasm. People with this personality type like to win and are willing to take on leading roles in relationships from the start, take personal responsibility for how things went well, and work hard to ensure a win-win experience. Romantic relationships are a serious affair and ENTJs look for a long-term and stable one.

In reality, ENTJs want to be responsible for relationships. In daily communication, ENTJs are often straightforward so it is easy to cause conflicts, sometimes, they even criticize badly and make it difficult for others. People who have a close relationship with ENTJs need to be very strong and steady, in return, ENTJs will bring them many interesting things.

As with other Analyst types, ENTJs are most suitable with other iNtuitive (N) types that have one or two opposing features to create more balance in the relationship. Mature ENTJs can recognize and adapt to their partners' needs and know that even the most rational individuals have emotional needs that demand to be met. Fortunately, the same logic that dismisses emotions is also able to realize that attitudes of reconciliation can be the best tool for getting the job done. With a strong sense of responsibility and dedication, people with this personality type are sure to make an effort to achieve lasting and satisfying relationships.

2. Friendship

In general, ENTJs spend a lot of time paying attention to friendship. It is not easy to become close friends with them. They are people with a strong will, are very smart, good at debate and criticism. Not everyone can tolerate a debate with them – and this is the main reason why ENTJs respect and appreciate those who are capable of defending their views. Worth mentioning, ENTJs neither understand nor respect emotional reasons and requests. They are very rational people who can only accept a different view if it is proved by logic and rationality.

Naturally, ENTJs also have difficulty supporting others emotionally. Dealing with emotions is not their strong point, and they do everything they can to avoid emotional situations. ENTJs like to challenge their friends and question their conclusions. This type of personality is particularly vulnerable to criticism and tends to be very personal.

The ENTJs seek two main things in friendship: inspiration and personal growth. Unlike many other personality groups, they don't need much mental support or reassurance. ENTJs enjoy fascinating mysterious ideas and meaningful discussions with close friends. People with this type of personality are very good at recognizing learning and growth opportunities, and they always try to encourage their friends to join in.

They tend to put self-improvement and self-development above everything else when it comes to finding and building personal relationships, it is doubtful that they will pursue relationships that do not bring them such opportunities. ENTJs are attracted to other iNtuition  (N) groups because these people will support them to brainstorm and make hypotheses about what they consider to be important.

In short, ENTJs are always enthusiastic and try their best in their relationships. Their motto is "never too old to learn" so they will try to absorb and turn everything into their lessons. 

3. Parenthood

ENTJs are always up for the challenge and will value their role as parents and with the highest sense of personal responsibility. Holding themselves to a higher standard than most people, ENTJs see their children's success as a reflection of those personal standards and want nothing more than to see them develop into intelligent, independent people, and always try to achieve their goals. ENTJ parents value the cultivation of independent, rational thought and wisdom rather than establishing specific moral values.

They welcome the difference of opinions, and this is true for their children as well. But while excited to have rational, thorough discussions about roles and responsibilities, ENTJs expect their authority to be respected. Disagreement is not a reason to evade established responsibilities, and ENTJ parents have absolutely no tolerance for maintaining this structure.

This strictness may cause a major source of stress in the home, and instead, a little flexibility can be of great help. ENTJ parents should strive to reinforce this skill – often young children don't have enough words to express their needs and teenagers don't have enough patience for that, a completely natural condition.

ENTJ parents should remember that part of developing a necessary sense of independence is being able to control one's own schedule and activities, to chart one's own path, at least to a certain extent. They will spare no effort on their children, but sometimes it is advisable to loosen their structures as their children mature and grow up to do more to achieve their goal of raising capable and intelligent adults.

4. Relationship with other personality groups

ENTJs are usually very active and direct in conversations. They are responsible, clearly strategize for others what needs to be done in an organization or project. Sometimes, they will get in trouble because of some criticisms about a tough or overwhelmingly personal approach.

For ENTP, INTJ, ESTJ groups: they have similar qualities and many things in common so it is easy for ENTJs to share values, interests, and approaches with these groups.

For ISTJ, INTP, ENFJ, ENFP groups: they have some differences, however, these turn to be quite attractive to ENTJs. They still have few things in common to build a well-balanced relationship with these groups.

For INFJ, ISTP, ESTP, ESFJ groups: at first, ENTJs may have some difficulties accessing and connecting with these groups. Still, after knowing each other for a while, they will discover commonalities as well as other points of view that can complement each other.

For INFP, ISFJ, ESFP, ISFP groups: these groups are quite distinct and contrast to ENTJs. But if it is possible to develop relationships with each other, ENTJs will learn and develop themselves from these groups, the challenges always come along with great opportunities.

VII. ENTJ Career Paths and Development Areas

Typical ENTJs' career is defined by several characteristics that most people who come into contact with them can recognize: energy, determination, and leadership. These traits tend to push ENTJs toward certain professions and also somewhat limit their options, however, they do not regret it.

ENTJs love transforming ideas into practical plans, which is one of their strengths and also typical of the careers they focus on. They are forward-looking and have a rare level of confidence compared to other personality groups. These characteristics make ENTJs excellent in positions of CEO, entrepreneur, corporate strategist – they will have the energy and determination to implement an idea even when there are many obstacles in their way.

ENTJs are extraordinary verbal communicators, they like structure and order, but hate routine. This means that ENTJs have the foresight that makes them suitable for leadership positions. Typical ENTJs’ career must involve leadership. One thing is for sure, ENTJs never satisfy with subordinate staff positions for a long time. They fit into the following career fields:

• Business and Finance (Business management, financial experts, executives);
• Leadership and Management (Human Resource Management, Chairman);
• Architecture and Engineering (Engineers, Architects, Controllers, Building contractors);
• Science and life (Economist, Psychologist, Scientist);
• Art and Social media (Public relations, Art production director);
• Health care (Doctors, Health service managers);
• Education and Training (Lecturers, Professors);
• Entertainment and Sports (Coach, Producer);
• IT industry group;
• Law (Inspectors, Lawyer, Investigate police).

VIII. How ENTJs perform in the work and learning environment

From a very young age, people with the ENTJ personality have always been interested in achievements. Because learning is one of the main ways for them to move toward ideals, it plays a huge role in their lives.

ENTJs can be very patient while learning as long as they can see a way to apply this knowledge in the future. On the other hand, they are very good at memorizing worthless facts or studying something without practical application.

But ENTJ students have a special love for figures like charts and spreadsheets, which help them organize information and remember facts and formulas more efficiently. Other good ways that ENTJs can learn better are criticism, analysis, and debate. Also, they like to challenge themselves by setting deadlines for their projects and then trying to do that in less time.

ENTJs have high expectations for both the system and the people they work with. They are naturally always suited to leadership positions, or at least, they need to work in an independent environment where they can apply organizational skills. Long-term planning, handling complex problems, and encouraging others are things that ENTJs do best.

Subordinate positions are challenging for ENTJs, requiring active management to ensure their satisfaction and engagement. They learn new skills and look for new challenges and responsibilities, eager to prove that nothing is impossible with hard work. When they get involved in projects around them, they prove to be well organized and prioritized.

Among colleagues, ENTJs are very sociable and love to share opinions and criticisms during their regular brainstorming meetings. They tend to assert themselves in positions as project representatives and leaders, considering their objectivity and charisma as the perfect qualities for these roles. ENTJs also enjoy working with people on their peers, however, they tend to be viewed as arrogant and boastful by people less competent than them.

ENTJ managers are confident communicators and they focus on two goals: getting the job done as efficiently as possible and reaching the highest quality standards. They are natural leaders with the ability to strategize and define the strengths of each member of the team, incorporating those abilities into their plans so that each individual takes on an important and unique role, which makes them possible to be motivators.

IX. 10 Things you might not know about ENTJs

1. ENTJ is the rarest personality group in the world and accounts for about 1-4% of the world's population. 

2. By gender, only 1% of ENTJs are men and 3% are women. 

3.  It's worth noting that the ENTJ women are the best money-makers, not only compared to women in other personality types, they also generate more income than ENTJ men.

4. ENTJ personality type has the best leadership ability among personality types. According to them, nothing is impossible if there is determination. 

5. ENTJs always set high standards and expectations which is their strength and also their weakness.

6. ENTJs tend to fall into fierce and competitive debates.

7. ENTJs’ appearances are usually neat and their clothes are well matched. They may don't wear luxury but always try to look sophisticated and classy.

8. ENTJs tend to repeat their views over and over until they make sure people understand what they mean.

9. ENTJs have solutions to every problem due to their excellent improvisation.

10. ENTJs can be very intense. As the conversation continued, they became more enthusiastic and excited.

X. ENTJ Famous people

• Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of France;
• Julius Caesar, general and foster father of Augustus;
• Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister – "The woman of steel";
• Alexander Hamilton, an American founder, politician, lawyer, and financial expert;
• Carl Sagan, an American astrophysicist;
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States;
• Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States;
• Bill Gates, an American business magnate, software developer, and philanthropist;
• Garry Kimovich Kasparov, a Russian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer, and political activist;
• Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1929 to 1953.