ESTJ Introduction

People of the ESTJ personality type are recognized for their organizational skills, loyalty, and hard work. They value dependability and prefer that events occur in a logical order. ESTJs are orderly, principle, and conscientious individuals who like to do tasks in a methodical, rational way.

I. What Does ESTJ Stand For?

ESTJ stands for Extraversion, Sensing, 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 ESTJ The Supervisor/ The Executive because they tend to be responsible and make sure everything is done correctly. ESTJ is one of the four personality types of The Guardian.

II. Personality Traits of The ESTJ Group

ESTJs are ethical, practical, hard-working, and responsible, with a keen sense of business, management, and seeing through everything. They work in an orderly manner, with a clear set of rules and methods. ESTJs find it quite easy to develop and improve different action plans – they can make the most complex projects as simple as eating a piece of cake.

People with this personality group are outgoing and love to interact with people, they are great managers and enjoy the capability of being involved. 

By carrying all of these characteristics, ESTJs are excellent standard citizens who guard the traditions and foundations of the family and community. They are pure-minded and trustworthy, although belonging to the SJ group – the lack of flexibility can sometimes hinder their efforts. ESTJs also have a very good sense of what is socially acceptable and always do their best to adhere to that ideal.

The three outstanding traits of ESTJ personality are principles, traditions, and stability. People with ESTJ personality need to engage with something – it could be a family, a community, or some other social group. They like the "organization" of others and ensure that they will abide by traditional rules or given by competent people.

ESTJs prefer scheduled actions and plans and use them as the premise for future intentions. They especially love the to-do list because checking it every day makes them reassuring. The life of ESTJs is a set of steps outlined, and they love to act on it. Even older ESTJs will feel secure if they plan their day hourly.

ESTJs are direct people of well-defined principles. They are willing to stand up to support what they believe is right, even when they have almost no chance of winning. ESTJ dares to do reckless things.

ESTJs are particularly sensitive to orthodoxy. A large part of their assessments of people and events reflect their sensitivity to what is considered normal and unusual. Their humor often revolves around things or people who act out of the ordinary.

ESTJ children tend to be very responsible and goal-oriented but parents need to avoid placing too many expectations on them. They like structure and habits. Even though they are good at self-direction, they still need the guidance and rules to provide them with the safety and comfort they desire.

As extroverts, ESTJs like to connect with others and play an active role in traditional organizations. Family happiness is important to ESTJs, and they will do their best to nurture and protect their families.

Given the seriousness and work ethic, it's no surprise that ESTJ is the type of personality that makes the highest income. Unlike other personality types, young ESTJs are seldom confused about their future. From early on, they formed personal and professional goals, and from there they pursued these non-stop.

III. The Cognitive Functions of The ESTJ Group

Dominant: Extraverted Thinking

ESTJs rely on objective and logical information to make decisions rather than personal feelings. They are skilled at making impartial and unbiased decisions, tend to be very realistic, prefer to learn about visible and concrete things rather than abstract or theoretical things.

However, they can often hastily judge before considering all the information about a situation. This trait makes them either capable leaders or sometimes aggressive and harsh.

Auxiliary: Introverted Sensing

They are very good at remembering things with lots of details in a long and vivid way and use them to create a connection with current events. Because their perceptual function is inwardly concentrated, they tend to focus on familiarity and the habits to which they can depend more than on novelties. While this gives them stability and predictability, it can also cause them to become stubborn at times and not give in.

Tertiary: Extraverted Intuition

This aspect of the personality seeks out novel ideas and possibilities, making ESTJs breakthrough and explore their creativity. As they process new ideas and information, they can explore possible meanings to uncover new connections or patterns. This allows them to look at the incoming information and realize that there can be multiple interpretations or possible outcomes.

Inferior: Introverted Feeling

This function can cause ESTJs to make decisions based on emotion rather than logic. While being the least prominent function of the personality, in some cases, ESTJs can let their subjective emotions dominate over their objective interpretation of a situation. They tend to overthink their own emotions, so this function often works unconsciously.

IV. ESTJ Values and Motivations

1. ESTJ values

People with ESTJ personality respect and promote professional ethics, and detest fraud or any attempt to corrupt, especially at work. They also want to compete for positions of power.

Featuring S characteristics, ESTJs live in a world of transparent and verifiable truth. They are honest and frank, living in the present and memorizing everything that is happening around them. They have a clear vision and an understanding of what is acceptable and what is not - this often makes ESTJ an excellent leader or manager, although subordinates sometimes may complain about their rigidity.

ESTJs aspire to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations, especially when it relates to the family. ESTJs' priorities are usually in the following order: their faith, their family, and lastly, their friends. They try their best to complete the assigned tasks according to the order above. They are so devoted and accountable in their relationships that they consider them to last forever and unchangeable. 

ESTJs value tradition and institutions; therefore, they also expect that their family members, acquaintances, and friends support these things. They don't have the time for or want to interact with people who do not share their views.

Tradition is very important to ESTJs. They remember really carefully the holidays, birthdays, and other anniversaries and celebrate them solemnly. ESTJ also tends to search for their origins and look up their genealogy to find famous ancestors.

They also value commitment and often self-manage those around them to make sure everyone is on their track.

2. ESTJ Motivations

Time spent introspectively is considered a reward and a great motivation after completing the work for ESTJs and even their activities during this time must be directed to a specific purpose.

ESTJs value strong leadership or admirable powerful figures. They can feel energized and inspired by leaders who are confident in their abilities and motivated by ethical values.

ESTJs are energized by others able to perform inspirational action. Because they are driven by their belief system, they value those who do the same. ESTJs thrive when they can live and work alongside other motivated and goal-oriented people.

ESTJs love to create and establish routines or traditions. They thrive when they can rely on something stable and consistent that helps them focus their energies on accomplishing a goal.

V. Strengths and Weaknesses of ESTJs

1. ESTJ Strengths

ESTJs always want to bring a perfectly organized structure and make sure activities run smoothly to the surrounding environment. They are especially good at the role of a manager. With excellent communication skills, it is not difficult for them to convey their ideas, guide, help, and establish a workflow with the best performance for everyone as well as the social system.

ESTJs are very dedicated and responsible. They will do everything possible to fulfill their missions and promises. 

ESTJs have strong willpower and are not afraid to speak out and defend their opinions, even if they are facing a formidable opponent. For example, one of their subordinates is incompetent or simply lazy, ESTJs will not hesitate to show their indignation. They will stick to their principles, even if everyone turns away from them.

ESTJs are sober-minded, they seldom have problems with their emotions, they leave negative and lost feelings behind.

ESTJs are patient, loyal, and trustworthy. They will work to demonstrate uprightness and honesty, taking trust and stability as essential factors. When they say they're going to do something, they keep their word, which makes them highly responsible members of an organization, community, and family.

ESTJs are excellent organizers. A commitment to clear standards and truths that make ESTJ leaders trustworthy. They are individuals who do not find it difficult to objectively and fairly assign tasks to others, making them excellent administrators.

ESTJs like to create order because chaos can make things unpredictable. They always try to create unity and order in the environment by establishing clear structures, roles, and rules.

2. ESTJ Weaknesses

ESTJs are judgmental people. They have strong beliefs about what is right/wrong or acceptable in society, they adhere to and convey these beliefs to others around them. They may not hesitate to let those who don't comply know what they think, they assume they have to set things up according to what they believe.

ESTJs can be stubborn and inflexible. The problem with ESTJs is that they are so rigid in their work that they ignore the opportunities and the potential that can happen.

ESTJs are too focused on social status. People with this personality type take pride in the respect the community shows them. They are extremely minded with comments from the public, they fear that they might fail when trying to fulfill the wishes of those around them.

VI. Personal Relationships of ESTJs

1. Romantic relationship

ESTJs' relationships are quite consistent and do not change much in the long run. Because they take honesty and straightforwardness so seriously, they have a clear ability of who they are, what they like, and what their goals are from the start, and stick with those statements for the long term. So as long as their partner can follow what they say, they will inevitably have a very stable relationship.

ESTJs also love to take their partners out and enjoy a good time. Social events and activities are their ideas, and while they may rely on familiar people and places, they bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm, making things interesting.

During their sexual life, they may seek more stability than most, but ESTJ partners never fail to bring back their signature vitality. They value recognition and favorable compliments to maintain high self-esteem. There is a challenge in ESTJs relationships and that is emotional intimacy. They often find more tangible ways to express their feelings instead of sweet words.

ESTJ partners are people of strong discipline and confidence. They use these qualities to protect their partner with admirable consistency. But at the same time, they are also stubborn and headstrong to their beliefs, which can quickly destroy the fragile feelings of their more sensitive partners. Ideally, ESTJs should look for Observant (S) partners to minimize communication barriers, having one or two opposing traits to balance their strong personalities and provide growth opportunities.

2. Friendship

ESTJs like to make friends with people who share the same respect for tradition and solid foundations. People with this type of personality seek close relationships with their friends but they often have difficulty accepting too different opinions or will continue to patiently follow their will while still listening to others – so it's likely that their close friends will mostly consist of other types of SJ.

ESTJs tend to become more open and enthusiastic friends. They will also be very loyal, although their family and principles will always be a top priority. Besides, they can act or even dominate, encouraging their friends to participate in various events and social activities. People with this type of personality usually enjoy sports and other physical activities, so they may want their friends to get involved.

ESTJs need to make conscious efforts to listen to others' arguments and try to understand their views before making any conclusions – they have a very strong opinion when it comes to principles and beliefs; thus, they are often stubborn and rigid. It would be nice to have at least a few friends who discuss from time to time – ESTJs should spend time with other friends who don't take their traditional approach to life.

Putting these disadvantages aside, people with ESTJ personality type are likely to be active, trustworthy, and witty friends. They may not be the soul of the collective, but others won't get bored when working with them as long as they share the same views.

3. Parenthood

The values ESTJ parents impart to their children revolve around hard work, tradition, and respect. ESTJs parents are quite disciplined and a guardian of family traditions. Often regarded as model citizens, they expect their children to take after that image and they must make their contributions to the family by maintaining the order of things and fulfilling their responsibilities.

This inflexibility of ESTJ parents can become a challenge as their children grow up during their teenage years. They expect their children to stick to the structures they have set to ensure their protection for their children. When such wishes are denied and no coordination takes place, ESTJ parents feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied.

ESTJ parents may face challenges as their children learn to balance their growing desire for independence with respect and adherence to the tasks that are required for them, but ESTJs have the obvious advantage of consistency and honesty that never ambiguous their expectations.

However, they don't have great hopes for their children's perfection – they simply want to see them grow into respected, strong-willed, independent, and responsible adults and knowing they have their parents behind them through thick and thin. ESTJ parents' children always know what they need to carry on the road, and most will acknowledge and appreciate the dedication and hard work their parents have brought for them.

4. Relationship with other personality groups

ESTJs are very practical and straightforward in communicating from orientation to how they act. They are always in control but are also very open to debate to reach an agreement and ensure that the work is done correctly and according to the process.

For ISTJ, ENTJ, ESTP groups: they have similar characteristics and many things in common so it is easy for ESTJs to share values, interests, and approaches with these groups.

For ISTP, INTJ, ESFP, ESFJ groups: they have some differences but these differences are attractive to ESTJs. They still have something in common to create a balance in their relationship with each other.

For INFJ, ISFJ, ENFJ, ENTP groups: at first, ESTJs may have some difficulty accessing and connecting with these personality groups. However, after interacting for a while, they will discover commonalities as well as other points of view that can complement each other.

For INFP, ENFP, ISFP, INTP groups: these personality groups are opposite and conflicting with ESTJs, but if it is possible to develop a relationship, this is an opportunity for ESTJs to learn and grow themselves, the challenges always come along with great opportunity.

VII. Career Paths and Development Areas of ESTJs

ESTJ has many options in their career path. They are versatile and resourceful because they always put their mind and energy into making everything great. They are most comfortable in leadership roles due to their natural tendency to be in charge. ESTJs are best suited for jobs that require order and structure to be established.

They are also excellent at organizing and managing people, projects, and operating processes. They want things to stay under control and make decisions about policies and procedures in their work environment. Therefore, ESTJs are suitable for the following career fields:

• Business, Sales, and Finance (Financial Advisor, Accounting, Business Management);
• Office, Administration, and Management;
• Architect, Technician, and Technical Engineer;
• Science and Life (Agricultural and Forestry Technician, Environmental Biologist)
• Agriculture and Forestry;
• Technical maintenance and Repair (Automobile Mechanic, Refrigeration Staff, Electronic);
• Transport;
• Manufacture;
• Entertainment and Sports;
• Community and Social Services (Health Education, Counselors, Social Workers);
• Health care (Nutritionist, Doctor, Nurse);
• Education (Teacher, Administrator, Librarian);
• Police, Bodyguard, Firefighter, and Military;
• Law and Institution (Court, Lawyer).

VIII. How ESTJs perform in the work and learning environment

With great effort and follow-up ability, ESTJs are always excellent and valuable students. They traditionally prefer a well-structured environment with explicit goals and deadlines. People who possess this personality are well-organized and to do this best, they need stability and predictability. They don't like any spontaneous change affecting their study plan, however, they will be persuaded if they understand why the changes are necessary and useful. 

As subordinates, ESTJ employees are always open to new methods that can be proven better, although sometimes they are not flexible with ideas that have not been fully developed yet. They can’t experiment much on their own – complying with stated responsibilities and completing tasks is their primary concern. They are also known for their loyalty and dedication, but in some ways, it depends on their respect. If ESTJ subordinates view their manager as illogical, dishonest, or cowardly in their methods, they can also honestly speak their opinion about it.

As colleagues, ESTJs love the hustle of well-organized workplaces. They have great networks of communication and connect with others to get things done. However, abusing this for promotion is unlikely and they will quickly lose respect for those who try to motivate by expressing or promoting bold but risky ideas, making relationships with inspirational colleagues a challenge.

As managers, ESTJs are infused with energy as they organize others into efficient groups. Although they are sometimes overbearing, even micro-managed, the strong will of ESTJs serves to protect groups and their principles against redirection and reductions. An ESTJ manager cannot tolerate laziness and poor work ethic under any circumstances.

They are the most amazing and reliable contributors. ESTJs with precise arrangement and judgment always complete their work with the highest standards. Naturally, they often rise to a leadership position that most of them love, ESTJ managers always take a straightforward approach and are geared towards objects rather than people. Although ESTJ managers may be hard to take sometimes, they are attentive to the small things and want their team to get their ideas.

IX. 10 Things you might not know about ESTJs

1. This is the fifth most popular personality group in the world and accounts for about 8-12% of the world's population. 

2. By gender, only 6% of ESTJs are women and 11% are men. 

3. From the early stages of their lives, they formed clear beliefs about how the world operates. Even as kids, ESTJs have the qualities that help them make good decisions.

4. Both these ESTJ men and women are results-focused and hate silence or standing still. They were looking for meaningful activities in the early stage of life, or in other words, they started working from a very young age.

5. ESTJs are very risk-averse.

6. ESTJs will pursue projects until they are completed.

7. ESTJs like to take the lead, so in their family, they are the one who directs their spouses and children.

8. ESTJs know how to use money even though they are a bit conservative.

9. ESTJs are more interested in finding solutions to conflicts than ignoring them.

10. ESTJs are very responsible for house chores.

X. ESTJ famous people

• Bernard Montgomery, the 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein;
• Henry Ford, an American industrialist and business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company;
• Condoleezza Rice, an American diplomat, political scientist, civil servant, and professor who served as the 66th United States Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009;
• John D. Rockefeller, an American business magnate and philanthropist;
• George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States;
• Billy Graham, an American evangelist, a prominent evangelical Christian figure;
• Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States;
• Margaret Thatcher, a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990;
• Joan Rivers, an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and television host.