On one of the WA groups of HRs, the Administrator of the group, Mr Rajaram Thorve, has raised the following topic for discussion:
Q. 1 What types of personalities should one have in one's professional or business life?
Reply: First and foremost, the question merits revision. "Personality" is a noun, and "personalities" is its plural. However, this plural form is restricted to the English language only. Since in this group, discussions happen on business-related issues, from a business point of view, we have to consider the singular form. A person has many qualities or competencies but not personalities. The definition of personality is the complex of all the attributes—behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental—that characterize a unique individual.
The Myers-Briggs Personality Test is generally based on the personality indicator developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Their development of the test occurred in the 1940s and was built upon psychological research performed by Carl Jung in the 1920s. The type test is based on a series of questions that gather information on how a person usually responds or relates to various situations.
Personality Types
Tests that draw on the method by Briggs and Myers sort people into 16 different types, which are organized by four pairs of opposite traits. These pairs are:
- Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) and Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) and Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) and Perceiving (P)
One of each pair is combined to create a 4-letter abbreviation for each personality type, such as:
- ESFP: extraversion (E), sensing (S), feeling (F), perception (P)
- INTJ: introversion (I), intuition (N), thinking (T), judgment (J)
There are a total of 16 types of personality types (and not personalities as such). A person can be born with any type and does not have control over the type as it depends on heredity, parental grooming, social structure, and the nation's culture. This is so because an Indian introvert type might be extrovert in Japan or China!
Q. 2 Are these personalities a part of legacy or can they be developed?
Reply: Part of the personality is developed because of the molecular structure of the genes a person has. Each person inherits these genes. Along with genes, the social order, societal ethos, and parental grooming also matter. Just recently in the news was the Cave Rescue Mission in Thailand. Boys of the football team, trapped in the cave, showed remarkable fortitude. Rather than giving up hope, they meditated and kept their hope and spirit alive. However, it later emerged that the boys came from an underprivileged class. The very status of being underprivileged came in handy because they had resilience in them to fight adversity. Rich parents or over-protective parents from well-to-do families may not be able to develop the same resilience and fortitude in their children.
In the business context, a lot of leadership programs are conducted. The objective of these programs is to develop personality. However, do these programs convert their ordinary employees into leaders? This is a moot point. Just take the example of a company no less than Infosys. Though they developed their own Leadership Development Institute long ago, they could not develop a single leader who could become CEO. Founders of the company became CEO in rotation. Once everyone's turn was over, they had to bring in an outsider.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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8075Q. 1 What types of personalities should one have in one's professional or business life?
Reply: First and foremost, the question merits revision. "Personality" is a noun, and "personalities" is its plural. However, this plural form is restricted to the English language only. Since in this group, discussions happen on business-related issues, from a business point of view, we have to consider the singular form. A person has many qualities or competencies but not personalities. The definition of personality is the complex of all the attributes—behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental—that characterize a unique individual.
The Myers-Briggs Personality Test is generally based on the personality indicator developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Their development of the test occurred in the 1940s and was built upon psychological research performed by Carl Jung in the 1920s. The type test is based on a series of questions that gather information on how a person usually responds or relates to various situations.
Personality Types
Tests that draw on the method by Briggs and Myers sort people into 16 different types, which are organized by four pairs of opposite traits. These pairs are:
- Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) and Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) and Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) and Perceiving (P)
One of each pair is combined to create a 4-letter abbreviation for each personality type, such as:
- ESFP: extraversion (E), sensing (S), feeling (F), perception (P)
- INTJ: introversion (I), intuition (N), thinking (T), judgment (J)
There are a total of 16 types of personality types (and not personalities as such). A person can be born with any type and does not have control over the type as it depends on heredity, parental grooming, social structure, and the nation's culture. This is so because an Indian introvert type might be extrovert in Japan or China!
Q. 2 Are these personalities a part of legacy or can they be developed?
Reply: Part of the personality is developed because of the molecular structure of the genes a person has. Each person inherits these genes. Along with genes, the social order, societal ethos, and parental grooming also matter. Just recently in the news was the Cave Rescue Mission in Thailand. Boys of the football team, trapped in the cave, showed remarkable fortitude. Rather than giving up hope, they meditated and kept their hope and spirit alive. However, it later emerged that the boys came from an underprivileged class. The very status of being underprivileged came in handy because they had resilience in them to fight adversity. Rich parents or over-protective parents from well-to-do families may not be able to develop the same resilience and fortitude in their children.
In the business context, a lot of leadership programs are conducted. The objective of these programs is to develop personality. However, do these programs convert their ordinary employees into leaders? This is a moot point. Just take the example of a company no less than Infosys. Though they developed their own Leadership Development Institute long ago, they could not develop a single leader who could become CEO. Founders of the company became CEO in rotation. Once everyone's turn was over, they had to bring in an outsider.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Acknowledge(1)Amend(0)
Dear Mr. Rajaram Thorve,
Your questions are very interesting; let's dive into them.
1. Your first question is about the types of personalities one should have in professional or business life. Let's clarify that a person has one personality, composed of various traits. The Myers-Briggs personality test is one tool that categorizes people into 16 types based on four pairs of opposite traits:
- Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) and Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) and Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) and Perceiving (P)
Each personality type is a combination of one trait from each pair, such as ESFP or INTJ.
🤝 In a professional or business context, there is no one-size-fits-all personality type. Different roles may require different personality traits. For instance, a salesperson may benefit from being extraverted, while a data analyst might excel with a more introverted, detail-oriented personality.
2. On to your second question: are personalities a part of legacy or can be developed?
🤝 The answer is both. Part of our personality is indeed inherited through our genes. However, our personality is also shaped by our environment, including our upbringing, cultural background, and experiences. For example, individuals from underprivileged backgrounds may develop resilience as a result of their experiences.
In a business context, many leadership programs aim to develop certain personality traits. However, it's important to note that these programs can't completely transform someone's inherent personality. Instead, they can help individuals develop and strengthen certain traits to become more effective leaders.
Remember, diversity in personality types can be an asset to a company. Different perspectives and approaches can lead to more innovative and comprehensive solutions.
I hope this clarifies your queries.
Dinesh Divekar
Location: Bangalore, India
From India, Gurugram
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Your questions are very interesting; let's dive into them.
1. Your first question is about the types of personalities one should have in professional or business life. Let's clarify that a person has one personality, composed of various traits. The Myers-Briggs personality test is one tool that categorizes people into 16 types based on four pairs of opposite traits:
- Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) and Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) and Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) and Perceiving (P)
Each personality type is a combination of one trait from each pair, such as ESFP or INTJ.
🤝 In a professional or business context, there is no one-size-fits-all personality type. Different roles may require different personality traits. For instance, a salesperson may benefit from being extraverted, while a data analyst might excel with a more introverted, detail-oriented personality.
2. On to your second question: are personalities a part of legacy or can be developed?
🤝 The answer is both. Part of our personality is indeed inherited through our genes. However, our personality is also shaped by our environment, including our upbringing, cultural background, and experiences. For example, individuals from underprivileged backgrounds may develop resilience as a result of their experiences.
In a business context, many leadership programs aim to develop certain personality traits. However, it's important to note that these programs can't completely transform someone's inherent personality. Instead, they can help individuals develop and strengthen certain traits to become more effective leaders.
Remember, diversity in personality types can be an asset to a company. Different perspectives and approaches can lead to more innovative and comprehensive solutions.
I hope this clarifies your queries.
Dinesh Divekar
Location: Bangalore, India
From India, Gurugram
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