INTJ Personality - Traits of INTJ Personality

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a universal personality test developed in the early 20th-century by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers.

Built on Carl Gustav Jung’s research in Psychological Types, the MBTI personality test draws on the theories of extraversion and introversion. With 16 personality types or traits, the MBTI is an effective way to understand who you are, your strengths, weaknesses, abilities and affinities. Whether you enjoy the company of others, what makes you thrive or the type of people you get along with.

Of the 16 personality types, one is the INTJ or the ‘architect’. Let’s decode the MBTI test and understand the architect personality type.

What Makes The MBTI Test?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a theory that explains 16 personality types defined by four-letter abbreviations.

These are:

Introversion (I)

Extraversion (E)

Intuition (N)

Feeling (F)

Perception or Prospecting (P)

Judgment (J)

Sensing or Observant (S)
Thinking (T)

Each personality type is built on four aspects. The INTJ personality is introverted, intuitive, thinking and judging. The 16 personality types can be categorized into four dichotomies:

Analysts

Analysts are analytical, thinking (T) and intuitive (N) personalities known for their cognitive and rational abilities. These personalities are sensible and impartial. The four personality types under this dichotomy are the Architect (INTJ personality), Logician, Commander and Debater.

Diplomats

The Diplomats are intuitive (N) and feeling (F). They’re understood by their empathetic personality, diplomacy and dedicated passions. The four personality types under this dichotomy are the Advocate, Mediator, Protagonist and the Campaigner.

Sentinels

Sentinels are observant (S), hands-on and judging (J), understood by their steadiness and attention to security. They’re good managers of both things and people. The four personality types under this dichotomy are the Logistician, Defender, Executive and Consul.

Explorers

Explorers are sensing (S), perceptive (P) and adventurous. They’re known for being spontaneous and prospecting. The four personality types under this dichotomy are the Virtuoso, Adventurer, Entrepreneur and Entertainer.

All the personalities can be grouped under these four dichotomies, each showcasing very specific attributes and traits. If you take a test, you can find your personality type as well. Let’s deconstruct the ‘Architect’ and the meaning of INTJ to see whether you can identify with the INTJ personality traits.

What Is The INTJ or Architect Personality Type?

Based on the building blocks of the MBTI test, the meaning of INTJ is an introverted, intuitive, thinking and judging personality. The architect is someone who’s an imaginative, creative thinker with a well thought out plan for most things. The INTJ is one of the rarest personality types, known for their capacity for greatness.

They like to analyze, decode and plan things to stay on top of them. INTJ believe in the maxim that hard work always pays off. In their race to get to the top, they always strive to deliver their best, dismissing mediocrity. They’re also lifelong learners who like to master every skill and arena. An INTJ in your life may be the person who commands the room with their wit. Or, it could be someone whose only competition is themselves.

They rarely ever get distracted from their goals, priming their go-getter and proactive attitude toward most things in life. Independent contributors and freelancers may display similar traits to an INTJ as they like to work alone, pursuing their own ideas without the burden of others’ expectations.

It’s hard to put a pin on the exact qualities of an INTJ. If they’re decisive, they’re also imaginative. The dichotomies of the INTJ make it one of the most uncommon personality types. They’re analytical in the sense that they think about each action multiple times, weighing its pros and cons before making their move. They’re also good at overcoming setbacks and challenges.

Here are some strengths and weaknesses of an INTJ personality.

Strengths

Independent Thinkers

As personalities who shy away from mediocrity and whatever leads to an average lifestyle, architects like to work alone. They trust only in their abilities to do the best and deliver optimal results. This personality type also doesn’t like to conform to rules and regulations because they hold them back from executing their creative ideas.

Versatile Passions

Architects are curious and thus, enjoy many things. They’re versatile when it comes to hobbies and passions. They enjoy a challenge more than anything else. Rather than sticking to one path, architects prefer mastering several areas of interest. They’re not bound by a single point of view or tunnel vision. Most INTJ personalities like to do different, uncommon things to spend their time.

Goal-Oriented

If there’s one personality type that’s focused and ambitious, it’s the INTJ personality. The INTJ is goal-oriented, moving steadily toward their destination and leaving no stone unturned. If they have an idea to do or achieve something, they don’t let anything stand in their way. Seldom muddled or sidetracked by distractions, they go straight to the source and build themselves from the ground up.

Weaknesses

Missed Emotional Context

In their desire to achieve greatness, architects often overlook the emotions and feelings of others. They may just think that people who are too emotional will slow them down. They can be quite dismissive of others, disregarding their points of view or discomfort with some of their decisions. This can even affect their judgment as they refuse to see other perspectives on things.

Too Critical

Given their intuitive nature, architects are overly critical about things. In their perfectionism, they may spend too much time analyzing whether things are going exactly the way they envisioned. This can lead to a waste of both time and effort. Also, when people are involved, architects may offend others who don’t match their level of attention to detail.

Prone To Conflict

Architects aren’t good at following orders or working under authority. They like to chart their own path, which can lead to conflict in professional situations. When there are rules and restrictions, they can be combative and get stuck barreling through any barriers. Working with others isn’t something an INTJ personality does well.

These INTJ personality traits are based on the theoretical lens of the MBTI test. This doesn’t mean they’re exhaustive or set in stone. As with everything else, the MBTI has its own set of shortcomings. One of these is that sometimes the same person may get different test results. This tells us that it’s not easy to categorize people.

Identifying The INTJ In The Workplace

The meaning of INTJ is someone who’s independent, creative and proactive. In a professional setting, this means they’re usually not good with authority. Rather they enjoy working independently or with limited collaboration. (fnbc.us)

Here are some qualities of the INTJ personality in the workplace:

Standup Independent Workers

Trustworthy independent workers, INTJs are most hardworking as freelancers or contributors. They don’t pander to authority in any way. Instead, they do their best work when left to their own devices. If they don’t respect a manager, they can be vocal and explicit with their feedback, which may not work well for an employee. But this can in turn challenge them to become better at working well with difficult leaders.

Not Good With Taking Orders

INTJs aren’t good at taking orders or following commands. They enjoy working alone because they trust in their abilities to do a good job. If their managers micromanage, they don’t take it too well. This may even hamper their ability to perform well. If they find themselves restricted in spreading their wings, they may not be able to restrain themselves from being vocal about their opinions.

Friendly And Approachable Leaders

As leaders, architects are effective, friendly and supportive. They treat their employees, regardless of position, as equals. They don’t micromanage and have simple rules for the work to be at par with their expectations. They thrive in flat structures where decision-making is equally distributed. They’re also good at filling in the gaps to improve on their employees’ work.

Require Streamlined Communication

The INTJ personality likes to communicate effectively to make sure things are getting done on time. They don’t appreciate people who choose false appreciation and flattery to cover up their errors. They like employees who are like them—proactive and on top of things. As long as architects know what’s going on, they’re good.

Enjoy Limited Collaboration

As independent workers, architects like to collaborate only when absolutely necessary. They can be helpful in brainstorming sessions—with creative and great ideas. If done in moderation, they may even enjoy collaboration to a certain extent.

The architect personality type is strong willed, ambitious and confident. They have strengths and weaknesses, like every other personality type. If you were able to recognize some of these traits, you can take a test and try it out for yourself! Thinking about things is something architects do well. They’re decisive and don’t jump to conclusions. These are some of the most helpful qualities in the workplace.

Thinking Critically For Success

Harappa’s Thinking Critically course will teach you why you need to analyze data and information before making decisions. Like an INTJ personality, thinking things through saves you the time and effort you would spend in correcting your mistakes. Enroll today and get started!

Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as ENFP Personality, ISTP Personality, ENFJ Personality and INFP Personality to upgrade your knowledge and skills.

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