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{<b><p16>ENTJ:  Life's Natural Leaders<n><p12> }
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{The ENTJ has been called "life's natural leaders," and that's not by accident. The special combination of preferences gives this type the right mixture of basic leadership qualities: enthusiasm, vision, objectivity, and accountability. So natural are these qualities that it is almost difficult for an ENTJ <I>not<N> to step in and take charge. And they do it with such finesse that others tend to appreciate it and begin to depend upon them in any variety of situations. More often than not, the ENTJ is pleased to respond with facility and competence. 

Their outer-directed, people-oriented energy (Extraversion) gives them a basic social alertness. They prefer to translate that alertness into possibilities, meanings, and connections (iNtuition) as they deal with their perceptions of events. Those perceptions are then dealt with objectively (Thinking), helping to create a vision, a strategy, or a complex system that will move the organization toward its goal. Their need for closure, structure, and accountability (Judging) makes sure that these visions, strategies, and systems are not left on the drawing board or lost to some abstract inspiration. With ENTJs, they are more likely to become finished products. As a result, it's an onward-and-upward, over-and-over-again kind of existence for all within the ENTJ's sphere of influence. 

While all of the aforementioned qualities are indeed marks of a good leader, and while they are universally appreciated and respected, they are most commonly attributed to males. Thus, the ENTJ female has a particularly rough course in life, if she has any savvy and gumption. Most of the words used to describe leadership can, with no effort, be interpreted as pushy and overbearing when referring to females. Consider: <I>take charge, commanding, objective, confrontive, gregarious.<N> These are just a few of the descriptors that can be lauded for men, but for which women can be scorned. The combination of Extraversion, iNtuition, Thinking, and Judging offers all the same behaviors in females as it does in males -- strategies, visions, big-picture thinking, and impatience with those who see things differently. But an ENTJ woman is in a special bind. If she gives in to her enthusiasms of the moment, she can become downright intimidating to those present. On the other hand, if she denies these impulses to take charge, she can become impatient and irritable in relegating herself as a quiet, supportive bystander. ENTJ women can overcome this seemingly lose/lose proposition by staying objective in a difficult situation and recognizing that though things may seem personal, that is probably not the case.  They can also thrive by balancing their natural femininity with their natural leadership skills, recognizing that it's okay to exhibit both characteristics in the workplace and that these are in fact synergistic; and by recognizing that many of the problems they encounter are common to all ENTJs, regardless of gender. While these may not be panaceas for all ENTJ problems, they are good starting points. 

As Extraverted-Judgers, ENTJs are robust, direct, and hearty strategists. Quickly and keenly ENTJs can see possibilities in almost everything and can act upon those possibilities instantly. They share their directions and opinions quite freely and easily, assuming that anyone who disagrees does so fully ready to engage in meaningful, albeit somewhat confrontative and direct, dialogue. For ENTJs that's how growth happens and mountains are moved. Because the ENTJ is something of a political animal, the communication process is one in which differing points of view are placed squarely on the table and opposing forces go head to head until a resolution is reached. This is a very exciting process to ENTJs. They see daily life as a kind of chessboard, upon which people, things, and entities are moved, removed, altered, and engaged -- constantly for the organizational good. 

Such objective, removed behavior allows ENTJs to become highly involved in many things and at the same time never really become personally invested in any of them. They can argue -- they call it "discuss" -- any subject with zeal and not be personally hurt by what's said, annoyed even that someone else may have become bruised in the process. ENTJs are often accused of sounding angry, a reflection of the enthusiasm and directness with which they freely express their opinions, all in the spirit of a healthy exchange. But the ENTJ may be neither angry nor uncaring, and may find an accusation surprising and infuriating. Similarly they can become deeply involved in another's personal trauma yet let it have almost no impact on themselves, a trait not always appreciated by others. An ENTJ might listen to another's tale of woe with genuine empathy, then moments later say something totally unrelated and seemingly uncaring; it's not that the ENTJ doesn't care, it's just that having gotten the problem out and "solved," it is time to move on. 

The strengths of the ENTJ include their penchant for handling complexities. While they may go overboard and make even simple things complicated, their uncanny ability to arrange people and things in configurations that motivate and inspire is a rare and unique trait. ENTJs understand that success is measured in terms of what is accomplished, not in terms of how much one is liked by others. As a result they readily accept the hard reality that they may make enemies in making decisions for the good of the organization; like all TJs they would rather be right than liked.

Another strength of ENTJs is their ability to balance a vision of the future with an ability to take risks. Because they are structure oriented, they make better intrapreneurs (working innovatively within an organization) than entrepreneurs (working on one's own). In any case, their risk-taking is buffered by their need to produce bottom-line results. Unlike their ENTP cousins, who are prone to take more extreme risks - with bigger wins and bigger losses -- ENTJs' risks, and rewards, are more moderate. This makes for an acceptable level of instability for the conservative corporate culture of most larger companies. 

For the ENTJ all of life is learning, so one is forever a student. Any event that will increase one's mental capabilities -- even something as mundane as a freewheeling office discussion -- should never be taken lightly and must include intense involvement. Even when the event is over, the ENTJ will likely revisit it, restating what was learned, conceptualizing it, integrating it into the system -- in short, beating it to death, at least in others' minds. 

ENTJs pride themselves on their independence, and it is a legacy they would give to their subordinates. They want staff to be independent and freethinking and to disdain the "yes man" mentality. It is better to have challenged and lost than never to have challenged at all. The problem is that not everyone wants to be independent and freethinking; some simply want to be told what to do. This frustrates ENTJs to no end. For those who meet the challenge, ENTJs can become quite impatient and intimidating. This dynamic carries on day in and day out, even to those who meet the challenge. Those working with or for an ENTJ inevitably tire of this stress and wonder if there's anything they can do right in the ENTJ's eyes. 

ENTJs' biggest drawbacks are their arrogance, their impatience, and their insensitivity. Their objectivity and love for the abstract provides them with a healthy amount of intellectual competence; they usually do well in academic pursuits. But they tend to look down upon those who don't learn or make connections as readily as they do. Because they are Extraverted-Judgers, they are not shy about informing others of their opinions of them. Such arrogance is demeaning to underlings and can cut into morale and productivity. 

Similarly, because they have quick minds and readily see what needs to be done to move an organization or system toward progress, they can become abrasive when others aren't equally perceptive. They often have a short fuse for those who want to delay action in favor of more careful review of a proposed plan. Their special combination of preferences often provides them with a good working plan of action. They are often right, and they know it. They view the process of getting others on board as a waste of precious time. 

Another waste of time, in the ENTJ's mind, is having to beat around the bush in communicating with others. Their motto: Say what needs to be said and let the chips fall where they may. Clearly such directness, combined with their arrogance and impatience, can at best bruise egos, at worst cause insurrection. Moreover, having placed themselves as the vocal arbiters of just about everything, they leave little room for their own shortcomings. When they do make mistakes, they tend to admit them with the same directness and arrogance with which they criticize others. Still, the rest of the organization takes great joy in seeing that this paragon of competence is only human. 

In short, ENTJs are natural architects, and this in fact is one of the careers in which they abound. But they are not limited to designing buildings. They are equally capable in careers that allow them to design institutions, programs, even people's lives. They make excellent teachers, CEOs, and strategists, whether military or in government. Their inquisitiveness makes them natural scientists, lawyers, and journalists.

ENTJ

<b>Workplace Contribution:<n>
Intellectually inspires and challenges everyone through hard charging arguments and action to experience a vision and to move toward its fulfillment with dispatch

<b>Pathway to Professional Growth:<n>
Must learn to allow time for others to develop at their own pace and commitment

<b>Leadership Qualities:<n>
Is task-driven and demanding with a motivational spin for everyone to get on board and move toward achieving the goal

<b>Team Spirit:<n>
Teams can be good and do provide opportunities for more involvement as long as the task is completed and the group's process does not slow or water down the vision}