PL 101: Understanding Your Gifts and Strengths from the MBTI (Discussion 2)
Please note: In order to successfully complete Course 1, you must respond to this post. Your comment/response should answer the questions/shows that you completed the given activity (if any). Read the post carefully and follow the instructions given. Save your responses to a document that you can later refer to. You will need to copy/paste your response in the course evaluation form at the end of each course to show that you have done the work and to refresh your memory.
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Hello Leadership Crew!
I have just gone through the introduction thread and read about all of you. If you havent yet introduced yourself, then please stop by and share a little about yourself so we can get to know you. Im encouraged by all the great people that have joined. This should be a fun and enriching program!
Let me first zoom back and talk more broadly about your career and how we can help. When you become a leader on 7 Cups, we want you to find the work fulfilling. Fulfilling work means that it is:
a) work you are good at;
b) work that is interesting to you; and
c) work that solves an important problem or meets an important goal (Thiel, 2015).
The sweet spot is that blue area in the middle below.
If you do work that you are good at, but not interested in, then you wont do a great job. If you do work that you are interested in, but not particularly good at, then it wont be great work. If you do work that you are good at and interested in, but it isnt helping to solve an important problem, then we wont be a good fit for you. We need alignment on all 3 things. We work very hard at the beginning of your work with us to match your inherent strengths and interests with needs we have so that we can work together to solve problems that we all care about.
You have strengths â things that you are just really good at when compared with others. Operating out of your strengths feels good, is personally fulfilling, and enables you to hit flow states. As a result, you are much more effective and productive. Operating out of weaknesses is a drain. If you have to do work that you are not good at, then you wont be as effective. Doubling down on your strengths enables you to level up much faster and it helps 7 Cups make much more progress. Â
The next step becomes helping you find ways to identify your strengths, gifts or natural talents. You can learn some of this through self-observation - what do you seem especially good at? Are there things that just come natural to you that are more challenging for others? My wife, for example, is really good at writing; it just comes natural to her. Im pretty good at public speaking, whereas others find it more challenging.
Another way is to ask people you trust. You can say: What do you think Im good at? Or: what do you think are my top 1-3 strengths? Things that stand out to you about me? Note: only ask people you trust because sometimes people can give you feedback in a harmful rather than helpful way especially if they are not trustworthy.
For the purposes of this course, we are going to use personality tests to help you identify your strengths. Some of these are better than others; they are more reliable and have more research behind them. Broadly, we are using them here to help you begin to map out your strengths and to help you find ways where you can naturally excel here on 7 Cups, in your personal life, and in whatever career your are in or choose further down the road.
To start:
Go to this site here and take the test: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Next, in the thread below, answer the following questions:
1. What is your personality type? Include your 4 letters please Â
2. What were the main things you learned about yourself?
3. What are your top 3 strengths or gifts according to this test? Please describe them.
Last, when people interact with one another, it makes the course more enriching and it allows us to learn more about one another. In addition to posting in the thread, please also be sure to respond in a helpful and positive way to at least 3 other comments in this thread.
You can also ask any questions in this thread and well respond to them as well.
Very excited to kick this off with all of you!
After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next post here! You must take part in the brainstorming/activities given in all of these posts to successfully complete the program.
This post is brought to you by the Leadership Development Program Team, find out more information about the program here.
I am a Mediator - INFP-T
I learned that I am slightly more introverted than extraverted and I've realised that what's gotten me through the worst times of my life was that I always try to see the good in everything. I believe that everything really does happen for a reason.
Top 3 strengths:
- Open-Minded and Flexible – A live-and-let-live attitude comes naturally to Mediators, and they dislike being constrained by rules. Mediators give the benefit of the doubt too, and so long as their principles and ideas are not being challenged, theyll support others right to do what they think is right.
- Idealistic – Mediators friends and loved ones will come to admire and depend on them for their optimism. Their unshaken belief that all people are inherently good, perhaps simply misunderstood, lends itself to an incredibly resilient attitude in the face of hardship.
- Passionate and Energetic – When something captures Mediators imagination and speaks to their beliefs, they go all in, dedicating their time, energy, thoughts and emotions to the project. Their shyness keeps them from the podium, but they are the first to lend a helping hand where its needed.
@KindMoment86
You are coool
@Petrichor2000 thank you :)
@KindMoment86 I am also a Mediator, INFP-T.
We looked at the MBTI in a class I took while working on becoming a marriage and family therapist (which I am still working on). When applied to counseling work (and to a large degree, I think, being a listener) it seems that I have some useful strengths.
Introverted: Helping the client explore a few issues in depth; reflecting on strategies, etc.; and using silence (this one is so useful!)
Intuitive: Seeing the overall picture; brainstorming; using hunches
Feeling: Being warm; being empathetic
Prospecting: Being spontaneous, being flexible
@KindMoment86
Same here <3
@GlenM I took this in May and I got ENFJ-A
My top 3 strengths (or the strengths I feel are most accurate to me) are:
1. Altruistic – Uniting these qualities is Protagonists unyielding desire to do good in and for their communities, be it in their own home or the global stage. Warm and selfless, Protagonists genuinely believe that if they can just bring people together, they can do a world of good.
2. Reliable – The one thing that galls Protagonists the most is the idea of letting down a person or cause they believe in. If its possible, Protagonists can always be counted on to see it through.
3. Charismatic – Charm and popularity are qualities Protagonists have in spades. They instinctively know how to capture an audience, and pick up on mood and motivation in ways that allow them to communicate with reason, emotion, passion, restraint – whatever the situation calls for. Talented imitators, Protagonists are able to shift their tone and manner to reflect the needs of the audience, while still maintaining their own voice.
@curvedmanager74
wow *~* these are really useful stregnths in day to day life ^^
@Listeningsarinn I agree! But #2 is definitely both a strength and a weakness
@curvedmanager74
yeah it can if you try so hard not letting people down it can over-burden yourself... but looking at it as a whole, i guess it's more good than bad ^^
@curvedmanager74 we got the same!
@curvedmanager74 Yay! Same type! Charisma is a great advantage and along with your other gifts can have a great result. Keep doing great in your path as a leader!
@GlenM
1. What is your personality type? Include your 4 letters please
ENFJ-A Assertive Protagonist
HAHA! Actually I didn't like this at all it took me far from my comfort zone and was too revealing to me!
2. What were the main things you learned about yourself?
Protagonists are natural-born leaders, full of passion and charisma. Forming around two percent of the population, they are oftentimes our politicians, our coaches and our teachers, reaching out and inspiring others to achieve and to do good in the world. With a natural confidence that begets influence, Protagonists take a great deal of pride and joy in guiding others to work together to improve themselves and their community.
That sounds pretty much how I feel.
3. What are your top 3 strengths or gifts according to this test? Please describe them.
I felt that these 3 strengths were ones I can see in myself:-
- Reliable – The one thing that galls Protagonists the most is the idea of letting down a person or cause they believe in. If its possible, Protagonists can always be counted on to see it through.
- Charismatic – Charm and popularity are qualities Protagonists have in spades. They instinctively know how to capture an audience, and pick up on mood and motivation in ways that allow them to communicate with reason, emotion, passion, restraint – whatever the situation calls for. Talented imitators, Protagonists are able to shift their tone and manner to reflect the needs of the audience, while still maintaining their own voice.
- Natural Leaders – More than seeking authority themselves, Protagonists often end up in leadership roles at the request of others, cheered on by the many admirers of their strong personality and positive vision.
Listening - One Step At A Time!
@MistyMagic
Being reliable is such an important trait for a leader. Good on you! Also LOL glad this program has pushed you out of your comfort zone more than once 😂❤️ You've got this!
Thank you all so far for participating. What an amazing amount of diversity, strength, and creativity we have here! I have an ask and I'm not sure if anyone can help, but it would be great to see a breakdown of all the types listed here so we could zoom out and see overall composition of the cohort (e.g., 20 ENFJs, 10 INFJs etc. and overall percentages 20% ENFJ, etc.). Anyone game or maybe a few folks game for helping out with this?
Also, as this is our first run at doing something like this I imagine we'll have new ideas that emerge. If anyone is interested in serving on a leadership development TA team, then ping me and I'll loop you in on this.
Delighted this is going so well! I'll share more soon, but wanted to post this sooner rather than later.
@GlenM
If I didn't miss anything and successfully removed the extra mentions of personality types this is the result:
Analysts:
INTP = 2 | 3.9%
Diplomats:
INFJ = 16 | 31.4%
INFP = 10 | 19.6%
ENFJ = 9 | 17.6%
ENFP = 3 | 5.9%
Sentinels:
ISFJ = 3 | 5.9%
ESFJ = 1 | 2.0%
Explorers:
ISFP = 2 | 3.9%
ESTP = 3 | 5.9%
ESFP = 2 3.9%
@Aleks2 That looks like it pretty much matches what I have.
| Listener | Type |
| IzzieBelle | ENFJ |
| Yourstruly2000 | ENFP |
| Mankka | ISFJ |
| RebekahRebel | ISFP |
| RumpleSteeleSkin | ISFP |
| AstronomySkies | INFJ |
| Aleks2 | INFJ |
| IvyL | INFP |
| Tyedyedbutterfly65 | ENFJ |
| relaxSea | INTP |
| Theeflash | INFJ |
| PigfaceMcGee513 | ENFP |
| Yougotmyback | ISFJ |
| CheeryMango | ISFJ |
| blissart | INFJ |
| JennMarie2 | INFJ |
| smilingsnapples | ESFP |
| LittleBirdie30 | ENFJ |
| SoulfullyAButterfly | INFJ |
| tessie855 | ISFP |
| CheerfulRose | INFJ |
| TheMetanoia | INFP |
| sunflower2480 | INFJ |
| sunshineEars619 | INFJ |
| Grace8402 | ENFJ |
| azuladragon34 | ESFJ |
| bookworm274 | INFJ |
| DonaldDraper | INTP* |
| ashlyntheordinary | INFP |
| lyricalAngel70 | INFJ |
| WonderfulRainbows2862 | INFP |
| shiningDay80 | ISFP |
| Robin7cups | INFJ |
| smolecho | ESFP |
| anonymouslistener23 | INFJ |
| MonicaQu | INFJ |
| WarriorPrincess16 | ENFJ |
| cocoakrispies121 | INTP |
| glisteningEyes | INFP |
| healingWhisper | INFP |
| MagicSky28202 | INFP |
| SushiSunshine | INFJ |
| Asherwolfice | INFJ |
| KindnessMatters2020 | ENFJ |
| LexIris | INFP |
| chloe678 | INFP |
| PeaceLoveandPaws | ENFJ |
| QuietMagic | INFJ |
| Listeningsarinn | ENFP |
| KindMoment86 | INFP |
| curvedmanager74 | ENFJ |
| MistyMagic | ENFJ |
[*Reported INTP/ENTP]
| Type | Count | % | Expected % | % Difference |
| INTJ | 0 | 0% | 1% | -1% |
| INTP | 3 | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| ENTJ | 0 | 0% | 3% | -3% |
| ENTP | 0 | 0% | 3% | -3% |
| INFJ | 17 | 33% | 1% | 32% |
| INFP | 10 | 19% | 4% | 15% |
| ENFJ | 9 | 17% | 2% | 15% |
| ENFP | 3 | 6% | 7% | -1% |
| ISTJ | 0 | 0% | 13% | -13% |
| ISFJ | 3 | 6% | 13% | -7% |
| ESTJ | 0 | 0% | 11% | -11% |
| ESFJ | 1 | 2% | 12% | -10% |
| ISTP | 0 | 0% | 5% | -5% |
| ISFP | 4 | 8% | 9% | -1% |
| ESTP | 0 | 0% | 4% | -4% |
| ESFP | 2 | 4% | 9% | -5% |
| Total | 52 |
[**Expected %'s based on 16personalities.com. %'s not available for ISFP/ESFP, so assumed they were roughly the same.]
@QuietMagic you are synced up! I had just asked Aleks to make that comparison 1 minute ago!
I think the other interesting to think about here is: what does this leadership team composition mean for our community. e.g., if 72% of us are diplomats, then what kind of strengths do we know we have and what areas should we attempt to bolster?
@QuietMagic
I triple checked just now, and I missed 2 extra on ISFP so that should be 4 in total. The INFJ should be 16. Otherwise it seems accurate
@QuietMagic
Awesome analysis!!
So grateful for it, as a future Data Scientist wannabee!
Okay, for any and all interested, if you look at the above results: what does it tell you about our leadership composition? What would be our collective strengths? Things we should really double down on? How would these superpowers help our community? OTOH, what would be our growth areas? Or areas that might be blind spots that we should be aware of to minimize making mistakes or missing important info?
@GlenM
1) Okay, for any and all interested, if you look at the above results: what does it tell you about our leadership composition?
Based on the comparison results, relative to the general population, we have a lot more Diplomats and a lot less of everything else, especially fewer Sentinels and Explorers.
- Analyst (NT): -4%
- Diplomat (NF): +61%
- Sentinel (SJ): -41%
- Explorer (SP): -15%
I'd expect this to mean that collectively, we'd be pretty good at the things that Diplomats tend to be good at, but there might be gaps in the things that Sentinels, Explorers, and Analysts tend to be good at.
2) What would be our collective strengths? Things we should really double down on? How would these superpowers help our community? OTOH, what would be our growth areas? Or areas that might be blind spots that we should be aware of to minimize making mistakes or missing important info?
Here are a couple articles I found on 16Personalities that might be relevant:
Overview of the Diplomat (NF) role
Description of leadership style for each of the four roles
Here are a few snippets from the 2nd article that provide a high-level summary:
The Analyst Leader: The logical Analyst leader will create and adapt systems with an improved organization or product in mind. Rationality is the guiding principle with such leaders. They tend toward a "matter-of-fact" approach and will have little patience for anything too sentimental or not firmly rooted in logic. As leaders, they often value inventiveness.
The Diplomat Leader: The visionary Diplomat leader will involve themselves with ideas and imaginings often linked to higher causes and values. While they may be active in their organizations, they will shine more for their ability to inspire and to share a larger vision. They look toward what the future can bring rather than the offerings of the past and present.
The Sentinel Leader: The responsible Sentinel leader will take care of business as an administrator who gets all the details right and handle things in a meticulous way. They are likely to honor the past and be strict about rules and protocols. These personality types work from a sense of responsibility for taking care of the greater good. Sentinels see their leadership role as protecting and preserving society, some slice of it or an established tradition.
The Explorer Leader: The agile Explorer leader is most likely to find quick solutions to any problems that arise and to take an organization in a new and exciting direction. They don't mind taking risks when they feel there's a decent chance the risks might pay off. They don't care about how others have done things in the past - only what the next big thing is. They are leaders oriented toward acting rather than planning and analyzing.
Here is my attempt at a condensed version of this:
- Analyst: creating and adapting systems, applying logic and inventiveness
- Diplomat: connecting to higher causes and values, imagining future possibilities
- Sentinel: handling details in a meticulous way, protecting established traditions
- Explorer: moving in an exciting direction by taking risks, taking decisive action
Based on all of the above, here are some possible implications for a leadership cohort that is composed mostly of Diplomats -- emphasizing strengths, consistent with the initial post. 
- Leadership strengths
- Altruism/motivation: Having a deep passion for helping people that drives all we do and creates a feeling of purpose and meaning
- Idealism: Having inspiring dreams and visions of just how unbelievably powerful and beneficial this site can be: imagining all of the good we might be able to create, all of the suffering we might be able to help heal
- Kindness: Being able to create a kind, cooperative, culture that is gentle and considerate with people's feelings
- Compassion: Being able to understand, connect with, and feel an urgency to resolve the needs, concerns, or problems of the people that we serve
- Relationship: Feeling a yearning for deep, meaningful connections with others, creating a community where people are able to be authentic and feel a sense of belongingness
- Leadership weaknesses
- Practical implementation: Developing and optimizing systems, managing the fine details for concretely achieving our broad goals
- Risk-taking: Being willing to take risks or make drastic changes to existing systems/practices where needed
I'm an ISFJ. I'm reliable, observant, and loyal as my 3 traits. I often try to be there for people, i am strongly loyal to friends, and I observe more than I get involved. I learned that we can be too altruistic, which is definitely true for me.
@EvelyneRose
Hi, those are some good qualities to have.
I find myself reliant, observant and loyal too. 
@positivePumpkin22
awesome!
@GlenM
Such an awesome idea!
1. What is your personality type? Include your 4 letters please
Mine is INFP-T
2. What were the main things you learned about yourself?
I learned that I am type of the person who is passionate and driven to do the things I am interested in but I may ending up burning myself if I take it too hard on myself. I am also a person who loves listening to others and have a elaborate world built in my head.
3. What are your top 3 strengths or gifts according to this test? Please describe them.
According to the test,
Idealistic – Mediators friends and loved ones will come to admire and depend on them for their optimism. Their unshaken belief that all people are inherently good, perhaps simply misunderstood, lends itself to an incredibly resilient attitude in the face of hardship.
Seek and Value Harmony – People with the Mediator personality type have no interest in having power over others, and dont much care for domineering attitudes at all. They prefer a more democratic approach, and work hard to ensure that every voice and perspective is heard.
Open-Minded and Flexible – A live-and-let-live attitude comes naturally to Mediators, and they dislike being constrained by rules. Mediators give the benefit of the doubt too, and so long as their principles and ideas are not being challenged, theyll support others right to do what they think is right.
@River
Mine is Infj
We r sooo similar
@Petrichor2000
We are!!!
@River
Hi River!!
woww!! we have soo much in common, I am an ENFP-T
I like how you have put effort into doing this.
idealism, seeking and valuing harmony, open minded and flexible are some great qualities to posses!!
@River These are some pretty impressive gifts! I'm sure you'll do great as a leader if you're determined to succeed. Good Luck!
What is your personality type? Include your 4 letters please
INFJ- T
Advocate
2. What were the main things you learned about yourself?
I dislike sharing stuffs about myself and dislike asking for help which is bad.
3. What are your top 3 strengths or gifts according to this test? Please describe them.
I got passion and conviction for things.
I got a way with peoples
I believe in the power of love.
@Petrichor2000
We are both INFJ-T's :) hopefully the description for INFJ-T is as accurate for you as it was for me
@SociologicalNate
It's accurate for me too my friend.
@Petrichor2000
Those are very admirable qualities especially that you believe in the power of love. We are very similar. Although I recieved INTJ-A.
As soon as I saw a thread about MBTI, I knew I had to hop on the bandwagon and share my own type and experiences. Anyways, let's get right into it.
1. What is your personality type? Include your 4 letters please
I'm an INFJ. And just to be extra, I will include my enneagram as well, 6w5.
2. What were the main things you learned about yourself?
I learned the ways in which I will function in my daily life. I already knew that I was a complete introvert. My next letter was N, for iNtuition. This shows how I tend to be more future oriented rather than focusing on the present. This also showed me how instinctive I am and how I am able to use a "sixth sense" to identify certain situations. Something else I learned was my ability to sympathize with people while still being logical. I tend to listen to both my heart and my head, but my gut feeling takes the cake for being more dominant. As I've aged, I've started to use my head more often than my heart to make decisions, though. The last thing I learned about myself is that I like to do things according to a set plan rather than leaving my schedule to be flexible. That way, I can have a rough idea of what my day would consist of.
3. What are your top 3 strengths or gifts according to this test? Please describe them.
According to 16Personalities (which isn't 100% accurate but will work for now), my top three strengths are:
-Creativite
Having a vivid imagination along with strong compassion, which makes us able to find effective solutions to the challenges we face.
-Insightful
Our ability to see through dishonesty and manipulation makes it so we can get to the bottom of certain situations and be honest with those around us. Having insight also causes us to make connections between certain things.
-Inspiring and convincing
This gives us the ability to connect to those around us, being able to connect with other people's inner selves. Our inspiring nature also comes with passion for the things we stand for.
So yeah, this is basically a summary of my type and the things I've learned from it. I've become very invested in this topic and want to know the types of those around me, and I won't rest until I know.
@invaderfelix
How's your research into other people's personalities going? :p
1. What is your personality type? Include your 4 letters please
I'm a Mediator (INFP).
2. What were the main things you learned about yourself?
I'm an idealist and an altruist that's why I tend to search for good in everything or look for ways to make things better. Not to mention, I'm passionate in everything I do and have an inner flame that truly shines which I think it's very suitable to volunteerism.
3. What are your top 3 strengths or gifts according to this test? Please describe them.
Idealistic – Mediators friends and loved ones will come to admire and depend on them for their optimism. Their unshaken belief that all people are inherently good, perhaps simply misunderstood, lends itself to an incredibly resilient attitude in the face of hardship.
Seek and Value Harmony – People with the Mediator personality type have no interest in having power over others, and dont much care for domineering attitudes at all. They prefer a more democratic approach, and work hard to ensure that every voice and perspective is heard.
Open-Minded and Flexible – A live-and-let-live attitude comes naturally to Mediators, and they dislike being constrained by rules. Mediators give the benefit of the doubt too, and so long as their principles and ideas are not being challenged, theyll support others right to do what they think is right.
@Erato, I appreciate your personality qualities