Myers-Briggs: ENFP - "The Campaigner"
"It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for – and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool – for love – for your dreams – for the adventure of being alive."
-- Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Strengths
Curious - When it comes to new ideas, Campaigners aren’t interested in brooding – they want to go out and experience things, and don’t hesitate to step out of their comfort zones to do so.
Energetic & Enthusiastic - As they observe, forming new connections and ideas, they’re excited about their findings, and share them with anyone who’ll listen. This infectious enthusiasm has the dual benefit of giving Campaigners a chance to make more social connections.
Observant - Campaigners believe that there are no irrelevant actions, that every shift in sentiment, every move and every idea is part of something bigger.
Excellent Communication Skills - Campaigners enjoy both small talk and deep, meaningful conversations, which are just two sides of the same coin for them, and are adept at steering conversations towards their desired subjects in ways that feel completely natural and unforced.
Popular & Friendly - All this adaptability and spontaneity comes together to form a person who is approachable, interesting and exciting, with a cooperative and altruistic spirit and friendly, empathetic disposition.
ENFP Career Paths
Where Campaigners do not shine is in systems of strict regimentation and hierarchy, such as military service. Campaigners thrive on the ability to question the status quo and explore the alternatives, and if this is a quality that is not just unappreciated but actually frowned upon, this will not only make them unhappy, but it may even threaten their emotional stability. Repetition, predictability, boredom… while some Sentinel types may appreciate predictability and clear hierarchies, these are not selling points for Campaigners. People with the Campaigner personality type need to feel like they’re pushing boundaries and exploring ideas, and should focus on interests and careers that encourage that.
Many more career options satisfy these needs, and not just the scientific ones – writing, journalism, acting and TV reporting all give Campaigners a chance to explore something new every day and stir the pot a little while they’re at it. It may come to pass though, that the best way forward for Campaigner personalities is to establish themselves as entrepreneurs and consultants, blazing their own trails and taking on whatever project is most fascinating. So long as they get to use their people skills, identify and achieve their own goals and inspire their colleagues and followers, Campaigners will be happy.
Weaknesses
Poor Practical Skills - When it comes to conceiving ideas and starting projects, especially involving other people, Campaigners have exceptional talent. Unfortunately their skill with upkeep, administration, and follow-through on those projects struggles. Without more hands-on people to help push day-to-day things along, Campaigners’ ideas are likely to remain just that – ideas.
Find it Difficult to Focus - Campaigners are natural explorers of interpersonal connections and philosophy, but this backfires when what needs to be done is that TPS report sitting right in front of them. It’s hard for Campaigners to maintain interest as tasks drift towards routine, administrative matters, and away from broader concepts.
Tendency to Overthink Things - Campaigners don’t take things at face value – they look for underlying motives in even the simplest things. It’s not uncommon for Campaigners to lose a bit of sleep asking themselves why someone did what they did, what it might mean, and what to do about it.
Independent to a Fault - Campaigners loathe being micromanaged and restrained by heavy-handed rules – they want to be seen as highly independent masters of their own fates, even possessors of an altruistic wisdom that goes beyond draconian law. The challenge for Campaigners is that they live in a world of checks and balances, a pill they are not happy to swallow.
ENFPs at Work
Campaigner Colleagues
Campaigners are people-people, and as far as the workplace is concerned, this quality shows through
best among colleagues. More than just coworkers, Campaigners view their colleagues as friends, people who they take a genuine interest in, providing support and cheer when they’re down or stressed. People with the Campaigner personality type are warm and optimistic, always searching for and usually finding win-win situations for everyone.
Brainstorms among equals are Campaigners’ forte, and they listen to different viewpoints and suggestions not just with tolerance, but genuine excitement. Their ability to relax and have fun will always make them popular around the water cooler, but what sets Campaigners apart is that they can transition that popularity into natural leadership, instinctively picking up on colleagues’ motivations and pulling their teams together, pushing them forward towards whatever truth they’ve been tasked to find.
Campaigner Subordinates
Campaigners are growth-oriented, and as subordinates they’ll impress their managers with their creativity and adaptability. People with the Campaigner personality type are excellent listeners, able to analyze and understand others’ perspectives effortlessly. It’s perhaps this quality that most makes Campaigners intolerant of micromanagement – the way they see it, they understand what’s been asked of them, and all they require is the freedom to accomplish their task. If this need isn’t met, managers may find a quickly stressed Campaigner subordinate.
To a certain extent though, some direct management is often necessary, as Campaigners are notorious for letting their attention slip from one project to the next before they’ve dotted their I’s and crossed their T’s. Campaigners love exploring new ideas and learning new things, and once something becomes familiar, its allure starts to fade. But, if managers are able to maintain a spirit of guidance and camaraderie instead of "bossiness", they will find loyal and devoted contributors in their Campaigner subordinates.
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Campaigner Managers
Campaigners are not great fans of heavy hierarchy and bureaucracy, and this is most evident when they take on the role of manager. As managers, Campaigner personalities behave much like they do as colleagues – they establish real friendships, and use their broad popularity to inspire and motivate, taking on the role of leader, working alongside their subordinates, rather than shouting from behind their desks. Campaigners will tend to believe in the concept of intrinsic motivation, the idea that things are worth doing for their own sake, not because of some convoluted system of punishments and rewards.
Unfortunately, challenges arise when faced with subordinates who actually prefer to be closely directed, with clearly defined objectives and timetables, people who are just doing their jobs. Campaigners prefer to meet dissent with an open ear, and to use their excellent capacity for sensing mood and morale to preempt such an act to begin with. However, sometimes the carrot and the stick are necessary, and using them is the biggest challenge for the Campaigner personality type. But Campaigners’ capacity for adjusting their communication to most any style will always shine through, helping to smooth things over and adapt to the needs of their team.