ENTPs Make Poor Managers but Exceptional Leaders

December 5, 2013 Chris Hoeller 1 Comment

I was asked on a forum “how an ENTP can be an effective manager.” My original advice:

Look busy.
Keep making the rounds.
Allow people to know you for your spontaneity and use it as a plus (like you could be checking up on them at any time).
Stay available to reach.
Find a great ISTJ assistant who naturally thrives on organization.

When I try too hard to stay organized, I usually end up exhausting all of my effort into creating the organizational tool (that’s just me personally). I find that by staying in motion and in touch with every department, your natural Ne will pick up on the missing pieces. I could spend ten hours inventing a method to stay on top of everything, or I could simply walk around and allow it to happen naturally.

ENTPs don’t make good “traditional managers,” but can still be quite effective, even in traditional corporate environments (if the structure isn’t too rigid).

To add upon my earlier half-joking statements about “looking busy and keep making the rounds,” or my support of getting an ISTJ secretary, the true power of an ENTP manager / leader comes from their ability to delegate, empower, and encourage. It is this quality that makes for poor ENTP managers but exceptional ENTP leaders.

ENTPs don’t want to demand stuff of others, because we hate it when it’s done to us. However, an ENTP can delegate out responsibilities by simply asking, explaining why it’s important, and making their subordinates feel empowered and trusted. This makes an ENTP manager / leader a force to be reckoned with, and soon you’ll have the staff working with you to accomplish the goals, not simply working for you out of fear of reprimand.

The staff will respect and trust you, because you respect and trust them. I know it sounds cliché, but it actually works. Employees will work HARDER for you than any other type of manager, or should I say, leader. Good luck!