I think MBTI is fascinating and have found it to be a very helpful tool in business. I have taken the test a bunch of times and I have always come out the same – ENTP. I’m good at reading other people, and can almost always “guess” their type correctly. That’s got to say something. Of course, one could game the test if one tries, but that’s self-defeating.
It’s important not to misuse the tool or make it into something it isn’t. It describes “preferences” or tendencies. Mature and balanced adults teach themselves to overcome tendencies when necessary and appropriate.
MBTI is great for self-awareness. For example, knowing that I’m an “E” (despite sometimes liking quiet alone time) helped me recognize the reality that I am indeed energized by working with or being with others. Knowing that I’m a “P” helps me recognize that I resist routine and have a tendency to think of a deadline as a rough timing guideline – so I may have to consciously tell myself to give certain deadlines more import. It also helps me recognize that I can handle pressure and last-minute changes more readily than most, so I should not hold back from stepping forward in a crisis.
MBTI has been a tremendous tool for me in managing a department. For example, if I know an employee is a strong “J,” liking stability and clarity and routine, I can be aware that she is out of her element if a project is ill-defined and ever-changing. I can be ready to give extra support and guidance. If someone is silent at staff meetings and I know they’re an “I,” then I can take steps to gently draw them into the conversation. If someone is silent at staff meetings and they’re an “E” then I know to wonder what else may be going on. You don’t have to be a student of MBTI to “get” this. Some people may be naturally aware of these differences and preferences. For many others, consciously thinking aby MBTI types is a great help.
What I also learned is that virtually every functioning enterprise needs all personality types to thrive and be successful. We need the introspection of the Is, and the communicativeness of the Es. We need vision for the future from Ns, and attention to present details of Ss. We need logical thinkers. We need people who will ensure that we’re thinking about impacts on people. We need people to drive to conclusions and get stuff done. We need people who can adapt well to change and handle chaos.
For that reason – and others – I doubt that any college has a preponderance of any particular type(s).
Certain majors might tend to draw certain types more than others, that’s for sure. Certain MBTI types are more natural fits for certain careers, but any personality type can perform any career. In part, that’s because mature people can adapt. It’s also because there are lots of types of jobs within a given career. You can be an analytical economist crunching numbers quietly in a back room or you can be a professor economist or a writer economist. Same thing with a lawyer – a business lawyer versus an aggressive litigator versus a family lawyer or a social justice lawyer.
Certain individuals who are not MBTI-aware (or otherwise wise and enlightened) might mistakenly think that their type is the better type. So if they are organized and find routines to be extremely helpful, they might be hard on employees or students who do not adapt to routines very well and think they are “less than,” not recognizing that they bring other strengths to the table. Same thing with any of the traits. People sometimes make fun of those who don’t notice details in front of their nose (the classic absent-minded professor type); however, those who are not focused on concrete details in front of them are much more likely to notice nuances and subtleties and make connections relative to the bigger picture.
A self-centered vision of the world and others is more likely to exist on an individual basis (one professor, one boss) than it is on an institutional basis. Perhaps, though, there are some institutions that are so focused on the ego and perspective of the founding individual that he/she successfully infuses the organization with a preponderance of one personality type.