Command Through the MBTI Lens: A Manager's Guide

In this issue, we explore Command® — an Influencing talent that shapes how people take charge. I'll show you how different personality types manifest this talent, and what you can do as a manager to bring out the best in each team member.

Why?

Because each person has a different personality type — and that type shapes how their talents operate.

What Is the 'Command' Talent?

Command belongs to the Influencing domain in the Gallup framework. People with high Command have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions. They are not afraid to confront reality and deal with it directly.

Having Command feels like having a psychological need to take control of chaotic situations. It isn't necessarily about ego; it's about clarity. When others see confusion, Command sees a decision that needs to be made. While others might tiptoe around an issue to spare feelings, people with Command are comfortable breaking the tension. For those with Command, confrontation is not a negative — it is simply the most efficient path to a solution. They value logic, directness, and action.

But here's the thing: Command looks different in different people.

The Data — What Large-Scale Research Revealed

I conducted an independent study, gathering results from a large group of people who took both CliftonStrengths and a personality assessment called MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). MBTI divides people into 16 personality types based on how they prefer to gather information and make decisions.

Tip for your team: If your team members don't know their MBTI type, encourage them to take a free assessment here: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Research shows a clear connection between personality type and how Command talent manifests. People with types like ENTJ, ENTP, ESTJ, and ESTP — those who prioritize objective logic and external action — are far more likely to have Command in their top talents.

This makes intuitive sense. If someone naturally makes decisions based on logic and efficiency rather than values and harmony, their mind is already wired to take charge and push through resistance to get results.

However, research also reveals something important: Command isn't exclusive to these types. There are notable exceptions — some Feeling types also possess this talent. This suggests that while Command correlates strongly with Thinking types, it's not the same thing.

Three Kinds of Command — Which One Are You?

Understanding that Command operates in three distinct ways has practical implications for how you manage your people.

Type 1: The Director

Common in: ENTJ, ESTJ

These team members experience Command as a need for efficiency and order. When they use Command, they're often moving pieces on the board (people, resources, tasks) without realizing those pieces are people who need buy-in. Their Command comes from a psychological drive to execute plans and bring structure to chaos.

How they show up:

• Issue directives quickly and decisively
• Take charge in chaotic situations
• Focus on execution and results
• May skip over explaining their reasoning
• Transform confusion into clear direction

Their risk: They may overwhelm others with their decisiveness, issue commands without context, or dismiss input that doesn't align with their vision.

What they need from you:

• Give them clear objectives and autonomy
• Challenge them to explain their reasoning
• Help them understand the impact of their directness
• Provide strategic context for their decisions
• Coach them on including others in the process

Type 2: The Disruptor

Common in: ENTP

These team members experience Command as a drive for innovation. When they use Command, they're often challenging the status quo, debating ideas, and pushing for a better way. They take charge not to enforce rules, but to break them.

How they show up:

• Challenge existing processes and assumptions
• Rally people around new visions
• Spot inefficiencies and propose improvements
• Energize teams with intellectual debates
• May debate for the sake of debate

Their risk: They might start initiatives without following through, overwhelm others with intellectual challenges, or debate without considering practical implementation.

What they need from you:

• Channel their energy toward meaningful innovations
• Hold them accountable for follow-through
• Provide structure for their ideas
• Help them understand the impact of their debates
• Pair them with team members who can execute their ideas

Type 3: The Troubleshooter

Common in: ESTP

These team members experience Command as a response to impact. When they use Command, they're often taking charge to resolve immediate problems. They thrive in crisis and react quickly to emergencies.

How they show up:

• Step in immediately when things go wrong
• Make quick decisions under pressure
• Calm and decisive in emergencies
• Solve problems that freeze others
• May react impulsively without full information

Their risk: They may create chaos while solving problems, react without communicating their reasoning, or struggle with long-term planning and follow-through.

What they need from you:

• Utilize them in crisis situations
• Help them develop long-term thinking
• Encourage them to communicate their reasoning in real-time
• Balance their crisis management with preventive planning
• Coach them on patience when full information is needed

Practical Applications for Your Team

Understanding these differences isn't just interesting — it's actionable.

1. Task Assignment

• Director types: Strategic planning, project management, leadership roles, crisis planning
• Disruptor types:→ Innovation initiatives, process improvement, brainstorming, change management
• Troubleshooter types → Crisis management, emergency response, technical troubleshooting, rapid-response projects

2. Meeting Management

• Director types: Give them time to present their vision, ask them to explain their reasoning, challenge them to include others' input
• Disruptor types: Let them challenge assumptions, but structure the debate, hold them accountable for solutions not just problems
• Troubleshooter types: Use them when problems arise, but encourage them to listen before acting, help them communicate their thinking process

3. Development Conversations

• Director types: Focus on explaining context, developing empathy, including others in decision-making, slowing down to communicate reasoning
• Disruptor types: Focus on follow-through, practical implementation, balancing innovation with execution, understanding the impact of their debates
• Troubleshooter types: Focus on long-term thinking, communication during crises, preventive planning, patience in non-emergency situations

4. Team Composition

A balanced team needs all three types. Directors bring structure and execution, Disruptors bring innovation and new perspectives, and Troubleshooters bring crisis management and rapid problem-solving. Understanding which type each team member is helps you build complementary teams.

Your Compass for Leadership

Your team's talents are the main ingredients. Their personality types are the seasonings that give each person their unique flavor — character, power, and individuality. The same talent can taste entirely different depending on who brings it to life. Understanding both means you can truly appreciate and work with each individual's strengths.

If you have "Director types" on your team:

• Give them clear objectives and the autonomy to execute
• Challenge them to explain the "why" behind their decisions
• Help them develop empathy and communication skills
• Provide strategic context for their directives
• Recognize their ability to bring order to chaos

If you have "Disruptor types" on your team:

• Channel their energy toward meaningful improvements
• Hold them accountable for follow-through on initiatives
• Provide structure for turning ideas into execution
• Help them understand when debate is productive vs. counterproductive
• Pair them with team members who can implement their innovations

If you have "Troubleshooter types" on your team:

• Utilize their crisis management skills when needed
• Help them develop long-term thinking and planning
• Encourage them to communicate their reasoning in real-time
• Balance their impulse to act with need for full information
• Recognize their ability to stay calm under pressure

Conclusions

Managing people with Command talent requires understanding which engine drives their decisiveness. Directors need context to accompany their directives, Disruptors need structure for their innovations, and Troubleshooters need guidance on long-term thinking. When you recognize these differences, you can harness each team member's natural strengths while helping them develop the skills that don't come as naturally. The goal isn't to change who they are — it's to help them use their Command in ways that build stronger, more effective teams.

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Want to discover which type of Command you have? Read "CliftonStrengths Meets MBTI: Unpacking the Mechanics of ‘Command’" on Medium to learn more about research results and deepen your knowledge.

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🗨 I’d love to hear how this talent manifests in your life. Join the discussion in the comments:

The Reality Check: Do you have Command in your Top 5? Does your MBTI type match the heavy “Thinking” dominance we discussed?

The Source Code: When you take charge, what drives you? Is it the need for Efficiency (“Let’s move”), Innovation (“Let’s change this”), or Accuracy (“Let’s fix this”)?

The Feedback: “Thinking” types are often called intimidating. Have you had to learn specific social “softeners” to ensure your Command lands as leadership rather than aggression?

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The substantive content in this article is 100% original, based solely on my personal analyses and insights. I used AI solely to assemble it into a cohesive and unified text.

Gallup®, CliftonStrengths®, StrengthsFinder®, and each of the 34 CliftonStrengths® theme names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc.

The non-Gallup information you are receiving has not been approved and is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths® themes are solely the beliefs of Dariusz Kowalski