ESTJs (extraverted, observant, thinking, and judging) are traditional and orderly, readily using their organisational focus to spearhead projects and people and to charge them on a course to what the ESTJ feels is right or wrong. ESTJs like to bring communities together, and they tend to embrace traditional values of honesty, industry, and conscientious dignity. They tend to have clear rules on how best to navigate oneself through the world, in a systematic, methodical way, following established processes. ESTJs are good at taking charge, and people tend to appreciate their role in organising for the communities and working hard to conserve traditional values.
principles
ESTJs are masters of their worlds. They are confident in their analysis of the world and derive comfort from their conviction of what's right and wrong. They appear self-confident because they stick to their principles of honesty, dignity, and order. ESTJs are natural decision-makers and have a well-developed executive function. Of the 16 personality types, they are the most conventionally masculine.
In general, all ESTJs display these traits:
• They excel at organising, managing, and regulating
• They have a strong predilection for structure and are chaos-averse
• They are meticulous in their thinking style and avoid intuitive jumps
• They are self-critical and fully committed to their principles
strengths
reliable
ESTJs perform duties diligently - both interpersonal and professional - and have a principled work ethic. They tend to see time as a scarce resource and are respectful of other people's time; they are almost never late and are the last people one would expect to slack off.
frugal
To an ESTJ, finances aren't simply a means to an end. They are acutely aware of the amount of work and self-sacrifice that hides in the background of a person's success. They respect other people's finances and ask the same of others.
straightforward
Because they see time as a scarce resource, ESTJs tend to value straightforwardness. They understand the transactional nature of most conversations and the fact that consensus isn't an implicit goal in most of them. They are very practical and economic in their use of words.
iron-willed
ESTJs are characterised by a strong conviction in their beliefs and an unbreakable drive to get things done. This goes beyond simple self-confidence or optimism; while they do believe in themselves, they also make it a principled obligation to explore every possibility before abandoning a goal or an ambition of theirs.
weaknesses
rigid and stubborn
ESTJs have many articles of faith; immovable stances that guide their actions and give them a sense of security and predictability. However, this also makes them less equipped to deal with the inevitable randomness of life.
parsimonious
Some may call them frugal, others - parsimonious. ESTJs can sometimes look down on people for revelling in simple pleasures or spending more than the bare minimum required for sustenance. Long-term financial planning is useful, but it may come at the cost of experiencing life in all its enticing glory.
judgmental
In their efforts to compartmentalise the world and make sense of it, ESTJs may end up placing people into boxes of their own making - not always reflective of objective reality. They may come across as harsh and uncharitable in their interpretation of other people's behaviour.
feelings-averse
“Facts don't care about your feelings” is a phrase many ESTJs can get behind. In their relentless pursuit of objective truth, they may forget how to listen instead of talk, and feel instead of think. They may sometimes see their own emotions as a sign of irrationality and weakness.
friendships
ESTJs love being around people. They tend to be prideful and always in search for an audience. Most people will find ESTJs enticing, but some may be intimidated by them, especially people who think highly of emotional expressiveness and vulnerability. After all, our culture makes self-confidence an aesthetic imperative; everyone wants to be at ease with themselves, but rarely anyone can succeed in being as effortlessly self-confident as ESTJs.
ESTJs love being around people. They tend to be prideful and always in search for an audience. Most people will find ESTJs enticing, but some may be intimidated by them, especially people who think highly of emotional expressiveness and vulnerability. After all, our culture makes self-confidence an aesthetic imperative; everyone wants to be at ease with themselves, but rarely anyone can succeed in being as effortlessly self-confident as ESTJs.
ESTJs feel most at home around friends who are not afraid of ambition. They have little fear of envy and will have no reservations about flaunting their success. In potential friends, they will tend to look for the ability to handle criticism well and will avoid people who they see as jealous and insecure. Some of the biggest pet peeves of an ESTJ are pretence, conceit, and manipulative behaviour.