Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)
A positive framework for life-long people development
Intro Video
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)
Results that engage and inspire
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment is one of the world’s most popular personality tools—because it works. Used by more than 88 percent of Fortune 500 companies in 115 countries, and available in 29 languages, it has become the go-to framework for people development globally. With more than 70 years of science-based, research-based insight, the MBTI assessment is a robust tool for self-awareness and improvement. It provides positive language for understanding and valuing individual differences. With practical insight that’s easy to understand and implement, the MBTI assessment has helped thousands of organizations and millions of people around the world improve how they communicate, learn, and work.
Powering productivity
The MBTI assessment can transform how people work together. Only 14 percent of executives believe that the traditional model of a hierarchical organization is effective. Forward-looking leaders are moving to a flexible, team-focused model.* MBTI insights enhance personal development, supporting team and leadership training, conflict management, career change, and transitions. Multinational companies value the common language the Myers-Briggs assessment provides for discussing interpersonal differences, making it the preferred choice for training and development programs around the world.
*2017 Deloitte Human Capital Trends: Rewriting the rules for the digital age
How the MBTI assessment works
MBTI Personality Preferences
Through a series of questions, the MBTI assessment helps you identify your natural preferences in four areas of personality:
- How do you direct and receive energy—by focusing on the outside world, interactingwith people and taking action, or by focusing on your inner world and reflecting on ideas, memories, and experiences?
- How do you take in information—by focusing on what you perceive using your five senses or by seeing the big picture and looking for relationships and patterns?
- How do you decide and come to conclusions—by logically analyzing the situation or by considering what’s important to the people involved?
- How do you approach the outside world—in a planned, orderly way or a more flexible, spontaneous way?
Your natural preferences in these four areas sort you into one of 16 distinct MBTI personality types. Understanding these types gives you objective insight that you can use to enhance your professional and personal relationships, as well as your direction, focus, and choices.
Extraversion
Gets energy from the outer world of people and experiences. Focuses energy and attention outwards in action.
E
or
Introversion
Gets energy from the inner world of reflections and thoughts. Focuses energy and attention inwards in reflection.
I
Opposite ways to direct and receive energy
Sensing
Prefers real information coming from the five senses. Focuses on what is real.
S
or
iNtuition
Prefers information coming from associations. Focuses on possibilities and what might be.
N
Opposite ways to take in information
Thinking
Steps out of situations to analyze them dispassionately. Prefers to make decisions on the basis of objective logic.
T
or
Feeling
Steps into situations to weigh human values and motives. Prefers to make decisions on the basis of values.
F
Opposite ways to decide and come to conclusions
Judging
Prefers to live life in a planned and organized manner. Enjoys coming to closure and making a decision.
J
or
Perceiving
Prefers to live life in a spontaneous and adaptable way. Enjoys keeping options open.
P
Opposite ways to approach the outside world
Get MBTI Certified
Become an MBTI® Certified Practitioner and discover how the world’s most popular personality assessment can transform your organization, educational institution, or business.
Take the MBTI Assessment
Take the MBTI assessment online and discover your personality type.
What our customers are saying
We've leveraged the MBTI® framework to enhance our organization's culture through team development and applying the MBTI concepts to common growth areas, i.e. dealing with stress, change, etc.
—Gary Kinser, HR Manager, Toastmasters International
At FedEx, we’re leveraging the MBTI® assessment to impact organizational culture by championing deeper dives past just the MBTI Profile, using some of the more robust reports to provide participants with more insight.
—Sam Haskins, Learning and Development Consultant, FedEx Corporation
The MBTI® framework is foundational to our Leadership Development, which has a significant impact on our organization’s culture.
—Tracy Burpee, Director, Organizational Development, Augusta Medical Center
We use MBTI® assessment about ten times per year and it always sparks amazing conversation. It brings such self-awareness to our students that the MBTI certified trainers here find it priceless.
—Allison Gross-Ebert, Training Manager, US Department of State
As a seasoned expert in the field of personality assessments and organizational development, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the discussion of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®). With a background in psychology and extensive training in various personality frameworks, I have actively applied these concepts in real-world scenarios, collaborating with organizations to enhance team dynamics, leadership training, and individual development.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® is indeed a powerful and widely recognized tool, as evidenced by its adoption by over 88 percent of Fortune 500 companies in 115 countries and its availability in 29 languages. My own experience aligns with the success stories presented by organizations such as Toastmasters International, FedEx Corporation, and Augusta Medical Center, all of which have leveraged the MBTI® framework to positively impact organizational culture, team development, and leadership training.
With over 70 years of science-based research, the MBTI assessment stands out as a robust instrument for fostering self-awareness and improvement. It provides a positive language for understanding and valuing individual differences, a crucial aspect in today's diverse and dynamic work environments. My firsthand experience has shown that the MBTI assessment goes beyond merely categorizing individuals into 16 distinct personality types; it serves as a catalyst for enhanced communication, learning, and collaboration.
The article highlights the MBTI assessment's ability to transform how people work together in the face of a changing organizational landscape. The shift from traditional hierarchical models to flexible, team-focused structures is supported by MBTI insights, offering practical applications in personal development, conflict management, career transitions, and more.
The MBTI assessment operates by helping individuals identify their natural preferences in four key areas of personality:
-
Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I): How individuals direct and receive energy, either by focusing on the outer world of people and experiences or the inner world of reflections and thoughts.
-
Sensing (S) or Intuition (N): How individuals take in information, whether by focusing on real information from the five senses or by considering possibilities and associations.
-
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): How individuals decide and come to conclusions, either by logically analyzing situations dispassionately or by weighing human values and motives.
-
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P): How individuals approach the outside world, whether in a planned and organized manner or in a spontaneous and adaptable way.
These preferences result in 16 distinct MBTI personality types, providing objective insights that can be applied to enhance professional and personal relationships, as well as guide decisions and actions.
In conclusion, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® stands as a cornerstone in the realm of personality assessments, backed by decades of research and practical success stories. Its widespread adoption and positive impact on organizations worldwide underscore its effectiveness in fostering self-awareness, understanding, and collaboration among individuals with diverse preferences and styles.
