Personality Profiling Methods

I've taken every assessment tool known to corporate mankind. MBTI. DiSC. Hogan. Enneagram. StrengthsFinder. If there's a scantron involved, I've filled it out. Clients always ask which one is the best. Here's what I actually think after fifteen years of using these things on myself and others: Myers-Briggs has the brand recognition and the staying power, but the science is shaky at best. Test-retest reliability is poor – you can be an INFJ on Monday and an ENFP by Friday. It's fine for breaking the ice at offsites. Just don't build your succession plan around it. Or...well...anything else. DiSC is simple, which is its strength and its limit. Four quadrants. Easy to remember. It won't tell you why someone behaves a certain way, but it gives you a shorthand for how to email them without starting a war. Useful. Shallow. Enneagram has zero psychometric validity – its origins are spiritual, not scientific. Is it useful for introspection. Hmm maybe. It gives leaders language for their core fears and motivations, even if the "types" aren't clinically distinct. Conversation starter, not diagnosis. CliftonStrengths comes out of positive psychology and it's genuinely solid. Corporate culture obsesses over fixing gaps – this tool forces you to lean into what you're already good at. Great for morale. But it completely ignores the dark side traits that actually get leaders fired. But it's a useful tool below the exec level. Hogan is the one I trust when stakes are high. It's built on the Big Five model, it actually predicts performance, and it focuses on your derailers – the shadow side of your personality that emerges under stress. It's humbling. It's scientific. It's the only one on this list that functions as an actual map rather than a fun mirror. Honorable mentions: Social Styles focuses on observable behavior rather than self-reported personality, which I appreciate. The science is decent – not Hogan-level, but better than MBTI. It's particularly useful for sales teams and client-facing roles where reading the room matters more than deep self-awareness. Leadership Circle Profile is genuinely comprehensive – A+++. It maps reactive versus creative leadership tendencies and shows you how your inner operating system drives your outer behaviors. The problem is that it requires real time and attention span to debrief properly. If you and your leadership team have endless hours to frolic through your results together, it's fantastic. If you're looking for something you can action in a 90-minute session, keep walking. The pattern I see: leaders love collecting these acronyms like badges. ENTJ. High D. Enneagram 8. But the point isn't to find a label that explains you. It's to understand your default settings well enough to override them when it matters. What's your love-to-hate assessment? I know everyone has one. #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #NeurodivergentLeadership

Your personality is your most valuable professional asset - and your biggest potential liability. The difference? Understanding how to leverage it effectively. Many professionals struggle to understand their strengths and weaknesses, leading to missed opportunities and stalled careers. You've probably tried self-reflection or asked for feedback, but these methods often fall short. That's where personality assessments come in. But not all assessments are created equal. ---Class A Assessments--- ▪ Used for psychiatric or mental health evaluations ▪ Highly validated and reliable for clinical use ▪ Example: MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) ---Class B Assessments--- ▪ Trait-based assessments used in professional settings ▪ Validated for use in hiring, development, and team building ▪ Examples: Hogan Assessment, Birkman Method, Winslow Profile ---Class C Assessments--- ▪ Personal development focused ▪ Used for self-awareness and team dynamics ▪ Examples: MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), DiSC, EQ assessments Many assessments are built on the foundation of the Big Five personality factors, also known as OCEAN: 🔸Openness to experience 🔸Conscientiousness 🔸Extraversion 🔸Agreeableness 🔸Neuroticism (or emotional stability) These five factors are considered the fundamental building blocks of personality. Understanding where you fall on each of these dimensions can provide powerful insights into your behavior, preferences, and potential career fit. Over 20 years ago, I took the Hogan Assessment. It was like someone handed me a user manual for my own brain. I discovered strengths I hadn't recognized and blind spots that were holding me back. I didn't just file it away. I reviewed it annually, using it as a roadmap for my personal and professional growth. Each year, I'd focus on leveraging a strength or addressing a weakness. The result? A more intentional and successful career path. You might be thinking, "So what?" ----Here's how you can apply this---- 1. Choose the right assessment for your needs (Highly recommend Class B) 2. Take it with an open mind 3. Review the results with a certified interpreter 4. Create an action plan based on your insights 5. Revisit and revise annually It's not about changing who you are. It's about understanding yourself better so you can make informed decisions about your career and relationships. Here's a question to ponder: If you had a clear map of your personality traits and tendencies, what would you do differently in your career? Share your thoughts below. And if you've had experiences with personality assessments, I'd love to hear about them!  

The best leaders aren’t the most confident. They’re the most self-aware. And self-awareness isn’t just “knowing your strengths.” It’s noticing the patterns that hold you back. ⚠️ What triggers your stress ⚠️ How you react under pressure ⚠️ Why some tasks energize you and others don’t ⚠️ What values drive your decision-making ⚠️ How you show up in conflict or disagreement ⚠️ What behaviors you default to ⚠️ How you impact others That’s why I use tools. Not to “fix” myself But to see what I can’t always see. Here are 𝟳 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 I’ve used to  uncover strengths and blind spots: 1️⃣ CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder)  ↳ Reveals: What you naturally excel at  ↳ Best for: Anyone who wants to work to their strengths  ↳ Why: Use what you’re best at instead of fixing weaknesses. 2️⃣ PrinciplesYou (by Ray Dalio & Adam Grant)  ↳ Reveals: How values shape your decisions  ↳ Best for: People who want to understand their patterns  ↳ Why: Make choices that align with what matters to you. 3️⃣ Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Assessment  ↳ Reveals: How you handle emotions & relationships  ↳ Best for: Those who want to improve communication  ↳ Why: Manage emotions under pressure & build trust. 4️⃣ Hogan Personality Inventory  ↳ Reveals: Strengths & behaviors under pressure  ↳ Best for: Professionals in high-stakes roles  ↳ Why: Spot what helps or hurts your decisions under stress. 5️⃣ Big Five (OCEAN) Personality Test  ↳ Reveals: 5 traits that shape how you think & act  ↳ Best for: Those who want a full picture of their personality  ↳ Why: See how your traits affect work, stress, and decisions. 6️⃣ DISC Personality Assessment  ↳ Reveals: How you communicate & interact with others  ↳ Best for: Anyone working with different personality types  ↳ Why: Adjust your style to collaborate more effectively. 7️⃣ Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)  ↳ Reveals: How your habits impact others  ↳ Best for: People refining their influence at work  ↳ Why: Strengthen behaviors that improve results. Start with one. Reflect honestly. Then ask: What needs to shift? 📥 Download the carousel to access test links. ♻️ Repost to help leaders lead from self-awareness. 🔔 Follow Justin Hills for people-first leadership tools.