Understanding Personalities
Its the Strategic Shortcut Many Owners and Founders Skip!
Here’s the hard truth:
If managing your team feels harder than it should, the problem probably isn’t your process —
It’s a lack of people clarity.
Too many founders hire based on gut feel, “vibes,” or a last-minute scramble to fill the seat.
And when that happens — even with brilliant, well-intentioned humans — things eventually break.
Here’s what I’ve seen over and over again:
The systems are strong, but the team still drops the ball
The energy is good, but tension lingers beneath the surface
Accountability slips
and the founder’s in constant clean-up mode or continuously stepping back in to the day to day.
Sound familiar?
When you don’t understand how someone ticks, you can’t manage them effectively.
That’s not a judgment — it’s just the truth.
People don’t break down from lack of talent.
They break down from misunderstood expectations, unclear communication styles, and clashing decision-making patterns.
If you’ve never looked under the hood to see how your team naturally thinks, acts, and leads —
you’re missing the one piece that makes the rest of your business easier to manage.
Case in Point: The Founder Who Needed a Second-in-Charge
One of my clients — a deeply intelligent ISTJ founder — came to me quietly exhausted.
They were brilliant at what they did. Technically sharp, future-focused, and clear on where the business was going.
But things were cracking beneath the surface.
Despite their clarity, their team lacked accountability. Follow-through was patchy. Decisions were logical, but often missed the relational nuance needed to land well with people. And empathy? That wasn’t their default lens — which left gaps in how culture and connection were showing up day to day.
It wasn’t a leadership failure — it was overload + misalignment.
This founder didn’t need to change who they were.
They needed someone who could support their strengths and bring what was missing — without adding friction or ego to the mix.
So we mapped their needs based on how they operated under pressure — and how different personality profiles might balance them out.
The Shortlist
We narrowed the pool down to three strong second-in-command candidates:
ENFP – Energetic, big-picture, charismatic, adaptable. Brought high enthusiasm, but lacked the structure and follow-through this founder needed.
ESTJ – Strong organiser. Clear communicator. Execution-focused. A good operational fit on paper, but too similar in thinking style — which risked doubling down on logic and control, without offering emotional perspective or warmth in people dynamics.
ENFJ – People-focused, intuitive, deeply attuned to team morale. Highly organised, values-driven, and strong at gently holding others accountable without creating friction.
The Decision
While the ESTJ mirrored the founder’s preference for systems and order, they didn’t bring in enough contrast to balance the human side of leadership. The ENFP brought inspiration, but not stability.
The ENFJ, however, was the perfect counterweight.
They complimented the founder’s logic with intuition.
They held people accountable without needing to be managed.
And they offered a more relational lens on team dynamics — without adding chaos or needing to be hand-held.
The Result
Within weeks, the team had more cohesion.
Deadlines were met.
The founder stopped chasing people and started leading from their zone of genius.
And the 2IC became the bridge between big-picture vision and day-to-day execution — without drama.
Personality awareness isn’t just a nice-to-have…
It’s a foundational tool helping teams work better together with less pressure.
When you understand how someone processes, decides, and functions naturally, you:
Reduce hidden friction
Improve everyday communication
Build trust without micromanaging, rescuing or exhaustion
And simply accept people more for who they naturally are
Because strong dynamics aren't accidental….. They are intentional.
This isn’t about hiring someone who thinks or works exactly like you.
It’s about bringing in the right kind of difference — the kind that compliments your way of operating, fills the gaps you can’t see, and makes the entire team function better.
Whether it’s a second-in-command, a project manager, or a junior hire —
alignment in personality and working style is what turns a role into a real result.
Because when the energy fits, performance flows.
And when it doesn’t? Even the most talented people can’t thrive.
Your next move?
If your team feels harder than it should…
If you’re the bottleneck more than the visionary...
If you’re holding too much and still wondering why it’s not clicking —
Start by understanding how your team actually thinks — not just what they do.
That’s where real alignment begins.
Want support? You’ve got two options:
DIY it:
Download my free guide to decode your team using personality mapping.
DIY Team Decoding FREE Download PDF
Done-For-You:
Let’s work together — whether that’s facilitating this process with your current team, or helping you find the right next hire.