What is the ENTP Personality?

The ENTP is an action-oriented individual, always forward moving. They see opportunity in change and are always scanning the future, looking for ways to capture the moment. ENTP’s grasp subtle connections between circumstances and events that others might miss. When dealing with issues they can initially seem as if they are coming down on several sides of a subject.

Steven Jobs (1955 – 2011) founded Apple and became a millionaire before he was thirty years old. An ENTP type, he was known for his combativeness and was forced out of the company, only to come back to lead it.

ENTP’s can be brilliant, and have a stream of ideas that may relate to each other, but it times challenge their listeners in following their thoughts. This is because they are considering many factors at the same time. They enjoy lively discussions and may appear to be challenging and confronting. They are one of the least conflict-averse types.

While some types think about issues first and others feel their way through subjects, ENTP’s lead with their intuition. The flash of their insight directs their thought and action. Then they use logical analysis to work out the implications of their intuition. Once they reach a conclusion, they are extremely rational and precise at implementation. Because they are innovators, they can make dizzying changes in actions and opinions. This often surprises those around them.

ENTP’s are often curious people who are always delving into new sources of information. They ask questions and can appear impatient if the person doesn’t seem to know something, or if the ENTP feels they are in error. ENTP’s are very resilient and creative problem solvers. They are stimulated by situations that others would think difficult.

ENTP’s as Team Members

ENTP’s are most often strong individuals who either lead groups or who will be self-directed in projects. They make their best contribution in situations where they are called on to lead in new directions and probably will not continue long in situations that require them to maintain a repetitive system.

Andy Rooney, b. 1919, is an ENTP type best known for his role on 60 Minutes. Rooney takes on the silliness of things that occur in life such as how things are packaged or forms where the spaces are too short. He is funny and controversial.

They will almost always be found identifying the new strategies they’ll be using, and may seem to constantly work to gain control of the group process. They can appear to always be competing for their place in the group.

What are ENTP Issues and Challenges in Groups/Best Alliances?

ENTP’s excel at taking organizations forward and fast, usually with a great deal of competence.

Because they dislike the status quo and can have a distaste for details, they will be seen by some as favoring “change for change’s sake.” Because of this, the ENTP should form alliances of trust and dialogue with those types that favor stability of process over change and innovation. In that way they can balance their ingenuity with others who see the need for maintaining systems that must change more slowly.

ENTP’s and the Rest of Their Lives

Because ENTP’s value change and spontaneity, they can be surprisingly adaptable in relationships with people who can follow them through their process. Spouses and children will find that although the ENTP may take a position so strongly that they would seem unlikely to change, the ENTP upon further reflection will often come around to the others’ point of view. Their curiosity often leads them to questions and investigation that can change their directions.