Professional diagnostics instead of an internet horoscope

Hand on heart: The free „16 Personalities“ test is a good icebreaker. But would you base your business strategy on a free tool? No. Then why build your own career?

Why the standard test is not enough for executives:

• Pigeonhole thinking: It squeezes complex people into 16 rigid boxes. However, the reality of a manager is dynamic.
• Lack of depth: He tells you, like They are, but not what drives you (your motives).
• Scientific weakness: In academic psychology, the MBTI is considered outdated. The gold standard is the Big Five model.

Feature	16 Personalities (free of charge)	Executive Profiling (Our Institute)
Base	MBTI / C.G. Jung (types)	Big Five (Scientific Standard)
Result	16 rigid categories	Individual facet profile (millions of combinations)
Focus	Entertainment & everyday life	Career, power & leadership impact
Debriefing	Automated PDF	90 min. sparring with ex-DAX board member

Your profile. Read by the elite

A test report is just paper. The crucial difference is, who evaluates it with you.

With us, mentors such as Heinrich von Pierer (Ex-Siemens CEO) or Urs Meier (FIFA) Your profile. We translate the psychological data into political strategy:

1. Power dynamics: How do you use your „high tolerance“ in tough negotiations without being eaten up?
2. Leadership: As a dominant „red type“, how do you manage a sensitive Gen-Z team?
3. Crisis resilience: What does your neuroticism score say about your stress resilience? More about Mental coaching

Background knowledge: The basics of the MBTI (Myers-Briggs)

For all those who want to delve deeper into the theory of the 16 types - regardless of our executive approach:

16 Personalities: clearly explained!

The 16 Personalities Test (NERIS Type Explorer®) is one of the most widely used online personality self-assessment tools in the world. In around ten minutes, participants answer a series of standardized statements; participation is free of charge and currently available in almost fifty languages. With more than 100 million completed tests, the platform provides an enormous corpus of data that is continuously used for standardization and quality control.

Methodologically, the method combines two recognized concepts: the factor structure of the Big Five model and the dichotomous type logic according to Myers & Briggs. The Big Five model describes personality along five continuous factors (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism) and provides graded characteristics instead of either-or categories.

The dichotomous type logic according to Myers & Briggs, on the other hand, assigns answers to polar preferences (e.g. E vs. I) and summarizes them in concise type abbreviations. 16Personalities measures gradually, but communicates the results as types, thus combining differentiated measurement with high comprehensibility for practice and everyday life. On this basis, five bipolar axes are created, which are combined into 16 profiles (e.g. „INFJ-A“, „ESTP-T“):

o Energy (extraversion | introversion)
o Attention (intuition | sensory system)
o Decision (feeling | thinking)
o Lifestyle (Prospective | Planning)
o Identity (Assertive -A | Turbulent -T)

The resulting profiles combine recognition value with sufficient differentiation for practical interpretations.

The developers explicitly position the test as an aid to reflection and communication, not as a diagnostic seal of approval. Self-report procedures are subject to response tendencies, situational influences and cultural factors; results should therefore be viewed as probable preference patterns. Used correctly, the tool supports Career counseling, team development or personal development Coaching, However, this presupposes that users contextualize typological statements and regularly compare them with real behavior.

16 personality tests: the 16 personality types at a glance

• ISTJ (Logistician) - A more organized, responsible, conscientious person
• ISFJ (Defender) - A loyal, caring, detail-oriented individual
• INFJ (Advocate) - An idealistic, profound, empathetic person
• INTJ (Architect) - An analytical, strategic, independent person
• ISTP (Virtuoso) - A practical, solution-oriented, curious person
• ISFP (Adventurer) - An artistic, spontaneous, sensitive person
• INFP (Mediator) - An introverted, creative, compassionate person
• INTP (logician) - An inventive, logical, questioning person
• ESTP (Undertakingshmer) - An energetic, direct, risk-taking person
• ESFP (Entertainer) - A lively, sociable, optimistic person
• ENFP (campaign leader) - An enthusiastic, creative, social person
• ENTP (debaters) - A clever, curious, argumentative person
• ESTJ (Director) - A structured, decisive, practical person
• ESFJ (Consul) - A friendly, conscientious, popular person
• ENFJ (Protagonist) - An inspiring, caring, empathetic person
• ENTJ (Commander) - A strong leader, determined, goal-oriented person

MBTI: Knowledge to better understand the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator analyzes how we absorb information, make decisions and behave towards others. It describes these personal tendencies in four categories. This creates a picture of our way of thinking and behaving. From this, we can draw conclusions about what motivates us or how we interact successfully with others.

The preference pairs, which represent opposing personality dimensions, can therefore be composed differently. This results in 16 different types. Even if the test leaves no room for intermediate results, it is important for us to recognize that you cannot pigeonhole a person. This means that even within a type, everyone is still slightly different. The four categories are now:

1. Energy source:
   • Extraversion (E)Focused on the outside world, loves social interactions and activities, draws energy from interacting with others.
   • Introversion (I)Focused on one's own inner life, prefers fewer but deeper interactions, draws energy from being alone.
2. Type of information processing:
   • Sensing (S)Prefers concrete information and details, is practice-oriented and focuses on the here and now.
   • Intuition (N)Prefers abstract information and patterns, is idea-oriented and future-oriented.
3. Decision making:
   • Thinking (T)Makes decisions on the basis of logic and objectivity, often guided by facts and analysis.
   • Feeling (F): Makes decisions based on values and personal convictions, often oriented towards harmony and relationships.
4. Lifestyle:
   • Judging (J)Prefers planning, structure and organization, likes clear decisions and a planned lifestyle.
   • Perceiving (P)Prefers flexibility, openness and spontaneous decisions, likes to keep options open.

A combination can then lead to ESFJ or INFP or all other types. Feel free to think about where you would classify yourself. The test will then serve as a mirror. 

16 Personalities: Are there alternatives? What can personality tests do?

Big Five (OCEAN model): Five basic dimensions of personality, including extraversion and neuroticism. This is our preferred tool in executive coaching (via LINC Profiler) as it is scientifically more precise than the MBTI.

DISC model: A popular test in a professional context that divides behavioral styles into four areas (Dominance, Initiative, Steadiness, Conscientiousness). It helps to re-evaluate situations. This allows you to answer questions you have had for a long time. 

For private individuals, such tests can provide valuable insights into their own personality and interpersonal relationships. Companies use them for team development to define roles, overcome communication barriers and improve collaboration.

It also helps to choose the right person for the company when making a new hire. In coaching, it usually helps us to encourage reflection. For us, it is a tool that the customer can use themselves. It promotes self-knowledge and gives us the opportunity for a new perspective. 

Big Five Personality Test against 16 personalities

The Big Five test is more scientifically based and examines personality traits in more detail. While the MBTI places more emphasis on types and is particularly easy to understand in everyday life. The Big Five is suitable for in-depth self-reflection, the MBTI for quick orientation and everyday life. In addition, the Big Five test places greater emphasis on understanding your own characteristics in comparison to the other person and using them accordingly. The MBTI test, on the other hand, places you in a category and then gives you all the information you need. This allows you to get to know yourself in detail, but not how you correspond to other types and people. 

With MBTI you understand yourself and your type.

With Big 5 you recognize your place in the world and the connections that arise from it. 

MBTI test: what else the four letters say | Myers Briggs

The four letters stand for different trends:

• E/I for extraversion or introversion
• S/N for sensing (facts) or intuition
• T/F for Thinking or Feeling
• J/P for judging (structure) or perceiving (spontaneity)

These combinations form 16 unique personality types and show how we experience and react to the world. If you now look at these individually, you can gain further insights.

The test itself is based on the type theory of the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung. He published this in 1921 in his work Psychological types introduced. He described two basic orientations of consciousness (extraversion and introversion). In addition, there are four functions of thinking and feeling (thinking, feeling, sensing and intuition). He suggested that people make different psychological preferences for perception and decision-making, which lead to recurring personality patterns. 

Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers wanted to create a systemic questionnaire from this. They realized that in their day, many people chose a career path that did not match their preferences. So they expanded on Jung's theory to develop this very test. In 1943, Briggs and Myers published the first version of the MBTI. Today it is one of the world's best known Personality tests. It serves this purpose in a wide variety of contexts and thus helps people move forward.

The reliability of the test naturally depends on the honesty of your results. The 16 different personality types are matched to your answers with precision. This allows you to better understand your personality. Whether extroverted or introverted, practical, spontaneous and flexible or generic and charming. In the end, it's up to you what conclusions you draw. 16Personalities can help you with this and is available free of charge. 

With us, you will learn how to use this knowledge and apply it profitably. We can discuss the advantages of each test with you. We will also explain the significance of the personality type to you. There is no right or wrong. Our motive is to act appropriately. Adapted to your unique personality. Do you want more? Are you facing a major challenge in life? Are you at a loss? You are welcome to contact us. Book a free initial consultation now!

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