The persona of the presidential hopefuls was recently analyzed by The Slate’s, Emily Yoffe. She applied the principles of personality assessment (the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), based on theories of psychiatrist Carl Jung; to Clinton, Obama, and McCain. The foundation of her final analysis is based on the work of psychologist David Keirsey who took a broader perspective of Jung’s personality types and created four categories which he calls temperaments. The Guardians, Idealists, Artisans and the Rationals. Yoffe’s article is insightful, a fun read, and well researched.
All this presidential who-ha talk left me thinking about the rest of us little people. How do you show up in public, at work, in your career or in business? Are you more of a presidential-type leader – or a placater who – only under extreme conditions – can be provoked to utter an occasionally pithy remark? There’s a slew of personality theories and tests, but ultimately we’re beckoned to examine ourselves on a deeper level as human beings.
"Who am I?" is the ontological question that we all ponder from time to time, but not one that necessarily enters our thought process when it comes to business or the workplace. It’s not just about who you are, but how you react – when confronted with stress.
A recent survey by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt, about stress in the workplace entitled Staying@Work, found that workplace stress is the most frequently cited reason U.S. employees consider leaving their jobs. It also found that few employers are addressing workplace stress.
At work or in business we are faced with certain stressors which often trigger an inherent personal nature that either causes us to appropriately respond – or react from the gut in an less than orthodox way to chaotic episodes.
This lead me to explore the work of family therapist Virginia Satir who identified five personality types in situations of stress. For the 24/7 – sensory overloaded – global marketplace we live and work in, Satir’s assessment tool is worth a look. Most of us probably vacillate among the following stress responder types. But she claims the ideal is to graduate to the level of – The Leveller:
- The Placater: Above all they are concerned about how they will be perceived. They will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid confrontation.
- The Blamer: Generally feels powerless and uncared for. Stress causes them to overcompensate and bluff their way through life.
- The Computer: To avoid emotion, feeling or expressing it, they will resort to logic.
- The Distracter: Easily confused by stressful situations and will grasp at straws in an attempt to find solace.
- The Leveller: Accepts stress as a normal part of the process. Satir says, "They are comfortable with ambiguous and uncertain situations and even engage with threats rather than fighting them or running away."
We would all like to think of ourselves as "levellers." But that takes work. Embodying that persona calls on us to examine our own behavior on a daily basis. More importantly, we have to embrace some sort of stress-reducing practice or tool that allows us to accumulate an inner stillness. It’s a challenge at best in a world of instant information and instant gratification.
