ESTJ

ESTJs tend to be direct, practical and responsible, valuing logic, respect for rules and a job well
done.
Naturally action-oriented in the outside world, their preferred behaviour is to quickly assess and
analyse situations and come up with a concrete, practical response, often based on past
experience. They prefer structure, logic and analysis when making and implementing decisions.
They rely on their keen sense of observation and ability to remember concrete details to organise
and monitor activities.
They also favour continuity and the value of experience, preferring to draw solutions from their
internal memory archives - or those of others - rather than imagining new ways of doing things.
Strongly focused on tasks and tangible results, their organisational skills and logical analysis make
them excellent managers or administrators in all kinds of fields.

ESTJs develop a sense of logic and responsibility at an early age. They trust what they have
experienced for themselves and often take a very pragmatic approach to everyday life.
Direct and transparent, they want to know the logical reasons for doing what is asked of them.
They do not obey to please, but because they agree with the argument.
Their activities tend to focus on concrete, practical areas such as sports, games, crafts or
computers. They often enjoy tinkering or making things, or simply taking part in everyday tasks.

ESTJ teens can be calmer and focus on individual but still concrete activities such as collecting,
filing, repairing or making things. Responsible and conscientious, they tend to do well at school and
are happy to take on representative roles within their class or group.

Communication

ESTJs prefer a detailed, step-by-step, literal style of communication. They prefer to provide a lot of
evidence to support their ideas and ask a lot of questions to get the detailed information they need
to understand a situation. To convince them, focus on demonstrating the logical reasons behind
your project and provide evidence.

Learning style

ESTJs learn best through experience and are more interested in practical applications than theories
or concepts. They appreciate a structured, interactive learning environment where they can ask
questions openly. They often have an excellent memory for the subjects that interest them. The
competence of the teacher is also an important factor in their learning.

Academic and career orientation

The combination of a preference for logic and concreteness opens up a wide range of career
opportunities for ESTJs. They will be more attracted to challenging careers where they can direct
and organise activities: project and business management, industry, technology, administration,
quality, trade, logistics, defence and security.

Marie-Noëlle Ferré & Christophe Thibierge 1

In their intimate relationships, ESTJs prefer a mode of interaction based on honesty and
predictability. They like to plan and share activities; they also like to talk a lot and ask for logical
reasons for this or that event or behaviour.
They prefer to control their emotions and express their affection through their daily actions rather
than through words or gestures.

Work

ESTJs often show an ability to manage a heavy workload, focusing on the tasks at hand and the
results to be achieved. Pragmatic and realistic, relying on experience, they prefer organisation and
detailed plans, working in stages until the project is complete. They prefer to work in teams, but
more to develop their skills than for social interaction.

Leisure

ESTJs generally prefer leisure activities that involve interaction with other people.
They enjoy competition in sports and games. They also like to relax on their own with manual
activities such as DIY, gardening or cooking.
They are more likely to read about their real interests than imaginary fiction.

Stress

Sources of stress often cited by ESTJs are prolonged solitary work, expressing or feeling strong
emotions, lack of efficiency or information and, more generally, a fear of losing control.
Strongly attached to rules and planning, they can experience intense stress when faced with the
unexpected or in situations where their authority and legitimacy are challenged.

Potential pitfalls

As a take-charge type with high control needs and a strong sense of responsibility, ESTJs tend to
have a low tolerance for disorganisation, lateness, sloppiness or any other inappropriate behaviour
- as defined by the ESTJ themselves. Their criticism can become loud, rigid, domineering and cause
great stress to those around them.
ESTJs often have real difficulty listening to subordinates or anyone else they deem unqualified to
give an opinion. This includes children and others outside the chain of command.
Many ESTJs report difficulty relaxing. They're said to be able to turn reading into a competitive
sport. In later life, this can manifest itself in a variety of stress-related health problems and make
retirement difficult and intimidating.

Marie-Noëlle Ferré & Christophe Thibierge 2