All ESTJ Strengths & Weaknesses – Listed & Explained

Every individual is different in many ways, and it is beneficial for you to understand yourself and your personality.

You can set yourself up for great success in your life, career and relationship by understanding your preferences and knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are.

ESTJ is the combination of Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging traits and is one of the sixteen personality types identified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Commonly described as The Commander or The Executive, ESTJs are known for dealing with whatever comes their way logically and rationally without getting influenced by emotions.

They are traditionalists who stick closely to their principles and values regardless of where they are.

Forming a small percentage of the population, ESTJs who can leverage their strengths and improve their weaknesses can flourish to become high achievers in their life.

They can lead others with great courage and determination amid adversity or challenges.

Are you an ESTJ?

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All ESTJ Strengths and Advantages

Dedicated

ESTJs are highly devoted to the goals and missions they set for themselves.

They will give their 101 percent commitment and are willing to invest their time, effort and energy on things they strongly believe in.

At work, ESTJs can be counted on to champion the organization’s vision and mission unceasingly while inspiring others to do the same.

While some people may give up halfway, ESTJs are not one of them. ESTJs feel obligated to see things through till the end, regardless of how challenging or mundane the tasks are.

Strong-willed

Having a solid determination and powerful will makes ESTJs’ dedication feasible. In the face of difficulties, ESTJs are unlikely to throw in the towel and concede defeat.

Instead, they become more motivated to explore every possibility and do whatever they can to overcome the difficulties and achieve their goals.

Their unshakeable mindset makes them unlikely to be easily swayed by others’ objections or resistance or compromise their most important values.

ESTJs are adamant in their beliefs and values, and they must be proved wrong convincingly with concrete evidence and facts before they can change their minds.

Direct and Honest

ESTJs are straightforward and honest in all of their affairs. They get straight to the point without beating around the bush, and others do not have to second guess their meaning between the lines.

ESTJ’s directness and honesty may come across as blunt or too strong, making others feel unsupported at times.

However, some individuals appreciate these kinds of personality traits as they know ESTJs will speak their minds openly and are unafraid to speak only the truth and facts.

Loyal, Patient and Reliable

A man of words. ESTJs are incredibly trustworthy and reliable individuals as they value stability and security very much.

You can always expect ESTJs to follow through with their promises when they promise to do something.

These characteristics make them a responsible person who can be relied on in their family, workplace and the community.

Enjoy Creating Order

Change is uncomfortable and unpredictable to ESTJs as they enjoy living a routine life and seek the feeling of stability and security in everything they do.

ESTJ do this by establishing clear rules and structures in their life. They can stay focused on the important stuff in their life and get things done.

Excellent Organizers

ESTJs make excellent administrators. They excel in delegating responsibilities and assigning tasks fairly to others.

Coupled with ESTJs’ innate leadership ability, they have a knack of putting in place clear structures for team members and allocating resources effectively to facilitate the attainment of goals.

You can always depend on ESTJs to maintain the principles, values, rules and regulations that keep families, organizations or societies organized and operating normally.

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All ESTJ Weaknesses & Flows You Should Be Aware Of

Inflexible and Stubborn

ESTJs can be unyielding and steadfast in their convictions. They can be obstinate to the point where they are reluctant to consider the opinion of others, especially when they feel threatened by those who disagree with them.

Their inflexibility can prevent ESTJs from being entirely open-minded. Their logical and rational approach to generally everything in life can inhibit their desire to think outside the box.

Furthermore, being too fixated on their own beliefs, ideas and opinions may result in their failure to consider new or contradictory evidence that might lead to a different and possibly more accurate interpretation.

Uncomfortable with Unconventional Situations

ESTJs’ preference for structure and order in everything they do can become a possible stumbling block in their pursuit of success.

They may become stressed and anxious when forced to change their tried and tested method to an untested or eccentric way of doing things.

Judgmental

ESTJs tend to have their own rules to determine what is right, wrong and socially acceptable.

They can be seen as judgemental or small-minded when ESTJs become impatient and critical of people living unconventional lifestyles that go against their beliefs.

With their black-and-white approach to life, ESTJ may overlook the fact that none of the values they promote is universal or absolute.

They may be unable to recognize how innovations can bring more productivity and benefits to their life.

Too Focused on Social Status

ESTJs enjoy being in the company of their friends, family members and loved ones, but they can be susceptible and perturbed by others’ opinion about them.

ESTJs (particularly ESTJ-T) may become so preoccupied with satisfying others’ demands that they often overlook their desires.

Difficult to Relax

ESTJs’ strong regard for sticking to their principles and need for integrity can make it impossible for them to let go and relax, even while having fun.

Difficulty Expressing Emotion

One of the ESTJs’ most significant weaknesses is their lack of emotional expression, making them known for their inability to express emotions and display affection.

They can be so focused on getting to the bottom of a problem and then coming up with the most viable strategies that they lose sight of what makes others content.

ESTJs also have limited patience with individuals who think or behave instinctively, seeing these characteristics as vulnerabilities rather than possible assets.

As a result, they can come off as blunt, aggressive, and indifferent to others.

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ESTJ Growth and Development Opportunities

ESTJs possess talents and traits exclusive to this personality style that may not be standard abilities of other personality types. But this does not imply that they are flawless.

ESTJs should seek continuous growth and improvement to maximize their potential and unique talents in their career or relationship with others.

This way, ESTJs can see their place in society more clearly and feel more content in whatever role they are in.

How To Boost and Maximize ESTJ Strengths

Promoting good work ethic in the workplace: Coupled with their natural leadership skills, ESTJ can lead by example in encouraging and motivating team members to stay focused and persist in getting things done even in the face of obstacles or challenges.

ESTJs can inspire and influence people around them with their values and principles such as strong dedication, a sense of responsibility and integrity.

These values will help to build confidence and improve the job performance of their team.

Making decisions: ESTJs are known for being outspoken and not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, which can be helpful when making a difficult or unpopular decision.

To facilitate their decision-making process. ESTJs may consider pausing and thinking whether the decisions they are about to make are aligned with their values and principles.

ESTJs can also consider the long-term implications and obtain more information to help them make a better-informed decision.

Maintaining work-life balance: For high achievers like the ESTJs, they can be workaholics and very meticulous.

They are willing to sacrifice their personal time and energy to ensure their works are delivered to perfection and achieve their goals and objectives.

ESTJs need to be aware not to strive for success and outstanding achievements at the expense of their loved ones and health.

In such cases, ESTJs need to balance between their work and personal life to prevent burnout and promote well-being and family happiness.

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How to Minimize and Deal with ESTJ weaknesses

Suspend judgement: ESTJs need to control themselves from jumping straight to a conclusion before understanding the whole story.

They need to focus on asking probing questions, gather as much information as possible and actively ask themselves or seek feedback from others if there are any details that they might have missed out on.

Slow down and relax: As much as they enjoy working and striving for success, it will be highly beneficial for ESTJs to slow down their pace once a while.

They need to keep in mind that taking a rest and having downtime is not a sign of laziness. These activities are how people recharge their energy.

They can go for a short getaway or vacation with their loved ones or practice mindfulness activities such as yoga or meditations, which can help ESTJs relax and relieve stress.

Be in touch with their feelings and emotions: ESTJs should focus on recognizing their feelings and be more mindful of the feelings of others.

To ESTJs, their bluntness and outspokenness may not mean any harm, but it may be to the person on the receiving end.

These characteristics of ESTJs may scare away good employees and alienate their family members. Sometimes, ESTJs can put more effort into listening to others, making them feel heard.

They can also learn to acknowledge other’s talents and strengths and make a conscious effort to express their appreciation to others.

ESTJ Strengths & Weaknesses FAQ

What is ESTJ best at?

The ESTJ is an excellent leader. They know how to motivate a team, delegate tasks, and stay efficient. Organization is another major talent ESTJs possess. They can organize teams in the most productive way possible.

Since ESTJs are quite traditional, they place a high value on orderliness and rule following. They will ensure company values and rules are adhered to and are not afraid of confrontation.

Is ESTJ intelligent?

ESTJs are intelligent individuals, but they do not have a strong desire to acquire more knowledge like INTJs do. Their intelligence is focused around leading others and understanding productivity.

They are also knowledgeable when it comes to understanding human behavior. Their intelligence is less theoretical and more practical (ESTJs are not idea-oriented).

What irritates ESTJ?

ESTJs are irritated when someone constantly complains to them. They do not appreciate individuals who make themselves victims or force others to pity them instead of working to better themselves.

Additionally, being lazy or procrastinating will surely make an ESTJ mad. They are masters of efficiency and productivity, and laziness disturbs their plans.

Finally, if you speak negatively about traditional values, ESTJs may take that as a personal insult. They hold these values close to them, so expect their reaction to be strong.

Final Word

It is crucial to keep in mind that the strengths and weaknesses mentioned above may not apply to every ESTJ out there in the world. Every individual’s personality is different in their unique way.

By understanding your strengths and weaknesses based on your personality type, you are one step ahead of others in pursuing your aspirations and accomplishing many wonderful things in your life.

ESTJs can learn to be more open-minded with the changes around them.

ESTJs who can take advantage of their strong preference to constantly improve and develop themselves can overcome any challenges or difficulties they face that stand between them and success in life.