Have you ever taken a personality test?
Chances are, you probably have.
After all, it seems there’s a personality test for everything!
There are tests that claim to figure out everything and anything – from your communication style, to who you should date, to what kind of pizza you’d be if you were an Italian food.
But in the business world, you’ve likely run into a personality test (or eleven) that would suggest what kind of entrepreneur you are. Or, if you should be an entrepreneur in the first place.
The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI) has been around for years, and puts you into one of 16 categories based on qualifications such as introversion/extroversion and thinking/feeling.
The DiSC personal assessment looks at people based on 4 criteria: (D)ominance, (i)nfluence, (S)teadiness and (C)conscientiousness.
According to Deloitte, four primary Business Chemistry types: there are Pioneers, Guradians, Drivers, and Integrators. The test claims we are all combinations of these various types.
These are just a few personality tests that have been applied in the business realm, but there are countless others.
Lately, these types of tests have faced their share of backlash.
They’ve been labelled pseudo-scientific and superficial. Some suggest they do more harm than good, if anything at all.
Which is understandable. After all, how can answering a few questions give you deep insight on your personality and how it affects your role as a business owner?
How can 16 categories or 4 characteristics be enough to describe a complex individual and how they align with their entrepreneural future?
Used the wrong way, these personality tests can be used to pigeon-hole, limit, and even stereotype people.
But, used the right way, they can stand to be very helpful.
Here are just a few things to keep in mind when you are taking personality tests…
1. Understand that you can change
The road to entrepreneurship is full of trials and tribulations.
And, like any epic journey, it changes you.
Think of yourself, the entrepreneur, as the hero of a quest story.
At the beginning of any quest story, the hero starts out believing one thing, and then along the way, she gathers insight, knowledge, resilience, and traits that help her move from level to level. At the end (if there even is a true end) she is a different person from when she started.
Thinking that a personality test locks you into a certain role or behavior for life is limited thinking.
Adopt a growth mindset and expect to change and grow. Business owners are always evolving.
You won’t be the same person at the end – and arguably, there is no end to the entrepreneural journey.
Read the personality test as a snapshot of where you are right at this instant, and use this knowledge to get you to the next level.
2. Use what you’ve got
Business owners can be hard on themselves.
They tend to have very high standards – for others, for their businesses, and especially for themselves.
They might not realize what traits they possess that could be true assets in their business goals.
This is why a personality test can be helpful – by shedding light on what assets you have that might not be completely obvious to you.
When you know what you’ve got that works for you, you’ll be able to move forward with more confidence that you will succeed.
3. Know your blind spots
Learning your strengths is the fun part.
Learning your weaknesses – not so much.
But knowledge is power, and if you can see where your business goals and personality traits diverge, then at least now you can do something about it.
You can take action.
Maybe you’ll look into training. Maybe you’ll work on your communication skills. Maybe you can address the situation head-on and ask your team to help you navigate certain situations.
Maybe you’ll take the plunge and delegate a certain aspect of your business to someone else – for the greater good.
Whatever you decide, acknowledging your blind spots can only help you rise above them. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.
4. There is no “right way” to be an entrepreneur
But what if your so-called blind spots aren’t really blind spots at all?
Maybe you just have your way of doing things – a way that’s unconventional but effective (maybe even awesome).
For example, there’s this myth that says introverts don’t make great entrepreneurs – it’s simply not true.
They just do things differently from extroverts.
Maybe instead of public speaking events, they focus on networking in small groups, or even one-on-one. Maybe they go deeper on fewer relationships and that’s how they find success.
So, if you take a personality test that groups you in with the introverts (quiet thinkers) does that mean you’re not suited for business ownership and you should give up before you get started?
Of course not.
It means you know where your strengths are and you’re going to play those strengths as opposed to focusing on your perceived faults.
Personality tests aren’t the litmus test of success or failure when it comes to being an entrepreneur, but they can offer insight that can move you closer to your entrepreneurial goals. When you take personality tests like the MBTI, DiSC, and Deloitte Business Chemistry, it’s important to remember that we are changing and evolving. Use the tests to learn what strengths you should be leveraging and acknowledge your perceived blind spots. Also, remember that perceived weaknesses or blind spots aren’t really hinderances, and in most cases, they just invite you to do things in your own special way.