Background Information
Since gradually becoming a global phenomenon in the early 2000s, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most popular psychometric tools for measuring psychological preferences in how people perceive the world around them and make decisions. MBTI categorises its participants into 16 distinct personality ‘types’, which are the basic building blocks of the theories it proposed. The personality types associated with the MBTI describe the preferences an individual has into creating their own personal dwellings. The premise is that individuals fall into one of these personality types because they have certain innate behaviours, which are then modified by their environments to contribute to their personal identities.
Elon Musk’s MBTI Profile
Due to its ever-growing popularity, the MBTI has also been attributed to some of the world’s most influential people, including entrepreneur and inventor Elon Musk. Musk has been compared to an unstoppable force since his various groundbreaking innovations, from self-driving vehicles to reusable rockets, have propelled him to the spotlight. According to experts, Musk is often classified as an INFJ personality type, which stands for Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judgement. While INFJs and INTJs (Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judgement) share similar characteristics, such as being creative, adaptable, and strong problem-solvers, INFJs are typically more oriented towards value-based decision-making, and display a greater ability to build and develop relationships.
Character Traits of an INFJ
INFJs can be seen as somewhat secluded and private, and tend to be dreamy, idealistic and highly empathetic to others. They are sensitive to criticism and often crave intellectual stimulation, but can also switch to a realistic and pragmatic state, enabling them to focus and make complex decisions. INFJs usually strive for perfection and have a tendency to be unaware of their own limits, which can often lead to frustration, difficulties in setting boundaries, or burning out.
At the same time, INFJs also have a strong sense of self-awareness and self-possession when it comes to their beliefs and values. This further cements the idea that MBTI is an accurate description of Musk’s behaviour and provides additional insight into his success as an entrepreneur and visionary leader.
Observable Behaviour of an INFJ
Musk’s INFJ type personality can be recognised in a multitude of ways. For one, Musk has a penchant for expansive and revolutionary ideas which is often indicative of an individual who possesses an INFJ type personality. According to INFJ expert Jan Johnston-Tyler, he ‘seeks the intangible’ and ‘tends to move quickly and decisively towards potential goals and ideals’. He is also deeply passionate about his ideas and will not hesitate to confront the challenges and criticism that come his way.
It is also apparent that Musk is eager to explore and is comfortable with risk-taking due to his inherent faith that his instincts and intuitions will bear fruit. This is a quality that is characteristically linked to having an INFJ type personality as they are typically visionary pioneers who feel capable and driven to explore issues that push beyond existing boundaries. Musk’s innate ability to observe patterns and the effects of dependencies has also enabled him to think about problems from unique angles to come up with out-of-the-box solutions.
Visionary Leadership
It is no surprise that Musk’s personality type has been associated with visionary leadership. It is through his deeply personal and value-driven approach that Musk has been able to create something of unprecedented magnitude. According to Dave Evans, an MBTI expert and author, Musk has been able to think in large, abstract patterns and effectively combine his creative ideas and scientific efforts to foster an innovative network that is able to bring forth revolutionary products.
Thus, it seems that one of the biggest contributing factors to Musk’s success is his willingness to challenge the status quo and inroads of existing ideas. Despite the adversity and complexity of his projects, Musk’s INFJ type personality allows him to remain focused on his vision and trust that the risks he takes will ultimately lead to something greater.
Resilience and Adaptability
It is widely believed that an INFJ type individual is able to quickly adapt to change. Furthermore, this contributes to another quality that Musk displays—resilience. As an entrepreneur and inventor, Musk is no stranger to failure and setbacks. That said, his INFJ type personality helps him to stay in a forward-moving, adaptive state of mind during tough times.
In this case, the combination of innovative thinking, problem-solving, and the removal of emotional barriers, allows Musk to continue development without being bound by traditional thinking or the structures of the status quo. These components are essential elements of an INFJ’s mindset and through their implementation, Musk has managed to remain unfazed by obstacles and uncertainties that could have stalled development and success.
Freedom to Explore New Avenues
Musk’s willingness to take on ambitious projects even when the odds are against him is a direct manifestation of his INFJ type personality. He loves to delve deeply into an area of interest and explore various possibilities. This means that he is never bound to one specific field and instead, he technology’s ability to impact and develop the future—which is why he often invests in projects that are geared towards rapidly advancing the world towards a sustainable and accessible future.
INCJs possess a natural intuition for differentiating the important details from the superfluous and by doing so, they are able to separate the valuable insights from the irrelevant speculation. This works perfectly in Musk’s favor, as he is able to efficiently filter through ideas to identify the ones that are most suitable for his projects, saving him time and resources in the long run.
The Need to Evaluate Progress
MBTI’s categorisation of Musk as an INFJ type further emphasises his need to evaluate the progress of his development and the progress of his team towards ambitious goals. INFJs have the ability to maintain a balance between the present and the future, enabling them to account for the present feasibility of their plans and maintain a level-headed approach to kinks and delays that could affect their strategies.
Thus, for Musk, having an INFJ type personality allows him to more accurately assess and develop his ideas as he can combine his values, passion, and ideas to create an end product that can guarantee his ambitions whilst still considering the practical realities of the situation.
Change and Reshaping of Ideas
For many INFJs, there is a need for personal growth through progressive development and creative reshaping of ideas. Musk continuously strives to push the boundaries of traditional thinking and even though his projects might sometimes seem overwhelming or ambitious, his INFJ type personality allows him to make clear-headed decisions without the need to be bound by the existing parameters of his ideas.
In this sense, Musk’s MBTI profile is very helpful in providing a personality profile that can explain the success of his ideas—from the intuitive decision-making processes to the need to account for progress and potential issues with projects. Ultimately, it is Musk’s INFJ type personality that has enabled him to become a major force in the development of modern technology and a widely successful business magnate.
