ESTP personality type

By Dr. Edwin van Thiel

Updated on May 20, 2022

An ESTP at a glance

The ESTP type, or The Persuader, brings energy to the scene, they are perhaps even more inquisitive and exploring than their associated types ISTP, ISFP and ESFP. ESTPs are life's adventurers. When an ESTP type is around, life is really buzzing! The lights are on and the action begins. They believe that life is not a rehearsal - so everyone should go for it!

Am I the ESTP type?

Are you life's adventurer ESTP?

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People warm to an ESTP quickly which is great because they need people. They are energetic, warm, friendly, enthusiastic and have a great sense of humor. An ESTP is primarily focused on the here and now. Their motto or philosophy of life could easily be make the most of the moment! They have a built-in need to be a doer - to always be physically and mentally active. To be engaged in a great variety of activities involving as many people as possible. However, people who know them well realize that, despite all this dynamic flow of energy, they can also be logical and grounded.

The MBTI test was the first indicator of this type. Some experts in personality types think of an ESTP as a super hero character. They love to move faster than a speeding bullet and leap tall buildings in a single bound!

ESTP workstyle and contributions to an organization

There are many personality types of workers in different organizations, groups, or relationships, providing variable contributions and workstyle. Listed below are specific skills, attributes, or talents associated with an ESTP personality type:

  • Places his/her whole body and soul into a project.
  • Is pragmatic, outgoing, quick and flexible.
  • Values and operates according to firsthand experience instead of theories.

An ESTP on a team

Collaborative problem-solving leads to a better outcome for some individuals but not for everyone. It will be a great option to consider individual ability before choosing the best team to solve a particular problem. If ESTP personality types are to be considered, the following enlightens their team contributions and characteristics:

  • Is flexible and responds quickly.
  • Joins teams and projects with enthusiastic optimism and a conviction to succeed.
  • Establishes objectives, routes, purpose and benchmarks.

ESTP leadership style

Managing and guiding a group of people is a challenging task that varies between individuals. The following provides a clue on how an ESTP personality type approaches the leadership challenge when playing a leadership role:

  • Seizes the day and the opportunities.
  • Motivates and inspires others.
  • Easily clarifies problems, collects opinions, offers alternatives and determines immediate action.

Communications style

Effective communication depends on two key elements, how you express yourself and how well you listen to others. Good communication is needed to be successful. Taking note of how you and others communicate and how you want them to communicate with you plays a vital role in achieving an effective communication for your personality:

  • Speaks with energy, excitement, charm, wit and joviality.
  • Replies quickly and deftly; thinks on his/her feet.
  • Prefers talking in person and interacting with others, rather than communicating with written reports.

Problem solving

Different people have distinct problem-solving tactics according to their personality types. The ESTP personality type will probably tackle any problem using the following methods:

  • Searches out the facts to a problem.
  • Gathers together information on what others in the organization are actually doing.
  • Looks at what has been done previously about the situation.

Stress Profile

Stress is simply the feeling of emotional or physical tension. It significantly affects working ability by making individuals inactive when needed to deliver quality work, relationships, or interaction. Stress profiles vary according to personality types, resulting in variable strength and blind spots.

Stress triggers
  • Being surrounded by too many serious people and judged for being easygoing and carefree.
  • Having too many duties, obligations or responsibilities.
  • Being forced to make decisions about distant prospects.
Stress profile characteristics
  • Loses their easygoing agreeable nature.
  • Becomes pessimistic and worried, taking feedback from others way too personally.
  • Their good-hearted humor tends to evaporate.

Motivators

Individual interest and enthusiasm increase based on how their environment matches their preference and workstyle. Having a good match aids each personality type's working spirit. Below are some of the ESTP work preferences and key characteristics they look for in work or try to avoid. Key characteristics can also be known as a way in which an ESTP would typically like to be managed or related to:

  • Likes comrades who are equally hardworking.
  • Prefers situations where immediate concerns can be tackled.
  • Becomes annoyed with, and de-motivated by, strict adherence to policies and procedures.

ESTP Learning style

It's hard to have different personality types with the same learning style. Knowing how each personality type learns makes it easy to succeed in every on-the-job training or classroom instruction. An ESTP learning style is given below:  

  • Becomes absorbed in learning when it generates prompt rewards.
  • Grows restless if active learning and high energy are not part of the environment.
  • Enjoys hands-on experiences and direct observations.

Opportunities for Growth

We all love pulling back in our least favorite preference areas, but as we mature, it's a great option to acquire greater skills in these areas to build wider opportunities and make us more balanced and versatile. The following list gives some of the evident ESTP blind spots and areas to pay attention to:

  • Be aware that you may take on too much and you do not necessarily carry through with multiple projects.
  • You may get into trouble with an over-dependence on last minute improvisations, the adrenaline rush of emergencies and the ensuing stress that this creates for others.
  • Focus more on setting priorities and goals to avoid continual pressure cookers and the appearance of being irresponsible.

ESTP: Extravert-Sensor-Thinker-Perceiver

Jung type ESTP

  • Extraverts are outgoing, energetic and action-oriented. They are enthusiastic and expressive
  • Sensors live in the present. They rely on facts, handle practical matters well and like things to be concrete and measurable.
  • Thinkers make decisions using logic and impersonal analysis. They think with their heads rather than their hearts.
  • Perceivers prefer a lifestyle that is spontaneous, flexible and adaptable. They like an environment that is unstructured, and like to keep their options open.

Jung personality types

There are sixteen Jung personality types. Take a free Jung personality test or learn more about the Jung typology.