Jovana Rikalo

There Are 4 New Personality Types For The Workplace

We're all familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality types.

Even if you don't necessarily know which one you are, you've probably seen a friend do the occasional hair flip while pronouncing, "I can't help it! I'm INFP!"

Well, now there's a new categorization technique for figuring out your personality type, and these distinctions are just way more user-friendly.

These personality types are designed to create healthy, successful work cultures and are used by Marcel Schwantes, principal and founder of Leadership From the Core.

Schwantes told Inc. that each of the four personality types "has its distinct strengths, but also opportunities for development, or blind spots."

To figure out which one applies to you, take note of the two types that most closely define who you are in the workplace.

Human beings are complex, and more often than not, we have a primary personality type as well as a secondary one.

Here's how it all breaks down, according to Marcel himself:

Leader Type

Leader types are extremely dedicated people, and they have the follow-through to get results from whatever project they're working on.

They're able to see beyond day-to-day tasks and look at the big picture.

Since they're so competitive in the workplace, their end goal is simply to "win."


Their blind spots include appearing too antagonistic or controlling, and they often put the work or their projects before the people working on them.

Many people believe Leader Types lack the compassion to understand the needs of others, and they can seem unhelpful or critical.

Unfortunately, Leader Types have a habit of stepping on the toes of their co-workers, and they aren't the best communicators.

People Type

Above all, People Type just want to connect with others. They love to help people in any way that they can, and they often use their creativity to do so.

Because of their affinity for communication, People Types are always trying to dig deeper within themselves to figure out who they are and what they want.

They defend and support the people they care about, and out of all the other personality types, they're the best at conveying their feelings.

Schwantes describes these people as being gifted facilitators to others' growth, making them excellent managers or leaders of teams that involve a lot of social interaction.

People Types, however, can be overly sensitive and put other people's needs and desires before their own.

They also like to agree with the majority, so sometimes they end up picking the most popular decision instead of the "right one."

And because they're so considerate, they can even turn into people-pleasers who let more domineering people walk all over them.

Free Spirit Type

Free Spirit Types hate following the rules and being tied down by formalities.

They're the people who will do anything they can to break away from the 9-to-5 routine, and because of that, they're able to bring a sense of excitement to even the most boring of tasks.

They love trying new things in and out of the workplace, and their ambition seems endless. If you try to tell them they can't do something, they'll spend hours trying to prove you wrong.

At times, however, their enthusiasm can lack the follow-through necessary for success, which means they leave a lot of jobs incomplete.


Since they're always bouncing from one great idea to the next, their work can be chaotic and disorganized.

This translates to their relationships, too.

Since Free-Spirit types are always looking for the next big thing, they don't pay enough attention to the details, which is frustrating for the majority of people who rely on organization and master plans to succeed.

Their sloppiness can be their biggest downfall.

Task Type

Task Types are the most organized and reliable of the four personality types, and they crave structure and discipline in all areas of their lives.

They pay an insane amount of attention to detail, and when it comes to getting the job done, they have the dedication to make it happen. They never let anything fall through the cracks.


But because they're so rigid in their routines, they aren't very accepting of change or new ideas.

Their co-workers see them as workaholics who take their jobs too seriously. Their demand for perfection can put off others and even cause conflicts.

Ultimately, Schwantes uses these personality types in working environments to leverage people's strengths in order to encourage a better working environment.

However, I believe these personality types can be used in different varieties of relationships, including our personal ones.

The better we are able to understand why people are the way they are, the easier it is to forgive certain conflicting opinions.

Citations: There Are 4 Personality Types. Here Is How Each Will Lead to Great Success (or Massive Failure) (Inc. Mag)