1. Psychodynamic Approach
Chapter 13

2. Eric Berne and Transactional Analysis
People have three ego states: parent, adult, child
Parent: acting like a parent and telling others what they should do, to either nurture or control them.
Child: acting like either a rebellious or obedient child (reacting to a parent)
Adult: acting responsibly and treating others as adults.
Key point: people shift in & out of the 3 ego states
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

3. Eric Berne and Transactional Analysis
For a leader-follower dyad, there are a number of possible crossed transactions
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

4. Personality traits Tendencies of thinking, feeling, & acting
Influenced by the environment (including other people), genetics, and free-will.
People may be described by a set of characteristics or traits
Quiet, intellectual, & organized
Talkative, down to earth, & spontaneous
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

5. Carl Jung & Personality Types (Myers-Briggs)
Four dimensions important in assessing personality:
Where a person derives his/her energy –
Internally (I) or externally (E)
Preferred way of gathering information –
Sequentially through the 5 senses (S) or more intuitively & intellectually (N)
Criteria for making decisions –
Rationally & factually (T) or in a subjective, relational way (F)
Preference for making judgments
Makes decisions and judgments easily (J) or prefers waiting as long as possible before deciding (P)
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

6. Carl Jung & Personality Types
Classification of Types:
Extraversion (E) versus Introversion (I): if person prefers to derive energy externally or internally.
Sensing (S) versus iNtuitive (N): if person prefers to gather information through observation or insight.
Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F): if person prefers to make decisions rationally or subjectively.
Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P): if person prefers to live in an organized or spontaneous way.
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

7. Carl Jung & Personality Types: 16 combinations

8. Carl Jung & Personality Types
Extraversion and Introversion
Extraversion (E) is a preference for obtaining information, inspiration, and energy from outside the self
Talk a great deal
Desire contact with others
An introvert (I) uses her/his own ideas and thoughts & doesn’t need external stimulation
Listen not talk
Constant contact with others is draining
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

9. Carl Jung & Personality Types
Sensing and Intuition
Sensors (S) collect data through their senses; thinking revolves around facts & practical matters
detail oriented, happy to deal with “real world”
focus on what they can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste
Intuitives (N) tend to be much more conceptual and theoretical
Common everyday experience bores them
Prefer to be creative, apply ingenuity to a problem
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

10. Carl Jung & Personality Types
Thinking and Feeling
Thinkers (T) use logic, strive for objectivity, and are analytical
Often seem detached, uninvolved with people
Prefer guiding actions on basis of possible results
Feelers (F) tend to be more subjective, seek harmony with others, take into account the feelings of people
Are more involved with others at work or elsewhere
Seen as considerate and humane
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

11. Carl Jung & Personality Types
Judging and Perceiving
Judgers (J) prefer structure, plans, schedule, and resolution
decisive and deliberate; quite sure of their way of doing things
Perceivers (P) tend to be much more flexible, adaptable, tentative, and open ended
are spontaneous
change their minds and decisions without difficulty; may wait until deadline before deciding
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

12. Personality Types and Leadership
Uncommunicative
Difficult to read
Unimaginative
Little concern for big picture
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

13. Sixteen Types and Leadership
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

14. Primary benefit: raising the awareness of leaders and followers to:
Personality Types
How does it work?
Primary benefit: raising the awareness of leaders and followers to:
their own personality types
the implications of personality types in their work & relationships: team building
Assessments for Personality types
MBTI (Myers-Briggs Tem or similar method or questionnaires (
Informal or self-assessment might be just as accurate.
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

15. Strengths of Personality Types
Finds strengths in every personality type.
Helps people to see that others can be different, yet normal.
Helps people know what to expect form others.
ENTJs may be overwhelming.
ISTJs may be rigid.
INFPs may be highly idealistic.
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.

16. Criticisms of Personality Types
Tests have reliability or validity problems
Personality traits aren’t distributed in distinct groups (types); they are distributed normally (bell-curve).
The system is pretty useless for research
Much esoteric non-sense exists in the original theory
Type dynamics
Dominant or auxiliary functions
Typology is generally more appreciated by Ns than Ss, and by Fs rather than Ts.
Northouse - Leadership Theory and Practice, Sixth Edition © 2012 SAGE Publications, Inc.