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Gabriela Masak
ENGR 408
Section 001
January 22, 2015
Personal Profile Assignment
The best leadership requires an in depth knowledge of ones personal attributes and
characteristics. In order for one to make the best decisions, one must first understand themselves
in order to take advantage of their personal strengths and circumnavigate or ameliorate
weaknesses. In a group setting, knowledge of the personalities of those in the team is also
advantageous as it opens a more effective method of communication, awareness, and
understanding between the motivations and weaknesses of the team members. There are several
tests that offer an inside look of ones personality. I evaluated myself using the Keirsey
personality assessment, the Jung Typology test, and the Big 5 Personality test. Although the
results were not shocking, there were a few details that I had not expected.
My first test included the Keirsey personality assessment. The results indicated that I was
what they would call a, Guardian. Following the information that the site gave me, guardians
look to uphold social institutions and relationships. They look to promote wellness in a sense that
comes in the form of supervision, maintenance, and supply. The site continues to explain that
while Guardians are social, they hold themselves very responsible and often take their work very
seriously. Guardians also thrive in a structured environment and enjoy creating routines.
While I agree with the majority of the results of the Keirsey personality assessment, I do
not entirely find the last part applicable. While I enjoy having a sense of control, I often find
myself getting bored when my actions start to follow a pattern. I thrive off of problem solving,
and love creating new concepts or ideas. In high school, my favorite projects were those whose

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boundaries and guidelines were ambiguous. I liked to add additional layers to my work, whether
their purpose be entertainment or educational. For example, in History class, I had my team dress
up in 1950s clothing, complete with fake mustaches and hats. Clothing and appearance had
never been reviewed in the project guidelines, and this creative outlet allowed me to break from
the traditional sense of the informative debate and therefore I was more energized towards its
execution. Other than this difference, I feel that I fit well in the Guardian category. I am often
taking on more responsibility if it makes the group function more harmoniously.
Guardians are also prone to take pride in being acknowledged for their dependable and
trustworthy behavior. They strongly value customs and traditions while upholding and respecting
law and order. Guardians are also said to be cautious and humble in leadership positions. While
many of these qualities are great characteristics of a leader, many leaders must recognize that the
status quo cannot always be highly valued for all decisions. And while structure can promote
efficiency, some projects require a fresh perspective for the best outcome. It is recommendable to
never get too comfortable with routines, as change is also very important.
In the Keirsey personality assessment, I was assigned to the Guardians category, whom
are said to be the, Concrete Cooperators. There are three other general personality types: the
Idealists, Artisans, or Rationals. The website explains that Idealists are, Abstract Cooperators,
Artisans are, Concrete Utilitarians, and Rationals are, Abstract Utilitarians. While together
these types would promote a diverse set of perspectives and leadership, various characteristics of
each personality type would work positively or negatively with Guardians. For example,
Rationals often work with the goal of achievement, and the Guardians may see this as cutting
corners. The Rationals would ignore rules if they were not favorable and Guardians might see
this attitude as threatening. Artisans also act similarly in this respect and do not always feel that it

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would be necessary to obey the rules. Idealists work more similarly with the Guardians, as they
both seek harmony with others as a solution. However, their visions are more abstract and this
need for change, albeit good, may frighten a Guardian.
Although the rule-bending nature of the Artisans and Rationals may upset the Guardians,
their input will ultimately promote a better-rounded team as well. Their loose regard for rules
may allow for more change to processes or traditional structures. They may question what the
Guardian would easily accept due to tradition. In return, the Guardian would promote more
concise structure and organization. They would also most like be the one to encourage
compromise. Although I can predict some negative interactions, a mix of the four personality
types would ultimately be beneficial.
One can also examine their personality type per the Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test.
Following the results of the test, I am slightly more introverted than extroverted and intuitive
rather than sensing. I have no preference between thinking or feeling, and a moderate preference
towards judging over perceiving. The judgment aspect of the results matches up with the
Guardian result of the Keirsey personality assessment. My apparent lack of preference towards
thinking over feeling also aligns with the Keirsey results. With respect to the slight inclination
towards intuition and introversion, I feel that due to the social and structured aspect of the
Guardians, it would have displayed more extroverted qualities. However, introverts are often
great listeners and this result seems fitting in this context. All in all, the Jung test seemed to
complement the Keirsey results.
I saw greater differences with the, Big Five Personality Test. The results indicate that I
am open-minded, conscientious, extraverted, agreeable, and relaxed. The open-minded quality

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disagrees with the Keirsey results and I disagreed with it myself earlier. Due to my international
upbringing and experiences, I feel like I have been trained to be adaptive in the face of change.
The conscientious and agreeable outcomes were those that most matched the Guardian
description. I feel that being relaxed and extraverted may depend on the context. As the Keirsey
report claims, Guardians are relaxed when they have structure, but hesitate with change. I scored
the most polarized in the relaxed category, and am very rarely unsettled, which may contradict
parts of the Guardian overview. I think that the, Big Five Personality Test, shows that I may be
more fluid in some situations and although I frequently gravitate towards Guardian
characteristics, there is some overlap in other personality types.
With regards to the quote by Archilochus, The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog
knows one big thing, it shows that different people view problems or ideas differently.
Personally, I refer to the fox and the hedgehog and big- or little- picture people. Some people
are more detail oriented, while others prefer to look at the entity as a whole. If I had to categorize
myself, I would be a fox, as I often worry about the details. I do not like approximations or
generalities. I like to know how and why things function. If I do not understand one part of a
problem, the lack of understanding tends to disturb other related parts as well. With respect to
leadership, a mix of both perspectives is ideal. If you focus too often on the details, you may lose
track of the original goal. However, if you focus entirely on the big picture, several details may
be overseen and forgotten, and the final product is good but not great.
Having several core values and interests is also crucial for a great final product. The core
values that I possess include: frankness, focus, compassion, integrity, and open-mindedness. I am
passionate about traveling, languages, physical and mental challenges, and new outdoor
adventures. In the Jim Collins video, we are given three overlapping circles: passion, abilities,

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and economic factors. We would perform best when these three circles overlap. This concept
can be applied to a variety of ideas. In terms of academics, I chose to double major in Petroleum
Engineering and Spanish because they combine my passions and abilities. This career path is
also highly lucrative and therefore shows a clear overlapping of all three circles. In leadership
roles, I should choose projects that I know pertain to my passions, abilities, and economic
factors, because this will provide the best outcome.
By combining these different ideas to leadership, I will be able to better plan and manage
myself and other responsibly. Knowledge of team members personalities allows for better
communication and more effective implementation of goals and ideas. Just as no two people are
exactly alike, everyone brings a different perspective to the table metaphorically. We should
embrace these differences and utilize the diversity to allow each member to supply their
strengths where others might be weak. As leaders, we should also recognize motivations and
passions and employ them to the benefit of the team. By evaluating and knowing each member,
the team can be administered and advised better. You know which strengths you can exploit and
which weaknesses to circumnavigate, which ultimately makes you a better, more efficient leader.