All About ENFJ Personality Types

Welcome back to our personality, attitude, life, and career series. Personality systems are a helpful tool that enables you to achieve more in your career. And as well as a more fulfilling personal life.

Specifically, we’re talking about ENFJ personalities. ENFJs are the 4th most common personality type, making up about 8% of the population. They are known as “the Givers.”

As well, ENFJs are one of the 6 “feeling” types. This refers to your decision-making process: do you base your decisions on logic and objectivity, OR do you depend more on gut feelings and empathy, such as with personal values?

ENFJs are altruistic personalities who strive to be helpful by seeing the good in others and often work to bring people together. They tend to put others’ needs before their own.

As we go through this post, you’ll also learn the basics of introversion vs. extroversion, NF (or “feeling”) types, ST (or “thinking”) types, cognitive functions, and how they relate to ENFJs specifically.

The MBTI Personality Tests and ENFJs

ENFJs generally do very well on this type of test because the questions are designed to measure how people naturally think and act. ENFJs tend to score very high on “Extraversion” since they enjoy spending time with other people.

They also score high in “Feeling” (as opposed to “Thinking”), as ENFJs are very emotional people who make decisions based on how they feel about certain situations. They also score fairly high on “Perceiving” (as opposed to “Judging”), which means that they are flexible and welcoming of new experiences.

This test is not designed to measure strengths but instead focuses on measuring how you perceive the world around you. ENFJs tend to have a very strong “Enterprising” function, which means they are assertive and driven individuals who enjoy starting projects and being in charge of others.

They also excel in their “Exploring” function, which means they are constantly looking for new opportunities that they can take advantage of. They also tend to score pretty high on their “Confidence” function, which means that they are very aware of their capabilities and believe in themselves (and their abilities to accomplish things).

ENFJ Personality: Introvert/Extrovert

As we mentioned earlier in the series, all humans must be introverts or extroverts. We all need time alone to recharge and time with others for social interactions. Surprisingly, few people fall 100% on one side of this spectrum. Most people are a blend – somewhere in the middle, but ENFJs tend to be more extroverted than introverted.

Since ENFJs are more extroverted, they enjoy spending time with other people and thrive better in social settings. On the other hand, introverts tend to do their best work alone – this means they are more focused without distractions but may struggle to get anything done if they’re surrounded by lots of people or noise.

ENFJs love spending quality time with family and friends. They enjoy the different and diverse personalities and perspectives that they encounter when in a social setting.

ENFJs can seem like extroverts to others because they are energized by spending time with other people. However, unlike true extroverts (ENTP, ESTP), ENFJs need time to recharge on their own, either alone or with just one or two other people.

ENFJs are more “Energized” on the Myers Briggs scale than “Drained.” This means that ENFJs enjoy social interactions and thrive when they’re around others, but they would rather spend some quality time alone to relax and unwind at the end of the day.

To the ENFJ, it’s crucial to spend time doing something they enjoy — be it reading a book alone on the couch or hanging out with close friends. This recharge time is just as important as socializing for them!

ENFJs are extroverted types (E) because they like spending time with others and tend to focus more on the outside world.

ENFJ Personality: Cognitive Functions

The cognitive functions are the four steps that make up our decision-making process.

These are Extroverted Feeling, Introverted Feeling, Extroverted Intuition, and Introverted Thinking. How you use these functions will determine your personality type!

Let’s take a look at each one, in turn, to understand how they impact ENFJs.

Extroverted Feeling: The primary way ENFJs make decisions. Their gut feelings influence them to determine what they think will be best for everyone involved. People will often rely heavily on feelings in social situations without even realizing it.

Introverted Feeling:  A trait that ENFJs use to connect with others and get a sense of what’s going on in their lives. They do this by asking questions, listening intently, and drawing from past experiences to give advice.

Extroverted Intuition: The way ENFJs seek out possibilities and new angles on problems. They use this function to brainstorm ideas with others, generate new strategies, and see alternative solutions.

Introverted Thinking: Helps ENFJs focus more on details, facts, and practicalities of the world around them. This allows them to process information and make decisions with logic and objectivity.

This function also makes it easier to understand how other people think and feel to better understand what’s going on in their lives and help them out when needed. ENFJs who rely on Intuition more than Feeling may find that they identify better with INFJ personality types.

ENFJ Personality: INTJs vs. INFJs

This is an important distinction for ENFJs: Do you prefer to use your intuition or thinking to make decisions? While this may sound like a black-and-white answer, it doesn’t necessarily need to be. It’s possible to be both, and almost all of us are!

For ENFJs, who tend to lean more on intuition than thinking, the INFJ personality type is the one that feels most comfortable. ENFJs often share these characteristics with INFJs:

• They value altruism and helping other people.
• Both rely heavily on their feelings when making decisions.
• Both share a knack for language and communication.

However, INFJs tend to be more introverted than ENFJs, while ENFJs tend to be more extroverted. In addition, INFJs lean more strongly toward thinking when they make decisions, while ENFJs lean heavily on intuition.

There are a lot of similarities between ENFJs and INTJs or INFJs, so it’s essential to keep this distinction in mind when you’re comparing the two types.

On the surface, INTJs and INFJs can both seem introverted and extroverted by turns. They can both come across as serious and reserved, but there are significant differences in how these traits manifest for each type.

For example, INTJs use Introverted Thinking to analyze information and form strategies or plans that help them accomplish their goals without wasting time or energy on things that don’t matter. This leads many of them to become very direct and blunt when they communicate.

INFJs, on the other hand, rely on Introverted Feelings to understand how others are feeling and gauge what is appropriate for the situation. They tend to be more cautious with their words because they don’t want to offend anyone or hurt someone’s feelings by saying the wrong thing. This means that they may come across as more reserved and cautious, but this is often misinterpreted as being shy or aloof.

ENFJs In the Workplace

ENFJs often find themselves in Human Resources, where they can nurture others and help them grow, learn or improve. ENFJs can also excel as teachers or career counselors.

ENFJs are also well-suited for positions that involve teamwork or collaboration, anything from being a project manager to being involved in marketing team events.

However, ENFJs won’t be satisfied if they’re confined to a desk all day. They are happiest when they have the opportunity to interact with people in some way, which means that many of them find jobs in the service industry extremely rewarding. This may be anything from being a flight attendant or bank teller to being an EMT or paramedic.

ENFJs are people-lovers by nature, so they often find themselves in positions where they can reach out and help people on a daily basis. People may perceive them as walking mood-boosters – their enthusiasm is infectious! ENFJs are also able to use their dominant feeling judgment to be empathetic toward others, which makes them prime candidates for careers in the counseling or medical fields.

ENFJs are great at using their intuition to read people and form instant connections with others, as this is what enables them to build rapport so quickly. This also means that they have a lot of empathy toward other people’s feelings. They can sense when someone isn’t happy or healthy and often feel the need to help by providing nurturing and support.

ENFJs In Relationships

ENFJs like to think things through in advance and prefer to establish long-term goals with their partners. Having a partner is a significant part of their life and is simply par for the course.

They make excellent partners because they are very considerate and dedicated; they want to ensure that everyone is happy and satisfied! They also draw a lot of joy from seeing other people grow and improve, which means that they can be very committed to helping their partners achieve their fullest potential.

ENFJs are natural nurturers, which means that they derive joy from making other people feel cared for and comfortable in their presence. They also naturally fall into the protector role because of their strong opinions and powerful intuition. ENFJs tend to be decisive and outspoken — this can come across as aggressive or confrontational to others who don’t know them well.

Although they are very opinionated people, ENFJs also care a lot about the happiness and satisfaction of their partners. They will be more than happy to make sacrifices and compromises if it means that everyone can enjoy themselves (or at least minimise any potential conflict). Of course, ENFJs are still individuals with their own needs and feelings, so their partners need to realise this and not take advantage of their otherwise giving nature.

ENFJs As Parents

ENFJs are extremely attentive, loving parents who are always eager to provide their children with whatever they need. They are very affectionate and sensitive to the needs of their children, which makes them very empathetic for any situation their children might face.

They take pride in being able to nurture their children both spiritually and emotionally. ENFJs are always looking for ways to improve themselves, which is why they want their children to have the best educational opportunities.

They also tend to be very protective and nurturing parents. This is because they don’t like seeing people in pain and will often do whatever they can to help someone in need (even if it means putting themselves at risk). This can sometimes be frustrating for the ENFJ since it means that they have to constantly monitor their own emotions and try not to let them make their decisions for them.

ENFJs definitely feel stress when they are away from other people, even if it’s just a few hours of being alone. This is because they need a lot of stimulation to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

They are very social individuals who are always looking for stimulating conversation and new experiences that they can share with their friends or family. They also tend to enjoy spending time on their own, since it gives them the opportunity to think about whatever interests them at the moment!

ENFJ Strengths

They are naturally attuned to the feelings of others around them, which means that they may have a hard time saying no when someone comes to them with a request, as they feel obligated to help everyone in whatever way they can. They also need plenty of alone time, or else they run the risk of feeling neglected and unappreciated.

Although they may seem very engaged in their relationships, ENFJs actually have a hard time opening up to most people. This is why they often keep many of their thoughts and feelings inside. They don’t want to burden others with their problems or stress them out with details about what’s going on inside their minds.

ENFJs tend to find it challenging to relax and enjoy themselves when they’re not around other people, which may mean that they’ll need a lot of time alone, especially during the early stages of dating someone new. They also need plenty of space in the relationship itself, because ENFJs don’t like feeling suffocated by their partners. Of course, they won’t always feel this way. Most of the time, people will find that ENFJs are warm, open-minded individuals who want to ensure that everyone is satisfied in a relationship.

ENFJ Weaknesses

ENFJs often have very strong values and opinions which may seem intimidating to others. They can become very defensive if someone challenges the values they hold dear, so their natural response is to lash out and argue their point with vehemence.

ENFJs may also have a hard time leaving bad relationships. They tend to feel obligated to stay because of how much they care about the other person’s feelings. They would rather sacrifice themselves and their happiness than inflict pain on someone they love and respect. That’s why learning to say ‘NO’ at the right time and seek for healtier balance in their relationships comes to be necessary for ENFJ personalities. 

ENFJs can also be perfectionistic and controlling in relationships because they like to make sure that everyone around them feels cared for and respected. They may think of themselves as the “parent” or “caretaker” in a relationship. This way, they can make sure that their partners are doing what is best for them.

They may try to exert control over other people’s actions or attempt to make other people conform to the standards they themselves were raised with (like religion, politics, etc.). ENFJs may have a hard time understanding why everyone doesn’t want to be helpful and nurturing all the time, which can cause them to become frustrated with other people who don’t share their perspectives.

They also tend to be very “black-and-white” thinkers, which means they may struggle to understand why other people can’t agree with them and appreciate their perspective (or use it as an opportunity for debate).

ENFJs also tend to be very high-energy individuals; if they aren’t given enough opportunities to exercise or use their energy, they will start fidgeting and feeling restless. If they remain inactive for too long, they can become anxious and irritable. This is especially true for ENFJs who are very in touch with the feelings of others!

Famous ENFJs

Summing Up ENFJs

ENFJs admire truth, knowledge, and people who can tell the truth, and they enjoy spending time with others that share their thoughts and opinions. ENFJs are caring and enthusiastic individuals who constantly strive to improve themselves and the world around them.

They often take on a lot of responsibility in their relationships and careers, but they always put other people before themselves. Their perfectionist tendencies can often cause them to become frustrated if they feel like they cannot do something perfectly, but this is also what drives them to be their best selves.

To get a more definitive answer, it’s important to talk with an experienced coach or mentor. Sign up for an Action Call and we’re happy to help you, right from the first free call.