Assess Yourself
Quizzes That Create Clarity
Okay, I did it. After regularly listening to Amy Poehler’s Good Hang, where she always references the Enneagram test (she’s an 8, “The Challenger”), I finally caved and did it myself. The quiz has 144 questions and takes about 40 minutes to complete and guess what? I’m a 9, what Enneagram calls “The Peacemaker”. But I’m not just a 9, I’m also a 2 and a 7 - The Helper and Enthusiast respectfully. Yup, that tracks.
Once you take the test (take the real test, there are dupes out there and I took one which gave me a totally different result) you’ll receive a PDF with the summary of your primary and secondary types with various ways that this shows up in your life. My results weren’t surprising, more a reaffirmation of how I’m wired and how I relate to the world and the people in it.
Here’s the thing: this wasn’t the first personality test I’ve taken over the years. There are a ton of personality tests and assessments that help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and blindspots so that you can understand yourself better and have more compassion for yourself - and others - as you move through the world.
In truth, I have a love/hate relationship with assessments. What I love about taking various assessments is that, even when the verbiage is different and the goal is unique to each test, the results are pretty much the same. What comes out time and time again for me is that at my best I’m highly empathetic, easy going, charismatic, imaginative, and serene (nice), and, at my worst I’m passive-aggressive, stubborn, and emotionally unavailable (yikes). I think that just about covers it.
What I dislike about actually completing these tests is that it sometimes forces me to choose between two conflicting or similar concepts. And I hate to be boxed in! My coach, when I took the MBTI (see below), said that this dislike was evident in my assessment. I prefer openness and don’t like the constraint of a test or question that feels limiting. On a deeper level I have always felt that we have the power to choose and to change our minds; I deeply value this and will always stand up for our intrinsic freedom to choose and change. And this is actually part of what makes me so empathetic. That being said, my dislike of the format of the assessments has never prevented me from taking them (even in the middle of the Enneagram, I found myself saying out loud, “but I do both!” or “depends on when!” Then moving on to the next question); I’ll always be curious about what makes me tick.
My assessment journey began with a test called StrengthsFinder (now called CliftonStrengths). This assessment is helpful in helping you identify a job or career that aligns with your inherent strengths. My 5 “themes” or strengths all pointed to careers in consulting, education, training, writing, and managing others in environments and industries that are social and that cultivate relationships and connectedness. Lucky for me, my career in hospitality, education, and working with people aligns perfectly with my themes. I took this test in 2009, two years after establishing my business as a consultant and trainer, so this came at the perfect time. It reaffirmed what I already knew which helped me build confidence as I leaned even deeper into growing myself as a consultant and later, as a coach.
The second test I took was the famous Meyer’s Briggs Type Indicator assessment (MBTI) as part of my coaching course in 2013. This is the gold standard of personality tests and is lauded as the “worlds most popular test.” This assessment was more rigorous than the others and took over an hour to complete. In addition, while you get a full report, you really do need an expert to walk you through your unique, detailed results. I was glad that my coaching instructors helped me make sense of the various details of the report and how I show up as an ENFJ-A: Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging, and Assertive. (And yes, I am slightly more extraverted than introverted; I need people, but I also need quiet to regain my energy.)
Years later I was turned on to what is now my most favorite assessment, 16 Personalities. This quick test delivers the same results as the MBTI but it also aligns each type with an archetype of the personality type. My type (ENFJ) is called the The Protagonist and other types include The Defender, The Adventurer, and The Architect. This makes the test a little more fun and sticky; the archetype helps clarify how you operate and how you are seen by others. At my retreat last year I had participants complete this test beforehand and we used it as a way to understand one another a little better. I have also shared it with friends and colleagues and it’s always a great way to inspire conversation and deepen relationships (once on a roadtrip with dear friends this occupied us for the duration of the trip, some 180 miles!).
Another quick yet profound test is Brené Brown’s Daring Leadership Assessment. This one takes less than 10 minutes to complete and focuses on your ability to live her tenets of great leadership (Rumbling With Vulnerability, Living into Your Values, Braving Trust, and Learning to Rise). This assessment is also nice because it shows you areas of growth which feels open and less constraining than the tests that assert you’re only ever one type.
Sir Francis Bacon once said “knowledge is power” and this is how I view assessments. Whether it reaffirms what you know to be true or simply puts into words what you already believe, an outside assessment can create clarity as you continue on your path as a human and as a leader. What’s great about these tests is that they are neutral and you can complete them in the safety of your own space.
If you want to get a different kind of perspective on how you move through the world there is nothing better than asking a close friend or colleague to give you feedback. My favorite format for inviting helpful insights from anther trusted person is to pose these 3 questions:
What should I keep doing?
What should I start doing?
What should I stop doing?
This simple trio can be very enlightening. So give it a try with someone you trust and then you can share the same with them. The clarity you gain will help you build confidence in who you are and the impact you make on others as you continue to expand yourself as an empathetic leader and constantly evolving human.
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