INTPs in management?

[manishboy]

I suspect that INTPs are not, in general, inclined to take roles that puts them in charge of directing the work of others. I am attracted to such roles, and can do well enough when working with a small team of independent and driven people. What gets under my skin are the piles of BS generated by interpersonal conflict and politics in larger organizations. Definitely not a fish in water, but didn't drown either.

Have you worked for an INTP? What was it like?

Have you been in management? What was it like?

 

[Yellow]

I'm an INTP in management. My employees' only complaint seems to be that I don't "put my foot down" enough, but they concede that I always get results. I should mention, though, that my little team consists of an INFJ and several ISFJs (Smeg, deliver me!). They crave the drama of a boss that comes in "guns blazing" from time to time, and I don't satisfy that insane need. I prefer to be subtle. Overall, they are content, which means I get to focus on my work (because heaven forbid I have a lighter case load while I fulfill my departmental obligations).

 

[dark+matters]

I have been in management along with being managed by an INTP. We did fine. We both tended to bottle issues for far too long though. I let people slack off a bit too much when I should have delegated and been more asassertive, but I couldn't help that my style was to let people figure out what they wanted to contribute versus ordering them to do anything. He was a much better teacher than I was, and so was our resident INFJ. But I was much more so the written communicator and information connector. He was more into computer and electronics design, I was into inventing social programs and directions for procedures. We both liked to socialize, but also preferred to hide away in the office for extended periods of time in order to research how to keep the place running on a small budget. We were good in emergencies (true to the stereotype) and pulling together weird things that worked when things got desperate, but it's a really good thing we had a healthy mix of other personalities there too. I liked the independence management gave me. I am pretty sure he liked it too.

 

[Architect]

I've been a technical (no direct reports) manager. Liked it, until I hated it. Taught me something about type, which is that you can go against your type in the short term, but long term it will win. It was too much pushing people around instead of pushing bits around. And that's the rub, at least in engineering you can do one, or the other, but not both.

As an INTP friend of mine says,

Computers will do what you tell them, but not what you mean.

People on the other hand won't do either what you tell them or what you mean.

You have to give people a general direction, then trust them and step back. I prefer computers, much easier to push around as any mistakes are your own.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I haven't had the good fortune of being led by many INTPs, and, the one I have been led by was himself the chair of a department in academia and his department was basically a bunch of aloof, over-autonomous PhDs who, thanks to tenure, wouldn't have listened to anyone anyway. But I digress.

I have been a director of a small organization (50+ people) that was primarily an SJ paradise (it was affiliated with a military school). Fortunately, because the organization itself was deeply embedded within a "chain of command" hierarchy, when I was at the top, I could get things done. But, I got things done because I had been in the organization for more than 15 years and, though I had for most of that time been the quiet person on the periphery, I knew the organization better than most and was the right candidate at the right time to take the helm.

Anyway, any success I had was because I had great folks around me who could carry out my decisions with efficiency. If I had been in charge of a bunch of INTPs, things wouldn't have worked nearly as well.

As far as management style: I tended to rely heavily upon the suggestions of others. Unlike some bosses, I had no illusions about always knowing the right thing to do. Whenever there was a complication, I'd consult with others, listen to all their ideas, and consider the best course of action after getting input from others. Most of the people I worked with were so used to not being listened to that they were delighted that I took them seriously. That turned out to really help.

 

[manishboy]

I've always like the leadership maxim, "in command and out of control." Which seems to capture these experiences:

My employees' only complaint seems to be that I don't "put my foot down" enough, but they concede that I always get results

I let people slack off a bit too much when I should have delegated and been more asassertive, but I couldn't help that my style was to let people figure out what they wanted to contribute versus ordering them to do anything

I'm not sure about this:

You have to give people a general direction, then trust them and step back. I prefer computers, much easier to push around as any mistakes are your own.

The introverted leader may be hands on in that she will continually fine tune the approach based on feedback, as in:

As far as management style: I tended to rely heavily upon the suggestions of others.

It seems the ideal leadership role for an INTP would be in groups that need flexible leadership and decentralization of authority. That's not most organizations I've worked in.

 

[EditorOne]

The problem of being an INTP in management usually isn't with the people you manage, but with the people you report to. Extroverted judgmental sensing types seem to gravitate to management, and if you're not loudly bullying people and looking over their shoulders with instant assessments and exhortations, your own supervisor may mistrust you if that's his/her style. I had the most success when vacancies above my level left me to get things done my way, eg, quadrupling our online readership (newspaper) in less than a year.
My worst experience was an executive editor (I was number two) who was blathering and raging and pitching a hissy fit on an election night because we had no electionstories filed and it was almost deadline. I told him bluntly nothing was filed because there were no election results, the county's computerized ballot count had seized up; I told him bluntly, also, that nothing was on fire, everything was ready to go as soon as we had numbers, the pressroom and the delivery people had all been advised and were doing the little things they do to save time when there's a glitch, and other logical things. He still wanted to be the volcano in the middle of the newsroom. He got me out of there within about six months.
The only INTP-related drawback with the people I supervised involved a few who thought my laid back, do-it-your-way-but-get-it-done approach was some sneaky way of setting them up for failure.

 

[manishboy]

The problem of being an INTP in management usually isn't with the people you manage, but with the people you report to.

Agreed. An INTP's flexible, quiet approach can be perceived as either incompetent or a too avant garde.

The only INTP-related drawback with the people I supervised involved a few who thought my laid back, do-it-your-way-but-get-it-done approach was some sneaky way of setting them up for failure.

Interesting point. Again, INTP leadership style tends to be interpreted within dominant org. values, and INTPs don't have the ability or inclination to translate their unusual command style into dominant org-speak.

So it seems the INTP can be an effective (and happy) leader but only in the right situation.

 

[willowcat]

I suspect that INTPs are not, in general, inclined to take roles that puts them in charge of directing the work of others. I am attracted to such roles, and can do well enough when working with a small team of independent and driven people. What gets under my skin are the piles of BS generated by interpersonal conflict and politics in larger organizations. Definitely not a fish in water, but didn't drown either.

Have you worked for an INTP? What was it like?

Have you been in management? What was it like?

i am working for one right now. we are the only NTs. of course i get this manager's style. lots of F's who don't and S's too for that matter. i would like to be in management also because i believe i could provide useful vision but i wouldn't like all the emotional stuff either. i just like to do what i was hired to do and stay out of that mess. i don't want to have to order people to do stuff either. depends what level of management you are. it also would be hard if people don't like the ideas you work hard to develop.

 

[manishboy]

i just like to do what i was hired to do and stay out of that mess.

Ya, me too. But management by definition almost is hip deep in mess.

 

[punchinelli]

I'm in management. I've been told I'm a fantastic leader. I stay out of their shit and provide guidance and direction as necessary. I also don't get angry and emotional when they screw up - I help them through it and even take the heat as necessary. Better for me to take the heat since I don't give a shit, right? Haha.

I used to have major issues with confrontation or handling conflict, but practice has made perfect. My people tell me that I space out a lot and tend to provide leadership under the guise of "I would do XYZ" instead of "do XYZ." But they understand that I really mean the latter.

I also have to make a very concerted effort at interpreting emotions and realizing that other people aren't logic robots that make decisions with zero feelings