Tony Robbins – ENTJ

In this video I take a look at the Myers-Briggs type of the most recognized name in the self-development industry. Tony Robbins is an extraordinarily successful author, coach, speaker and entrepreneur. There’s been plenty of debate on Tony Robbins’ type. I’ve seen him listed as ENFP, ENTJ and ESFP. 

He’s a tough one to type because he’s so well rounded. In this video I mainly focus on the argument between ENFP and ENTJ (my opinion). 

Thinker or Feeler?

Many sites have typed him as a Feeler, perhaps because he’s made such a huge name for himself by helping people. In the video I aim to show that what he really does is use his well-developed bottom-line thinking skills to help people and that he’s actually a thinker and not a feeler.

His most proficient function is not a feeling function, but rather, Extraverted Thinking. This is indicative of either ENTJ or ESTJ (the differences between which, I elaborate on in the video).

Extraverted Thinking vs Extraverted iNtuition

I see much more evidence of his primary function being Te than Ne. Since an early age he’s been all about going for the quickest, most efficient path to a result. I’d say this is actually what he does best. He seems to have been very directed in his thinking since he was a kid. 

I would expect an Ne (Extraverted iNtuition) primary (ENxP), at any level of self-development, to show a lot more experimentation and exploration well into early adulthood and probably beyond (think Richard Branson). Tony Robbins seems much more directed in his thinking. 

He started with hypnosis and a discipline called Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which he used to quickly help people achieve dramatic changes in their lives. He was obsessed with helping people make changes as fast as possible. This doesn’t seem to me like a weakness that he’s developed (Te [Extraverted Thinking] as a tertiary function, ex ENFP), it seems like his in-born genius (Te primary, ex ENTJ). 

He also seemed to be very good at making money (he bought a castle when he was 27!) from an early age – which points more to Te primary than say, Ne (Extraverted iNtuition). I would expect an ENFP would need more time to develop their Te. 

ENFPs and ENTPs tend to show less direction and to be more experimental and exploratory well into early adulthood. Everything I’ve seen from Tony Robbins seems to indicate that he was thinking in an exceptionally focused, directional and outcome-oriented way from an early age.

And despite everything he’s done to help so many people, he appears to be very power oriented, which is generally more consistent with ENTJ than ENFP. He’s clearly passionate about helping people, but I see no indication that he’d give up any power in order to do it. 

Trying to figure out your own type? Check out 5 Reasons Why You Might Be Confused About Your Myers-Briggs Type.

Extraverted Sensing vs Introverted Sensing

Another counter-argument I’ll throw out against ENFP would be Se (Extraverted Sensing) vs. Si (Introverted Sensing). When it comes to his body, Tony Robbins’ type appears much more Se/Ni than Si/Ne.

Se users tend to have more of a physicality about them. I don’t think I’ve seen an ENFP built like him. ENTJs, for sure (think Arnold Schwarzenegger [ENTJ] vs. Robin Wlliams [ENFP]).  There’s also a very strong sensation element to his events and his approach. He’s very much about the connection between physicality and mental states and using one to get leverage on the other.

Some more key points from the video:

• Thinkers are often caring, empathetic people. Emotions are a very important part of the lives of all people. Evolved and aware thinkers will often leverage their logical abilities to produce more pleasant emotions for themselves and for others.
• Judgers, like Tony Robbins, generally prefer outlines and structures to help them maximize their effectiveness. Planning puts them more at ease. Perceivers, like Kyle Cease (ENFP), generally prefer the freedom to operate on the fly so they can capitalize on serendipity and create in the moment. Too much scheduling and structure will pull them out if their flow.
• A clue in determining between ENTJs and ESTJs can be found when comparing Extraverted Sensing (an ENTJ’s tertiary function) and Introverted Sensing (an ESTJ’s auxiliary function). Types who use Extraverted Sensing are more likely to have a harder edge about them. They tend to be more animated and physical than Sensor-Judger types who use Introverted Sensing in the primary our auxiliary position. Sensor-Judger types tend to be more conservative in their thinking and energy expenditure.

In summary, Extraverted Thinking is key to how Tony Robbins produces results. He uses this strength to help himself and others achieve more pleasant emotional states.

As a judger, he prefers to operate within a refined and intelligent structure to maximize the results he can produce and as an Extraverted Sensing user, he uses physical sensation and the mind-body connection to give energy and vision to his goals.

If you’d like help figuring out your Myers-Briggs type you can learn about type reading sessions here: WhatType.com/mytype.