"ESTP" Themes and Relationships

By Linda V. Berens Ph.D. and Dario Nardi Ph.D.

Personality Type:    ESTP - Promoter Executor
Temperament:   Improvisor (SP)
Interaction Style*:    In-Charge
Likely Social Style: Driver

How to use this Personality Type Description

ESTP Snapshot

  • Theme is promoting.
  • Talents lie in persuading others and expediting to make things happen.
  • Have an engaging, winning style that others are drawn to.
  • Adept at picking up on minimal nonverbal cues.
  • Anticipate the actions and reactions of others and thus win their confidence.
  • Like the excitement and challenge of negotiating, selling, making deals, arbitrating, and in general, achieving the impossible.
  • Thrive on action and the freedom to use all resources at hand to get desired outcomes.

Themes and Relationships
for each Personality Type
by Linda V. Berens, Ph.D.
and Dario Nardi, Ph.D.**
ISTJ

 

ESTP Theme

For Promoter Executors, life is a process of taking charge of situations and making things happen. They enjoy a certain exhilaration at the edge, pushing the limits to get the results they want. Then they want to know the measure of their success. Achieving success drives them to work hard, and they want recognition for their success as well as the rewards.

They go to great lengths to keep their options open. The freedom to act is essential to their well-being. Constraints and limits become challenges to work around, but too many of them can be deadly. They are talented at tactical prioritizing. Everything gets subordinated to their priorities as they “stay the course” to do what needs doing. Yet when they see something isn’t working the way they want, they do not hesitate to change their approach or even abandon the project entirely.



Their thought processes tend to revolve around continuously scanning the environment for relevant information, opportunities, and resources, then quickly adjusting their behavior. Then action is taken—over and done, results achieved or adaptations made—all with split-second timing.

Their talent for negotiating shows in how easily they work different sides of an issue. They quickly find the bargaining points and the bottom lines, recognizing when to push and when to back off. Their rich stores of data—places, people, dates— often prompt them to act as a consultant, even when the project or problem isn’t theirs. They love it if they can help solve a challenging problem.

They are keen observers of others’ nonverbal responses and reactions, instantly seeing what people are up to. Their humor, enthusiasm, and direct approach win people over. Interpersonally, people warm to them quickly. People are important to them. Caring for family and friends comes through in how they pitch in and help. Showing respect is important. Their talent for reading people’s motives sometimes keeps them from showing respect when it is expected. It also leads them to disappointment when others don’t show respect.

ESTP Relationships

For Promoter Executors, relationships are about mutual respect. There’s no relationship if they can’t respect the other person. What makes the respect is that the other person doesn’t try to put anything over on them, the other person gives them the freedom to act, and whether they win or lose the other person sees that and still supports them. They like excitement and stimulation and can get a lot out of conflict. There is an admiration of skill in the other person, especially if the person has a unique talent or skill. They like a willingness on the other person’s part to do things for them. They have an attitude that gets people to follow along; they can get people to do what they want, a way that communicates, “I’m your friend, so do this for me.” There is a certain element of power and a devotedness, protecting your own.

In their close relationships, they desire somebody to connect with and have fun with, somebody to talk to. They want companionship, somebody to just be with. They also need a great deal of latitude and want a say in running the relationship. They tend to be extremely generous with material possessions, but can tend to avoid the personal. They may end up with the perception that the other person is letting them down when in fact they haven’t put in the time and effort. When they do, they become really family oriented, and when family is very important to them, they take it very seriously.

This concludes "Themes and Relationships for ESTP,"
A Personality Type Description.

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**The Personality Type Description shown above is wholly owned and copyrighted by the authors Linda V. Berens Ph.D. and Dario Nardi Ph.D. and is used herein with their permission.

For a complete set of Personality Type Descriptions by Linda V. Berens and Dario Nardi please see: "The 16 Sixteen Personality Types - Descriptions for Self-Discovery"

*Interaction Styles as developed by Linda Berens, is a powerful lens with which to better understand people. For a complete understanding of Interaction Styles see:
"Understanding Yourself and Others, An Introduction to Interaction Styles"

Practitioners, Organizational Development Consultants, HR Managers, Leadership and Teamwork Trainers,
click here for professional level training by Linda Berens in:
Interaction Styles, Temperament, and Personality Type