A Question of Personality
Why Personality Profiling Tools Can Guide, But Not Guarantee, Better Leadership and Communication
In the world of executive coaching, one of the most common phrases I hear is
“I just want to understand my team better.”
Underneath that desire is a hope for clarity, connection, and cohesion.
Poeple are looking for a quick fix. Or a silver bullet.
"Personality assessments have entered the chat".
Personality assessment tools promise insight. They offer a language to decode the complexity of human behaviour. In the right hands, they can help leaders make more informed decisions about how they relate, manage, and communicate. But are they always accurate? Do they work across cultures, roles, or evolving identities? And more importantly, how do we use them wisely, not worshipfully?
These are questions of science, story, and strategy.
Walk with me.
From hiring processes to team offsites, personality tools have become embedded in organisational life. We see them in colourful quadrant charts, acronyms on LinkedIn bios (yuck!), and decks touting ‘optimal team alignment’. But while they can offer useful frameworks, they are often misunderstood, over-applied, or used in isolation.
Before exploring how to apply them strategically, let’s lay the groundwork. What are the tools you are using and how robust are they?
From Science to Symbol
I decided to curate a selection of widely used personality or behavioural frameworks, ranked from high to low in scientific validity and psychometric rigour, but each with unique organisational strengths.
Used well, these tools can:
Foster self-awareness, which is when leaders understand how they respond under pressure, how they make decisions, and what motivates them.
Support team dynamics for teams to explore where communication breaks down, how conflict styles show up, and how to play to each other’s strengths.
Provide a common language. Tools like DISC and MBTI create shorthand references that (when used responsibly) build empathy.
But let me be clear. These tools do not predict success with any certainty. Neither do they excuse toxic behaviour ("I'm just a Type 8!" or "I’m a Virgo, deal with it."). And most importantly they are no replacement for real, vulnerable human conversations about values, biases, trauma, and trust.
Personally I am very reluctant to use them, and it's mostly used when a client believes it is important. So my own biases aside, here is how I believe personality tools can be used effectively in executive coaching and wider organisational behaviour:
Executive Coaching & Development
Use Hogan or Big Five to explore derailers and growth areas.
Pair with VIA or StrengthsFinder for values-driven goal setting.
Don’t rely on one tool. Use a blend that suits the coachee’s context and role.
Team Cohesion
Use DISC or MBTI to frame communication preferences and working styles.
Apply Enneagram in leadership retreats to deepen emotional literacy and empathy.
Set ground rules: these are lenses, not labels.
Hiring & Succession Planning
Use Big Five or Hogan assessments with structured interviews for better prediction.
Avoid typology-based screening (e.g., filtering MBTI types for a role).
Cultural Change
Explore organisational archetypes through Enneagram or VIA to surface collective values.
Use personality audits (with care) to assess gaps in leadership styles or blind spots across departments.
Here are five principles I swear by for using these tools wisely
Context Is Queen. What works in a coaching conversation may not work in hiring. What resonates in one culture may fall flat in another.
Multiple Lenses Over One Label. Don’t reduce people to a single quadrant, type, or colour.
Invite, Don’t Instruct. These tools are invitations to reflection, not mandates for conformity.
Decentralise the Guru. No assessment should replace deep dialogue or lived experience. The best insight comes from people, not just profiles.
Update the Toolkit. What worked in 2001 might not serve you in 2025. Evolve your frameworks as your organisation and workforce evolve.
Personality assessments are mirrors, not maps. They reflect, but don’t determine. They hint, but don’t define. In executive coaching and group workshops, I’ve seen them open doors, spark breakthrough insights, and soften long-held misunderstandings. But they only work when paired with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to do the deeper human work.
So yes, ask the question of personality. Just don’t let the answer close the conversation.
Holla at me and my team on how we can work together on exploring this for your organisation.
