FULL TRANSCRIPT

00:00 – Show Opening

Are you a professional who wants to become a more effective leader? Then get ready for daily tips from the coach, with the experience and inspiration to help you succeed in any leadership situation. You’re listening to the Meeting Leadership Podcast with Gordon Sheppard. (singing).

00:27 – Podcast content starts here

Welcome to another episode of the Meeting Leadership Podcast. My name is Gordon Sheppard and I just want to say thank you so much for taking time out of your valuable day to spend it here and learn a few more skills that you can add into your leadership tool bag, and also to learn how to run outstanding meetings. It is honestly really good to have you here.

00:48 – For leaders who understand the importance of self-awareness

And if you are the type of leader who really understands the importance of being self-aware, then you’re going to get a lot out of today’s episode, because today, we’re going to talk about how a personality test can help you lead more effective meetings. And just in case you don’t know what I mean when I say personality test, I mean the type of test where there are dozens and dozens of questions, they’ve been administered by a professional setup that really has done the science and the math behind putting those questions together so that once you answer them, you get valuable information that you can actually apply to learn about the pros and cons of yourself.

01:02 – Finding the right kind of personality tests – choose a reputable provider

And while there are many personality assessment types that you can look into, here’s a couple that you can think about. One is called DISC, that’s D-I-S-C, another one is called True Colors, and the one that I’m going to talk about today because I have personal experience with it, is called the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. 

01:26 – Myers Briggs personality types

Now, according to Myers–Briggs, which I have taken twice, my personality type is ENTP. These are the four letters they give you, and they actually have 16 sets of these letters, but mine are ENTP.

Now basically this means that I am an upbeat visionary who obsesses a bit too much over minor details and I love to talk a lot. And I have to say that when I first got the results from this personality test, I wasn’t really confident about it, but after the second time that I did it, and it came out the exact same way, well, I was really able to look at it through a better lens and this allowed me to get a lot from it.

And let me give you a few examples of what I learned. You see, after doing it, I figured out that I’m actually really skilled at seeing the big picture and I can do a really good job of tying discussions together. And it also helped me to learn that I work really well with people who enjoy detail, but I also have to be mindful of other visionary types in a meeting.

02:25 – How the test applies to meetings

When I run into people like me, I have to be really, really aware. And one of the other big takeaways for me after doing the Myers–Briggs personality test, well, I really now understand that if I talk less during a meeting, then quiet people will have a better chance to share their valuable ideas. Just ask my wife. And hopefully after you take one of these personality tests, you can use the results to change how you act during a meeting for the better.

03:20 – Tips to remember for taking personality tests

And here are a few other things that you can keep in mind when it comes to personality tests. Now, no matter which one that you choose, you should have it administered by a certified professional, and once you get the results, you’ll want to keep a copy of your personality test nearby, like maybe in your desk or maybe take the main points out of it, and you do a little sticky note that you keep on your computer. And when you take action on what you’ve learned from the personality test, then your next meeting, well you’ve got a real chance to knock it out of the park.

03:45 – A fun way to use the personality test results

And the final tip that I want to pass along is a really fun way to use your personality assessment results. Here’s what I mean when I say that. Now, if you did the Myers–Briggs type indicator personality test and you now know your personality type, then I suggest that you have some fun by checking out websites like CelebrityTypes.com. Now, I mentioned earlier that I’m an ENTP, so if I type that into that type of website, it actually gives me a list of celebrities who have the same type of personality as me.

So, for example, when I did a little bit of research in this way, I found out that some of my fellow ENTPs are Robert Downey Jr. and John Stewart, so can we say like I’m just like Iron Man? And regardless of whichever Hollywood star you find out has the exact same personality as you, I guarantee it makes a great conversation starter at a party.

04:39 – Recap of key ideas

And here’s a recap of the key ideas for how a personality test can help you lead more effective meetings. Now, the first thing is to be open to try it. The second thing is to choose a reputable provider, so Myers–Briggs, True Colors, DISC, and make sure that you get a real professional to administer it.

05:14 – Why Effective Meetings Start With You – https://meetingleadershipinc.com/42

And finally, I cannot say enough about actually reading the results, finding out those peaks and valleys that you have to be aware of when you’re going into your next meeting, and then adjusting your behavior accordingly so that you can really optimize it. If you’d like to go even deeper in learning about yourself, then check out episode 42 on the Meeting Leadership Podcast. It’s called Why Effective Meetings Start With You, and you can get that episode by going to MeetingLeadershipInc.com/42.

05:29 – Meeting Leadership Academy – https://meetingleadershipinc.com/academy

I also want to let you know that this episode of the Meeting Leadership Podcast is brought to you by the Meeting Leadership Academy. There you’re going to find great ways to build your leadership skills and learn how to run outstanding meetings. If you’d like to learn more, visit MeetingLeadershipInc.com/academy. As always, thank you so much for listening and we’ll see you tomorrow on the Meeting Leadership Podcast.

05:55 – Podcast Outro

Thanks for listening to the Meeting Leadership Podcast. Be sure to subscribe for more strategies to help you become an outstanding leader, and don’t forget to rate and review so we can bring you fresh content every day. We’ll see you tomorrow, right here on the Meeting Leadership Podcast.