Leading Resilient ESFJ (Consul) Personalities

Discover how Sarah the ESFJ builds resilience as her leader turns unexpected changes into opportunities for collaboration and growth

Image from 16personalities.com

How to Spot ESFJs (Consuls):

ESFJs (Consuls) share the Extraverted, Observant, Feeling, and Judging personality traits. 

In the face of setbacks, they tend to remain optimistic and focus on maintaining harmony within the team. They’re likely to rally others and boost morale during challenging times. However, they may take criticism personally and struggle to bounce back if they feel their efforts are unappreciated or undervalued.

Short on time? Scroll to the bottom for a 2-minute TL;DR summary of today’s article.

First, you met Sarah the Sentinel at her breaking point, when she was struggling to persevere through a day that wasn’t going to plan and felt frustrated by her boss springing new ideas on the team.

Then, you saw alternate versions of this interaction – and how it could play out better – with Sarah the ISFJ (Defender) and Sarah the ESTJ (Executive). 

Today, we’re going to narrow our focus again and imagine Sarah as a third Sentinel personality type: an ESFJ (Consul). 

To refresh your memory, three main factors were contributing to Sarah’s lack of resilience at work:

1. Feeling that her commitment to established processes was being dismissed

2. Struggling with the lack of clear direction, which undermined her sense of competence

3. Losing confidence and motivation when the chain of command was disregarded

Let’s see what a more positive experience in these three areas might look like for Sarah the ESFJ. This can help you better support the ESFJs on your team, helping them build the resilience needed to face challenges and setbacks at work. 

Story Time: Helping Sarah the ESFJ Develop Resilience

Let’s set the scene:

Sarah the ESFJ is standing in the conference room where her boss just upended weeks of careful planning by announcing sudden, new ideas that weren’t part of the plan. 

Let’s turn back the clock and see how this could have played out differently. 

*roll film*

“My boss cares about established processes.”

I was putting the finishing touches on my presentation when my boss poked his head into my office. “Sarah, got a moment before the meeting?” he asked. My heart raced a little – I hoped he wasn’t about to throw a wrench in our carefully laid plans.

“I’ve been thinking about some new directions for the project,” my boss said. “Before I share those in the meeting, I’d love your insight on how these changes might affect the team, especially considering our current processes.”

I felt a mix of relief and apprehension. While I was glad my boss was considering the team’s feelings and our existing systems, I was worried about the extent of these “new directions.”

As my boss outlined his ideas, he paused to ask, “How do you think the team might react to this? And how have you helped the team navigate changes in the past while preserving the most effective parts of our established processes?”

I didn’t see this question coming, but I welcomed it. My boss seemed genuinely interested in my thoughts on the team’s dynamics, my past experiences, and maintaining what works well in our current approach. I found myself reflecting on previous challenges we’d overcome, which helped calm my nerves about these new changes.

As I shared my thoughts, I realized that my boss truly valued my input. By asking about past experiences, he reminded me of my ability to guide the team through transitions. This made me feel more confident about facing the upcoming changes. And thanks to the advanced warning, I felt more prepared for and in control of the changes rather than being blindsided by them. My boss’s approach helped me see that change doesn’t have to mean discarding everything that works – it can be an opportunity to build on our strengths.

“My boss tries to provide clear direction amid ambiguity.”