Leading Resilient INFP (Mediator) Personalities

See how Darcy the INFP becomes more resilient (and confident) when her leader makes small adjustments to their communication style.

Image from 16personalities.com

How to spot INFPs (Mediators):

INFPs (Mediators) share the Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Prospecting personality traits. 

When faced with setbacks at work, they may take it personally and struggle to separate criticism of their ideas from criticism of themselves. But with encouragement and validation, they can regain their motivation and find new ways to move forward.

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

A couple of weeks ago, you met Darcy the Diplomat when she had reached her breaking point and could no longer bounce back from the challenges she was facing at work. She was left questioning her place in a work environment that seemed hyperfocused on sales over people. 

Then, we kept the story going and saw how Darcy the ENFJ and her boss turned things around to have a more positive interaction. 

Today, we’re going to narrow our focus again and imagine Darcy as a different Diplomat personality: an INFP (Mediator). 

If you recall, three main factors were contributing to Darcy’s lack of resilience at work:

1. Feeling that her focus on culture was seen as a distraction 

2. Struggling with mismatched personal values and company priorities

3. Losing motivation when her emotional connection to work was damaged

Okay, let’s wind back the clock and see how things will play out for Darcy the INFP when she and her boss have more positive interactions in these three areas. This could open your eyes to how you might best help the INFPs on your team adapt to unwelcome challenges with greater resilience.  

Story Time: Helping Darcy the INFP Develop Resilience

Let’s set the scene:

Darcy the INFP just presented her proposal for transforming company culture at her workplace. How will her boss respond?

*roll film*

“My boss values my focus on culture.”

As I finished my presentation for my new company culture project, my boss leaned forward to speak. “Darcy, I appreciate the thought you’ve put into this proposal,” my boss began. “However, given our current constraints, we can’t implement this project right now.”

My heart sank, but something in my boss’s tone kept me listening.

“While we can’t launch a full-scale project, could you identify some small-scale initiatives from your proposal that we could implement without significant resources? These could help us build a case for larger changes in the future. Also, I’d like you to join our monthly strategy meetings. Your perspective on how our decisions impact our team’s well-being is valuable.”

As I left the office, I realized I felt different than after previous rejections. Yes, there was disappointment, but it wasn’t overwhelming. My boss had actually acknowledged my concern for our team’s well-being rather than dismissing it.

I began to see that my contributions weren’t limited to grand initiatives. My empathy and people-focused insights could add value to our daily operations and decision-making. This new perspective made me feel more confident and adaptable. Even if my big ideas weren’t always feasible, I knew my unique viewpoint was still needed and appreciated.

As I sat back at my desk, I opened a new document. “Small-scale culture initiatives,” I typed at the top, already feeling my creativity flowing. This wasn’t the end of my dream for a better workplace – it was just the beginning of a new approach.

“My values can align with company priorities.”