MBTI Response

One criticism about the MBTI is perfectly explained this way, "When we put people in boxes where they can only be one or another, we miss the opportunity to see people as diverse as they are"





I disagree with this quote because I don't think people use the MBTI to form strong opinions about others. It's a tool used to help people determine what their preferences are and not to determine who they are at a deep level.  I don't look at any of my friends differently now that I know they're an ESFJ or an ISRJ. I get that they were reported as leaning certain directions but in no way does that undermine their complexity and diversity as people.

My reported type was an ESTJ, which essentially means I'm decisive, clear, and assertive and should pursue a career of a practical nature. I regard all of this to be true, as well as most of the other information it gave me. But the MBTI naturally missed a lot about me too. It's an imperfect system to capture the infinite number of preferences a person could have. In some scenarios I could be a 'judger' and in others a 'perceiver'. How do you design a test to capture these differences accurately? I don't think anyone ever can. This being said, I still believe tests like the MBTI are a great way to start thinking about yourself and once you have that base of understanding, answering the more intricate questions yourself shouldn't be too hard.

Situational Leadership

Of all the leadership styles we discussed last Wednesday, the Situational Leadership Theory stuck with me the most. For those who forget, this is the one that states there is no one perfect style of leadership.  A great leader will be able to shift their style based on what the goal is and who is being led. In this way a situational leader is versatile - able to respond to a wide range of scenarios. This appeals to me because I frequently find myself in different situations which require different styles of leadership.

In AFROTC leadership is very mission oriented. There is a goal and a leader does whatever needs to be done within reason to accomplish that goal. There is a very well known chain of command and following the orders of those above you is expected with 100% devotion. It makes sense that this is the case because in such an environment lives are at frequently at stake.

Amongst friends I can hardly expect nor would personally give the same level of obedience as in the U.S. Military. For this I would need to develop different leadership skills if I want to influence a group's decision. As in the Air Force I can expect a wide range of problems and issues that must be solved and focusing on a leadership style that is known for it's versatility would be beneficial. If anyone is interested here's an article that discusses how the situational leadership theory is growing in today's military.

As far as the picture, I decided to go with this one. It's from the Institute for Social Change (ISC) website and I feel it connects to a lot of the main points the Social Change Model of leadership makes. In this picture everyone is collaborating equally and the highlighted person (i.e. you) is no higher than anyone else. The fact that the group of people holding hands spans the world speaks to how this model allows all people to be leaders. This picture demonstrates what I want to incorporate more in my leadership style. I can sometimes get excited and want to lead things more than my fair share. Over the course of this course I'd like to develop strategies to include others more when I am in charge, much like this picture shows.

Elevator Speech

Hey, my name is Jake Tierney. Before coming to Santa Clara I've had the opportunity to live in 7 other states (NH, ME, VA, OK, MN, RI, and WA)! I've lived in Issaquah Washington the longest so I guess that's my hometown. My travels have exposed me to many different people and over time I have developed a passion for leadership. This passion has led me to pursue a career in the U.S. Air Force after graduating SCU. Besides the leadership component, I also have a dream of flying. Over the past year I've taken private pilot classes and at the end of last summer I earned my initial solo private pilot rating. If everything goes how I want, I'll be flying for the USAF after college.

Personally, I have three siblings. One brother at the University of Oklahoma and two twin sisters in high school. In high school my two main activities were wrestling and Boy Scouts. I also participated in Link Crew and Welcome Crew. I worked as a lifeguard for three summers and hope to work as an EMT this coming summer. At SCU I am interested in becoming a CF next year. I also play plenty of intramural sports and hope to get involved with Ultimate this quarter.