Unboxing the Boxes: MBTI in Systemic Team Coaching

Unboxing the Boxes: MBTI in Systemic Team Coaching

We've all been there - taking a personality questionnaire, reading the results, sensing the irony of self-discovery wrapped in a stereotype. 'Oh, so I'm an ENFP? That explains why I dive into projects with wild enthusiasm and end up juggling five at once.' Or, 'Ah, ISTJ - that's why I always have comprehensive checklists and standard operating procedures in place!'

Moreover, we've all heard the saying, 'Don't put me in a box.' Nobody wants to feel limited or defined by a label. But here's the thing: as useful as these insights can be, no four-letter acronym should ever become a four-walled prison.

Yet, understanding our baseline tendencies can be a game-changer. MBTI might seem like it's all about categorizing people, but in reality, it provides a lens - not to confine, but to clarify. When used systemically, it helps teams see beyond individual preferences and into the relational dynamics that shape their interactions. So, let’s unbox the boxes and explore how MBTI, when applied within a broader systemic approach, can elevate team collaboration and collective leadership.

The Problem with Boxes (and Why We Still Need Them)

Yes, no one likes being put in a box - especially in a team setting where innovation and collaboration require agility. But let’s face it: human brains love categories. They help us make sense of complexity. MBTI isn’t about restricting potential; it’s about giving us a starting point for self-awareness. Think of it as a navigation tool -not setting a fixed path but helping teams steer with awareness and intent.

For teams, this matters immensely. Systemic team coaching isn’t about fixing individuals - it’s about shifting the entire system, helping teams move beyond static labels and into dynamic, co-creative collaboration. The extrovert isn’t 'taking over the meeting' -they’re processing externally. The introvert isn’t "checked out' - they’re reflecting deeply. But MBTI alone isn’t the answer; it’s merely one tool in a much broader systemic approach. The real power comes when teams use these insights not just for self-awareness but for reshaping the way they engage with each other and their wider stakeholders.

Beyond the Acronyms: Growth in Context

Systemic team coaching is all about movement - how we as individuals and as a collective adapt to the evolving challenges around us. MBTI, when placed within a systemic framework, helps illuminate how different processing and decision-making styles contribute to (or hinder) a team’s collective ability to lead, learn, and transform.

Think of it this way: If you know you have a tendency to avoid conflict (feelers), you can practice leaning into difficult conversations. If you tend to focus on logic at the expense of emotions (thinkers), you can make a conscious effort to listen beyond the words. But systemic team coaching doesn’t stop at individual awareness; it helps teams see these patterns in action - where energy gets stuck, where silos form, and how they can shift from habitual reactions to intentional, system-wide responses that serve the whole.

From Boxes to Bridges

Instead of boxing ourselves in, let’s use MBTI to build bridges - between our natural tendencies and our capacity for change, between different working styles, and ultimately, between people. When teams engage with personality insights through a systemic lens, they stop fixating on individual strengths and weaknesses and start designing interactions that bring out the best in everyone. MBTI can help a team understand its internal landscape, but real transformation happens when those insights are used to enhance collaboration, challenge assumptions, and create a more adaptive, stakeholder-focused team.

Personality frameworks should be springboards, not cages and allow us to unbox the boxes. Because at the end of the day, no one is just an ENFP, ISTJ, or any other four-letter label. We are all complex, adaptable, and ever-evolving. And when teams embrace that mindset, that’s where the real magic happens - not just within the team, but in the way they engage with their organization and the wider ecosystem around them.

What’s your take? Have personality frameworks helped (or hindered) your team interactions? Let’s unbox this conversation together!

Oh, and if you’re intrigued by all this unboxing and wondering how your team can benefit, as a certified Systemic Team Coach and MBTI practitioner (combining deep psychological insights with a systemic approach to unlock team potential), I’d love to help both teams and individuals gain insights that lead to real transformation.

Curious? Let’s chat! Just don’t expect me to put you in a box!