Strategic Delegation for Team Leaders: Using Myers-Briggs Personality Testing to Put Everyone in the Right Roles

A team made up of people in the wrong roles is going to struggle, no matter how talented they are. As a manager, your job is to understand what each person does best and delegate in a way that actually reflects their strengths.

This is where the Myers-Briggs personality system can really help you out. The 16 Myers-Briggs types all have different strengths, blind spots, talents and preferences which impact their workplace performance. The data obtained from Myers-Briggs testing will make it easier to put the members of your team in positions where they can thrive.

If you’re working with people who’ve excelled in certain roles in the past, you may not need to make any changes. But even when roles feel well matched, there’s value in taking a closer look at the energies and priorities each team member brings to the table. The following insights can help you delegate with greater precision and purpose   

INFP: The Team’s Conscience

INFPs bring a creative, human-centered spirit to projects and quietly set the tone for what feels ethical and meaningful. They push conversations beyond “getting it done” and look for the deeper purpose in the work to help others stay connected to “why it matters.”​

Best tasks to delegate:

• Reviewing decisions to make sure they align with company values.
• Stress-testing internal messaging so it clearly links daily work to the organization’s mission and priorities.
• Flagging morale issues so you can address problems before they impact performance or retention.

INTJ: The Long-range Planner

INTJs are gifted analysts who find ways to improve procedures, processes or methodologies. They look ahead and anticipate the downstream consequences of decisions to help improve the decision-making process and keep teams moving efficiently toward long-term goals.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Leading long-range strategic planning or research projects.
• Auditing existing processes to spot bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Designing scalable models or pilot programs to test changes before a full rollout.

INFJ: The People Watcher

INFJs connect the organization’s big-picture vision with people’s real needs on the ground. They anticipate friction before it escalates and quietly align others around a shared direction.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Translating strategy into clear, human language the team can understand and act on.
• Spotting hidden people risks such as burnout or brewing conflict.
• Guiding team check-ins and feedback conversations during times of change.

INTP: The Creative Problem-Solver

INTPs enjoy solving tough, abstract problems and prefer roles with autonomy that offer an intellectual challenge. They break issues apart and question assumptions.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Analyzing complex, long-term problems that lack obvious solutions.
• Stress-testing proposals or projects before you commit major resources.
• Developing new frameworks, methods or decision rules in response to evolving goals.

ENFP:  Enthusiastic Advocate for Innovation

ENFPs energize teams and encourage people to share ideas, even if they seem half-baked. They help others see possibilities, promoting creativity and innovation in the process, and are skilled at keeping momentum going when the team’s energy flags or work feels uncertain.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Championing new initiatives that need visible enthusiasm and buy-in.
• Leading idea-generation sessions where big-picture possibilities are explored and refined.
• Lifting team morale.

ENTJ: Organizes People and Drives Results

ENTJs are comfortable taking charge and setting a clear direction for the group. They focus on outcomes and are skilled at organizing people and resources to make sure goals are achieved.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Leading high-impact projects that span teams or functions.
• Translating strategic goals into clear plans, priorities and targets for others.
• Holding people accountable for follow-through and stepping in quickly when performance slips.

ENTP: The Assumption Challenger

ENTPs question how things are done and look for smarter, more inventive options. They are quick thinkers who enjoy debate and help teams avoid getting stuck in safe but outdated approaches.​

Best tasks to delegate:

• Running brainstorming sessions to generate and test new ideas.
• Exploring alternative options when a project hits roadblocks.
• Reviewing existing practices to spot opportunities for innovation or differentiation.

ENFJ: The Team Coordinator

ENFJs naturally organize people around shared goals and are skilled at keeping communication flowing. They pay close attention to how decisions land with others and rely on their natural charisma to keep everyone moving in the same direction. 

Best tasks to delegate:

• Coordinating busy, people-heavy projects so everyone knows what they’re doing.
• Running meetings that need clear agreement and genuine buy-in.
• Checking in with team members and raising concerns early before they slow work down.

ISFJ: Pays Attention to Details

ISFJs keep things running smoothly behind the scenes and notice practical needs early. They value reliability and take responsibility for the details others forget.​

Best tasks to delegate:

• Keeping track of deadlines and following up to make sure everyone meets their commitments.
• Offering practical and logistical support to busy teammates.
• Managing customer- or client-facing tasks where accuracy and consistency matter.

ISFP: The Quiet Improver

ISFPs focus on how work affects people in real life and look for small ways to make things better for them. They prefer flexible roles and often step in where hands-on help is most needed.​

Best tasks to delegate:

• Refining deliverables that directly affect the customer or end-user experience.
• Handling sensitive one-to-one situations that call for tact and empathy.
• Suggesting concrete action steps for making stale or stalled projects feel fresher and more workable.

ISTJ: The Planner

ISTJs are structured, detail-focused and serious about following through on commitments. They like clear expectations and established procedures, and they make sure work gets done the right way.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Building and maintaining project plans, checklists and schedules.
• Monitoring processes to ensure they are followed correctly and consistently.
• Auditing the team’s work for accuracy, compliance and risk.

ISTP: The Hands-on Fixer

ISTPs are practical problem-solvers who like to get in, diagnose an issue and fix it. They stay calm under pressure and prefer action to long discussion.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Tracking down the root causes of bottlenecks, breakdowns or inefficiencies.
• Solving technical or equipment problems that get in the way of progress.
• Trying out new tools or methods to see if they actually improve performance.

ESFP: The Motivator

ESFPs bring energy, warmth and a can-do attitude to the team. They help people stay engaged in the work and are quick to jump in where practical help is needed.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Organizing workshops, demos or team events that need enthusiasm and good hosting.
• Acting as a connector between teammates working on different parts of a project.
• Leading regular idea-sharing or check-in sessions and making sure everyone is heard.

ESFJ: The Co-ordination Hub

ESFJs are tuned in to what colleagues need to do their best work. They like clear structure, love to collaborate, and are happy to take responsibility for coordination and follow-up.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Managing onboarding and cross-team communication so information flows smoothly.
• Organizing projects that depend on strong participation and cooperation.
• Keeping colleagues updated on changes to expectations, priorities or processes.

ESTJ: The Task Driver

ESTJs are decisive and comfortable taking charge of day-to-day operations. They focus on discipline, efficiency and accountability, and make sure plans turn into action.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Coordinating people and resources to hit key milestones.
• Making routine operational decisions that need quick, decisive action.
• Enforcing performance and professionalism standards across the team.

ESTP: The Crisis Manager

ESTPs think on their feet and respond coolly and proactively when things go sideways. They solve problems logically and in real-time, and are comfortable taking the lead in fast-moving situations.

Best tasks to delegate:

• Owning crisis response or time-sensitive issues that need quick action.
• Handling negotiations and other high-stakes client conversations.
• Overseeing the launch of new products and services, and responding fast to early feedback from customers or the market.

Delegation That Fits Your Team

Personality testing is most useful when it directly shapes how you hand out responsibilities. Once you understand how each person prefers to work, you can move them toward tasks that feel natural and pull them away from work that constantly drains them.​

In practical terms, that might mean shifting ownership of certain decisions, changing who leads which projects, or pairing people more deliberately so strengths and gaps balance out. Over time, managers who delegate this way see fewer avoidable clashes and a stronger sense of “I’m in the right place” across the team.​