The Influencing Personality

Introduction

  • The High I personalities generally have a positive outlook on life. They are expressive, enthusiastic, and the life of the party.
  • They meet people easily, have effective social skills and can motivate others to agree with them in a friendly manner. They initiate with poise and persuasion.
  • Influencer’s have the ability to provide practical insight to assist and encourage others to carry on, especially when they are discouraged.
  • The Influencing personality influences people by being the Promoter, Persuader, Counselor, and Appraiser.

Biblical Characters With Influencing Personality Traits:

  • Aaron, King Saul PromoterHigh I
  • Peter, RebekahPersuaderI/D
  • Barnabas, Abigail Counselor I/S
  • David, Mary MagdaleneAppraiser I/C

General Tendencies of the Influencing Personality:

  • A Strong Capacity for Trusting and Accepting Others: They have an unusual capacity to trust others and project unconditional acceptance toward many different people. They can even accept those perceived as an outcast.
  • Affectionate, Approachable, and Understanding: High I’s accept, appreciate and are affectionate with others. They are most comfortable when relating to and interacting, with people in a positive, friendly environment. They communicate nonverbally that they can be easily approached.
  • Socially Oriented: They fill their schedules with social activities.
  • Barnabaswas they best example of a promoter profile in the Bible.

Blind Spots of the HighI Personality:

  • Need for Personal Recognition: They become tense if they must share attention with others. Nothing stimulates the High I more than being publicly recognized and accepted.
  • Need for Social Acceptance: The need for recognition is one of the most important measurements of a High I’s self-acceptance. Without it they feel empty. They must learn that their need for lasting acceptance can only be fulfilled in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Fear of Social Rejection: Just the prospect of social rejection can create intense fear. Social rejection can destroy the confidence of a High I.
  • Tendency Toward Disorganization: Excuses and good intentions often keep the High I from being productive and achieving their potential. They often have several major projects lying around waiting to be completed. They never seem to have enough time to finish their projects. If some one questions them why they have not finished their projects, they become defensive. Their disorganization often results in them losing or misplacing items. .

Primary High I Personality

(The Promoter Personality)

1.Tendencies of High I Personalities:

Primary driveCreating a favorable,

friendly environment

Personal giftednessQuick of tongue, special ability

to affirm and encourage others

Group giftednessRelieving tension, articulating

information

Potential spiritual giftsHelps, Hospitality, Mercy

Internal fearPublic or social rejection

Strength out of controlSpeaking without thinking

Under stress becomesCareless and disorganized

Blind spotsRemembering past commitments

Needs to work onRemaining objective when

encountering social pressure

Best team membersPure C, C/S, C/S/D, S/C

II.Biblical Characters Who Represent High I PersonalityTraits:

  • Aaron
  • King Saul

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsEx. 4:14, 27-31; 6:28-7:2
  • WeaknessesEx. 20:1-2; 24:1-24; 32:1-6, 21-24

1 Sam. 15:1-3, 7-9, 13-30

High I Personality Traits

(The Promoter Personality)

The Promoter exhibits the most pure tendencies of the Influencing style.

Positive Traits:
  • The High Ipossesses the greatest natural ability to express verbal approval and acceptance.
  • They have a gift for verbal communication.
  • High C’s, who have difficulty expressing themselves, need the skills of High I’s.
  • Example: How God used Aaron to help Moses.
Personal Giftedness:
  • High I’s are gifted at motivating others to support a project or cause.
  • After the High I receives credit, they use praise of others as a way of expressing their appreciation for any successes.
Strength Out of Control:
  • When High I’s make a mistake, they often use the praise of others in an effort to cover up their errors.
  • They will also shift blame to others for their own mistakes.
  • Their excuses to cover up their mistakes can be so convincing they often get away with acting irresponsibly.

Approach To Teamwork:

  • High I’s use their contacts with other people to get the resources needed for the task.
  • They use other people’s strengths to cover up their weaknesses.

Leadership or Management Style:

  • High I’s use a democratic style of leadership.
  • They facilitate open communication with others.
  • The seek agreement before making final decisions.

Sensitivity to Other’s Feelings:

  • High I’s are more sensitive to others than any of the other personality types.
  • They are concerned that others be satisfied and happy.
  • They are quick to offer encouragement to others.
  • They reach out to others to help them.

Releasing Stress:

  • High I’s will often become more talkative when stressed.
  • They will seek out a social gathering in order to be around people.
  • They may verbally attack others when stressed.
  • They release their stress through social interaction with others.

Recovery from Emotional Stress:

  • High I’s spend time with others in a social context.
  • They talk on the phone or contact others using email or other internet resources.

Making Spiritual Commitments or a Commitment to Christ:

  • High I’s will often commit to Christ after an inspiring presentation or sermon.
  • They often make commitments in a group in front of others.
  • They are motivated to make spiritual commitments if others are doing so or there is expectation to follow others in their commitment.

Strengths of the High I Personality:

  • Emotionally responsive to others
  • Optimistic particularly when beginning a project or task.
  • Confident
  • Socially sensitive to others
  • Verbally enthusiastic
  • Trusting and affirming

Complementary Strengths Needed:

  • Objective problem solver (D personalities)
  • Follow through with tasks (S personalities)
  • Realistic perceptions and asking critical questions (C personalities)
  • Making unpopular decisions (D personalities)
  • Good listener (S personalities)

The High I/D Personality

(The Persuader Personality)

1.Tendencies of I/D Personalities:

Primary driveIndependence, uninhibited

risk taker

Personal giftednessFriendly manner, verbal and

nonverbal adeptness

Group giftednessReading people’s needs and

persuading them to action

Potential spiritual giftsEvangelism, Hospitality,

Exhortation

Internal fearBeing rejected by friends

Strength out of controlOverconfident in self, verbalizes

without direction

Under stress becomesStubborn, argumentative, and

verbally reckless

Blind spotsConnecting past events and

comments with present actions

Needs to work onAttending to details, follow-through

Best team membersS, S/C, S/D, SCI

II.Biblical Characters Who Represent I/D Personality Traits :

  • Peter
  • Rebekah

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsActs 2:11-47; 3:1-26; 4:1-22
  • WeaknessesMatt. 26:31-35, 69-75

The High I/D Personality Traits

(The Persuader Pattern)

Positive Traits:
  • I/D (Persuader) personalities have the ability to reach out to strangers with openness and a friendly spirit.
  • They will speak to anyone, can quickly discern needs, and warmly extend a helping hand to others.
  • Physical contact is also a natural characteristic. They are quick to be affectionate by shaking hands, giving hugs, patting someone’s arm or shoulders, and kissing people on the cheek.
  • Example: Rebekah reaching out to Abraham’s servant
Personal Giftedness:
  • I/D (Persuaders) personalities are effective communicators and are comfortable in making impromptu speeches that are personalized to the needs of any group or themselves.
  • They know how to capitalize on the momentum generated by their verbal persuasion.
  • Example: In Acts 2 and 4Peter preaches to a crowd of three thousand and five thousand.
Strength Out of Control:
  • I/D (Persuaders) personalities tend to listen selectively.
  • They often only listen to the first few words of a speaker and then inappropriately offer comments out of context.
  • Example: In Matt. 16 Peter reacted inappropriately.

The High I/S Personality

(The CounselorPersonality)

1.Tendencies ofI/S Personalities:

Primary driveMaintaining peace and harmony

Personal giftednessSeeing the potential in people

in spite of their flaws

Group giftednessConstantly affirming and

encouraging others

Potential spiritual giftsGiving, Helps, Pastor/Teacher

Internal fearDisappointing friends,

Experiencing disharmony

Strength out of controlBeing too tolerant and trusting

Under stress becomesOverly accommodating to

maintaining relationships

Blind spotsDetermining when a situation

is too abusive

Needs to work onBeing more objective about

people and situations

Best team membersD/C, C/D, S/C/D

II.Biblical Characters Who Represent I/S Personality Traits:

  • Barnabas
  • Abagail

III.Further Bible Study:

  • StrengthsActs 9:26-29, I Sam. 25:3-35
  • WeaknessesActs 15:36-40, I Sam. 25:19-36

The High I/S Personality Traits

(The Counselor Personality)

Positive Traits:

  • I/S (Counselor) personalities are approachable, affectionate, and understanding.
  • I/S (Counselor) personalities are also gifted with the ability to see the good in others, rather than just look for their faults.
  • Example: Barnabas encouraged both Paul and Mark when no one else would.

Personal Giftedness:

  • I/S (Counselor) personalities possess excellent interpersonal skills along with being stable and dependable.
  • They are often principle members in an informal communication system and generally exert positive influence because of their optimistic attitudes.
  • Example: Barnabas whose name means “son of encouragement”. In Acts 15 Barnabas is a major influence in helping the Jerusalem council work through the problem of accepting Gentiles in the church.

Strength Out of Control:

  • I/S (Counselor) personalities have a tendency to use an indirect approach and tolerance in dealing with problems.
  • The caring nature of the I/S personality could become a weakness if overused in situations where establishing firm boundaries would lead to responsible behavior in others.
  • Example: In I Samuel 25, Abigail goes around her foolish, drunk husband to protect him from David and his men.

The High I/C Personality

(The Appraiser Personality)

1.Tendencies of I/C Personalities.

Primary driveBeing innovative with flair

and committed to excellence

Personal giftednessWorking through people and

having fun

Group giftednessInspiring people to be excited about

working together and enjoying it

Potential spiritual giftsFaith, Leadership, Mercy

Internal fearComing under public criticism,

looking bad before peers

Strengthout of controlBecomes emotionally assertive,

competitive and sometimes reckless

Under stress becomesImpatient, critical, and emotionally

intense

Blind spotsBeing rational when under

emotional stress

Needsto work onControlling mood swings, being

more tolerant of the “shoulds” and

“should nots”

Bestteam membersS/C, S/C/D, C/S, I/S

II.Biblical Characters Who represent I/C Personality Traits:

  • David
  • Mary Magdalene

III.Further Bible Study:

  • Strengths1 Sam. 16:18; 18:5-8, 20-30
  • Weaknesses2 Sam. 11:1-27; 12:1-24

The High I/C Personality Traits

(The Appraiser Personality)

Positive Traits:

  • I/C (Appraiser) personalities are driven to win but prefer to achieve their victories by working with and through people.
  • They have the charisma to persuade team members to join them in achieving their personal goals and objectives.
  • Appraisers often have a “win-win” philosophy.
  • They strive to succeed with flair and style, but truly desire that others be a part of any success achieved.
  • Example: In 1 Samuel 18, David typified winning with style.

Personal Giftedness:

  • I/C (Appraiser) personalities have the gift of making others feel like important and valued members of the team.
  • They can communicate that the efforts of others really count toward achieving a team’s goals which increases team morale and productivity.
  • Example: David had a reputation among his peers for being an extremely wise, charismatic leader, and his soldiers considered it a privilege to serve under him.

Under Stress:

  • The I/C personality contends with two opposing emotions: a need for close relationships and a need to accomplish tasks.
  • Under pressure, these two drives produce a person who acts like a coiled, quivering spring.
  • They become restless, impatient, and aggressive.
  • It is common for them to walk or jog to release stress.
  • I/C (Appraiser) personalities have to learn to relax to guard against burn out.
  • Example: In 2 Samuel 11, David became restless and while walking on the roof of his house to relieve tension, he saw Bathsheba bathing. His emotional needs got away from him because he was unable to control his response to pressure.

Needs of the Influencing Personality

In many relationships people’s needs are miscommunicated. We frequently impose our need system on others and expect them to react accordingly. When they don’t, we push harder to make them respond, only to become frustrated. The result is added stress and often the severing of the relationship.

Core Need Issues of the High I Personality:

  • High I’sare relational people. They need to be in relations with others.
  • They desire a positive social environment and are particularly sensitive to maintaining a positive social relationship with their peers.
  • They do not respond well in an environment that is negative and demanding.
  • They want: social acceptance, freedom of expression, freedom from control, freedom from details, freedom from formal chain-of-command structure, and opportunities for social interaction.
  • Their fear of rejection is a real and dynamic force in their life.
  • We are being unrealistic in expecting them to not let social pressure affect them. They need our support in dealing with this issue and not our criticism.
  • Unless they are extremely mature, the need for positive social relationships will affect their decision making process.

Common Responses of the High I Under Stress:

  • Give them clear instructions: They will not commitment to anything unless they have clear instructions about what to do and how to do it. See Exodus 20:1-17
  • Agreement and commitment: They will attempt to get others to agree and commit. (See: Exodus 24)
  • Social pressure causes them to give in: (See: Exodus 32:2-6)
  • Confrontation causes defensiveness. (See:Exodus 32:21)
  • Blame others: The can be very creative and convincing in shifting the blame to someone else. They convince themselves first they are not to blame and then they convince you. (See: Exodus 32:22-24)

The Three R’s in Loving the High I

  • Responding To A High I
  • Be friendly and positive
  • Allow for informal dialogue
  • Allow time for stimulating and fun activities
  • Relating To A High I
  • Use friendly voice tones
  • Allow time for them to verbalize their feelings
  • You transfer talk to an action plan
  • Reinforcing The High I
  • Offer positive encouragement and incentives for taking on tasks.
  • You organize the action plan.
  • Communicate positive recognition

Additional Information:

  • Recognize their need to be leaders in groups and to express themselves verbally.
  • They love public recognition.
  • Example: Simon Peter is a classic example of a High I leader who took opportunities to speak out. (See: Matt. 16)
  • Recognize their tendency to test boundaries to their limits.
  • They often test and overstep their boundaries.
  • They get “out of bounds” by offering their opinionwhen it is not asked for.
  • Sometimes they have to be shocked back into the necessary limits.
  • Example: Peter demonstrated this in Matt. 16:21-24.
  • Recognize their tendency to have high levels of confidence in themselves and others.
  • High I’s, particularly I/D’s, have a great deal of confidence in their ability to influence others.
  • They can accept people as they are and encourage them to move forward, no matter what the obstacles.
  • Desiring a positive environment, High I’s often will respond to negative events with optimism.
  • Their optimistic quality can become a problem when the High I’s confidence in himself exceeds his ability to keep his promises. Too much talk and not enough action.
  • High I’s do not ask themselves, “Can I really follow through on what I am saying?” Am I really being helpful?” “Should I just be quiet?”
  • Recognize the difficulty they have in following through on commitments
  • Under stress a High I tends to protect and defend him or herself.
  • If confronted, the High I will usually deny their responsibility and fail to follow through on the commitments they have made.
  • If they are not following through with commitments, talk with them in a non-confrontational manner and attempt to work out an agreeable solution.
  • Provide a friendly and positive environment.
  • High I’s enjoy having fun and respond best in an environment that is friendly and bustling with activity.
  • A High I usually prefers companionship to being alone.
  • Give them the opportunity to verbalize their feelings.
  • They like expressing their ideas and opinions. This helps them feel important and gives them a sense of having a say in their future.
  • Always give them time to talk through their ideas.
  • Do not take everything they say literally.
  • Give them ideas for transferring talk to action.
  • High I’s can benefit from ideas that help them transfer talk into action.
  • Give them positive social recognition.
  • Positive recognition (i.e. titles, commendations, acknowledgments) particularly before their peers helps a High I choose to motivate himself to succeed.
  • Your success is increased in working with High I’s when you give them the opportunity to be recognized for their efforts.
  • Use confrontation only when necessary.
  • Generally speaking, High I’s do not respond favorably to confrontation. It tends to demoralize them and cause them to loose their motivation.
  • Sometimes it is necessary to use confrontation with High I’s to get their attention such as when they lose their concentration.
  • The confrontation is best received if it centers on future actions rather than past events. When asked to explain their past actions they often respond with an array of excuses.

Difficulties Relating to High I’s:

  • High D:It is difficult for High D’s to listen to a problem knowing that the High I’s are not necessarily interested in hearing about a solution. High D’s are interested in the bottom line.
  • High I:Sharing the stage with another High I.
  • High S:Difficult keeping up with their tendency to change plans while they are speaking. High S’s need time to process changes.
  • High C:They need to be less inhibited, to loosen up.

How To Build Better Relationships With High I’s:

  • High D:They focus on relationships rather than reaching the goal.
  • High I:They need to share the limelight and not be threatened by other I’s.
  • High S:Allow them to participate in activities that do not make sense to us.

Trying something different with them.