Author Note: While I offer a lot of speculation here, this analysis is based on my expert observations as a formally trained personality type coach with extensive experience administering restricted psychometric tests.

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are making waves with their unique personalities and leadership styles.

Harris is known for her executive charisma and high ambition, while Walz is recognized for his down-to-earth, pragmatic, friendly approach.

In this article, I’ll explore the potential strengths and weaknesses of each candidate’s personality type, and how these factors might interact and influence their leadership styles in a potential NT-temperament presidency.

Let’s start with VP Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris: ENTJ Personality Type & Personal Traits

In my analysis, Kamala Harris seems to fit the ENTJ personality type extremely well.

So, first, it’s worth pointing out that this puts VP Harris in the same personality-type lineup as these public figures:

• Winston Churchill
• Margaret Thatcher
• Napoleon Bonaparte
• Steve Jobs
• Elon Musk
• Carl Icahn
• Tucker Carlson
• Glenn Greenwald
• Sarah Ashton-Cirillo

What do they have in common?

First, since this article is about personality type theory, it can help to avoid projecting one’s own like/dislike take, for any of these personalities, onto Harris. Just adding this in case you are already working down the list, thinking “hate, hate, meh, OK, I like” or similar…!

So, reviewing the list generally / objectively, you can see that we have people who are very directive and energetic toward goals. They tend to pick up a cause and run with it. They also tend to want to delegate the details. And they would rather use “the now” to plan for the future, being generally sensitive about the future.

I would also point out that generally, this type group does not like to be caught thinking about the past, except for deriving very straightforward lessons in strategy or tactics. You may have noticed that Harris already made something of a slogan out of this!

Kamala Harris: Additional Trait-style Factors

…and what about the other glaring issue: She’s not exactly like any of those other ENTJ people?

OK, this is a basic lesson of personality type: While personality type theory is extremely helpful and powerful, people are more than just their type. We all have millions of traits that also set us apart from others. Everyone is unique, and a type is also meant to denote a group of people, helping individuals connect the “me” with “the group” for more objective help in understanding themselves.

So, looking into this individuality direction a bit, while still holding onto the strengths of type theory, I think we can see that Kamala Harris also has some traits that lean far into the opposite personality zone. This is fairly common. We all tend to become a bit like our opposite sometimes!

For example, it has been said of VP Harris that she can oscillate between:

• In-charge Interaction Style (the ENTJ Interaction Style) – very executive & decisive, and
• Behind-the-scenes Interaction Style (the ISFP Interaction Style – The opposite of ENTJ) – reserved, indecisive.

In my opinion, it’s best to look at these as two parts of a whole, like the yin & yang of her personality.

In general, these two points in isolation DO NOT matter that much…unless you tend to overuse one of them! This generally leads to the other one taking over with a vengeance.

Most people are not very skilled in handling the emergence of their opposite personality, and these changes over to the opposite side can cause quick, sudden damage to one’s image, reputation, or career.

So, we will see how this works out with VP Harris, especially given that she is an individual with her own traits, and not just an ENTJ.

Kamala Harris: Other ENTJ Personality Type Factors

Now let’s get back into the ENTJ type a bit more. We can learn a lot by knowing about the broader ENTJ personality type.

For example, how does Kamala Harris balance those general personality factors in her more individualized approach to life?

And, is she conscious of any typical ENTJ tendencies, like these, for example:

• A tendency to overwork oneself and become a workaholic
• A tendency to push people around (so to speak), or see them as cogs in machine, rather than working with them creatively, and directing them in a win-win manner
• An extreme obsession with detail (see Steve Jobs, for example) that mainly takes over in high-stress situations

With some basic awareness and maturity, those problems can usually be overcome. So that’s the question: Do they apply, and if so, to what degree is she aware & attentive to them?

There are also many, many other ENTJ-related questions to consider:

• There’s a lot of REALLY bad stuff behind us, in the past. But there’s also a lot of foundational stuff, even good stuff! (You can see a lot of this in her own past, like how she was raised. She understands the “good past” idea at a personal level.) So, can she give reasonably nuanced attention to the “our” past, and bring the best parts of the past forward? (Socionics ISTJ Supervisor Model)
• Can she devote time to review relevant details with patience, when needed? (ENTJ JCF Si Dynamics Model)
• Does she give reasonable care to her health, not pushing herself too far before consequences kick in? (Socionics ISFJ Conflicting Type Model)
• Can she deal deftly with her own personal feelings, actively processing them rather than setting them aside until they come back with a vengeance and drive her into forced solitude or executive lock-out? (ENTJ JCF Fi Model)
• Can she avoid pushing important allies away by seeming to strive for too much perfection, handing out severe critique? (NT Temperament)
• Can she avoid detaching from important tasks when confronted with too much routine? (NT Temperament)
• Can she act creatively AND decisively at the same time? (ENTJ JCF Ne Model)
• Is she tougher or more controlling than necessary? (ENTJ In-Charge Model / Overuse Potential)

So, just a bunch of interesting factors to think about.

It seems clear to me that VP Harris is generally ambitious, charismatic, and well-versed on a variety of topics and perspectives. Let’s see how the situation and her personality dynamics develop from here.

Tim Walz: INTP Personality Type & Personal Traits

In my own analysis, it seems that Tim Walz fits best into the INTP personality type. That puts him in company of these other INTP public figures:

• Abraham Lincoln
• Charles Darwin
• Marie Curie
• Stephen King
• Paul Allen
• Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia)
• Jason Scott (Internet Archive)
• Larry David
• Scott Adams
• Ryan McBeth (Youtuber)

I mention Ryan McBeth here because he’s an example of a pragmatic INTP who has served as an NCO in the US Military. I think you’ll see some similarities to Tim Walz’s style in Ryan.

Also, I personally know & have come across a LOT of INTPs who seem to have preferred the NCO path in the US Military, with Sergeant being a sort of favorite “understated, pragmatically valuable leadership” rank that they like to reach & really personify.

This could be a reflection of the ESFJ opposite-type motivational effect, in which the INTP naturally reaches toward their opposite type in developing themselves and their career. The leadership-oriented ESFJ is often seen focusing on more “humble, relatable” leadership roles, like becoming the mayor of a small town.

Some will relate this to the cognitive functions Si and Ti, both of which are generally little-picture focused, with Si also being somewhat associated with the understated “humble ol’ me” style. It can also be related back to a distaste for the “showy” cognitive function Se, or to the INTP’s preferred interaction style, “Behind the Scenes”. In any case, it’s nice to have a variety of perspectives from which to look at this, as each perspective will also tend to relate forward into the individual’s future.

Reviewing the list of INTPs above, you’ll find a lot of thoughtful people. They are interested in learning about, and analyzing problems. Even Larry David is basically ALL about that analytical approach, even though most of us only see that in his ‘it’s only logical’ style of humor.

Regarding “the past”, which is a very important psychological perspective: In contrast to the ENTJ, INTPs tend to be much more comfortable thinking in & about the past, and learning deeply from lessons of the past. Even to the degree that some INTPs are not fully comfortable introducing a new idea or theory unless it can be directly related to some aspect of the past.

I will also note that Walz has a very solid, grounded, yet flexible grasp on logical analysis in general, indicating maturity in the logic zone! This closely matches the style of the INTP’s foundational cognitive function, Ti. Most recently this gift was pointed out in the context of maps and mapping data.

Tim Walz: Additional Trait-style Factors

Just like VP Harris, Tim Walz is a unique individual. He also demonstrates these traits which are somewhat “less INTP”:

• Gregarious and interested in “joy”
• Down-to-earth and relatable
• Caring for the individuals around him in an active way

It may be that he picked up some of these from how he was raised & where he was raised, as he has mentioned in public.

Also, I would note that all three of these points are valuable and effective career skills for a sergeant in the military.

Regarding any tendency to oscillate (basic cognitive function dynamics), we can’t really say much is on the record about that, or at least I haven’t seen it. But here is a simple example based on the INTP personality type and NT temperament:

• A possible tendency to get cranky or irritable unless given plenty of time to withdraw and think things out with very precise logic
• A counter-flow toward “joy” and “relating to others” as the other side of the oscillation (Opposite-type effect: ESFJ Get-Things Going / Energy Type)

It’s my guess that we may see him expanding his outward focus on “joy” around a hyper-serious Kamala Harris, creating a bit of an odd effect on the audience at times. If so, this may happen because of his effective, pragmatic grasp of the audience and how to relate to them, as opposed to the ENTJ style of simply directing the audience, or telling them what’s going to happen.

Tim Walz: Other INTP Personality Type Factors

While his potential role as a VP is still up in the air, I do ask myself:

• Will Tim Walz gain more audience respect / public respect than Kamala Harris, in some awkward way? (Awkward for him as well as others!)
• Will he care for his health, when big problems come up that require lots of mental focus?
• What INTP-style mental contributions will he make, to campaign and/or US government thinking?
• Will Walz overplay the opposite-type ESFJ “joy in relating” approach, when deeper logic is more appopriate?

Also, sometimes those seemingly “joyful & charismatic” INTPs can surprisingly & casually dominate in ways that people might not expect.

Wrapping Up…

Finally, I want to zoom out just a little bit, and get into the NT temperament.

Both Kamala Harris and Tim Walz share the NT temperament. (In this case, you can see the letters “NT” in each of their four-letter personality types.)

NT’s are also known as “Rationals” (David Kiersey) or “Theorists” (Linda Berens).

• The ENTJ-NT (matching Kamala Harris) is known as the “Fieldmarshal” in the Kiersey model.

• The INTP-NT (matching Tim Walz) is known as the “Architect” in the Kiersey model.

This close combination of two NTs leading a presidential administration seems like it could be a pretty huge factor in terms of outcomes for the US government, and possibly the world. It also potentially magnifies or potentiates the work of both figures together.

The Trump-Vance ticket is of the SP temperament, somewhat the opposite of the NT temperament in many ways. (You can see the letters S and P appearing in their four-letter types, with Trump being ESTP, and Vance being ESFP.)

SPs are also known as “Artisans” (David Kiersey) or “Improvisers” (Linda Berens).

• The ESTP-SP (matching Donald Trump) is known as “Promoter” the in the Kiersey model.
• The ESFP-SP (matching JD Vance) is known as the “Performer” in the Kiersey model.

These types are known to be more comfortable operating “in the moment” and may be less comfortable with topics like long-term planning, risk assessment, and big-picture strategy.

Is it an NT-Temperament Presidential Bid?

This is a really interesting question to me: Will we have an NT presidency? This would tend to create a ripple effect in US policy, strengthening these factors:

• US diplomacy and strategy that are logically grounded in US values
• A more logic-and-data focused approach to US strategic problem solving
• More focus on technology and harnessing innovation in US policy
• Broad-minded, future-thinking US policy and strategy
• A possibly huge return of an active “big-picture focus” to US policy & strategy
• Visionary acts of planning & policy that could set the US up for strength in the future
• Forward thinking in general / Adaptability in general
• Needed emphasis on the idea space in US politics
• And finally…new political theory, diplomatic theory, or other strategic theory

Keep in mind that these new outcomes would not just be “coming from” these two individuals; rather it would tend to be heavily rewarded by these individuals and any system they lead.

So there is a big potential for many new NT-temperament-related wheels to start cranking, throughout government, economy, and almost any public concern.

How will this and other temperaments react?

This makes me think about the stark reality of personality type: Some people are similar…others are very, very different.

Some example questions that come to mind:

• Will people like Mitt Romney, an ENTP type and therefore also-NT, play super-well with this team in some notable way? Personality type factors can have a surprisingly strong influence on outcomes involving persuasion and influence.
• Will NF temperaments like AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (ENFP), pick up on a “perceived lack of humanity” in some way, and run with it, causing friction? Such types are generally on the alert for a need to nurture and be kind to ourselves and those around us. But it’s also sometimes really hard to balance this with a need to be productive and get things done.
• Will the strategy and big-picture logic work out too well, effectively alienating some important lower-level figures, who start to feel like cogs?
• Since this website you are reading used to be called “Marc’s INTJ Blog”… will we see other NTs like INTJs and ENTPs way more engaged in such a presidency? As an example, INTJs basically own the auxiliary Ni-functionality for the ENTJ personality type…this can be extremely helpful as ENTJs engage with their thoughts & goals.
• How will Trump (ESTP) and Vance (ESFP) respond? They are both of the SP temperament (Improvisers), so what looks like “scrambling to figure out a strategy” to others, like NT’s, may actually be more like “iterating until we find what works”. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
• How the heck will the NT vibe play with the Democratic party vibe? I’m not as doubtful about this one, as I am “intrigued”…I generally do not think of the Democratic party when I think about the NT temperament….but I also have to say: I generally don’t think about the Republican party when I think about the SP temperament, either!

These are just some casual examples of my thoughts on the temperament factor though, nothing serious in my mind yet.

Conclusion

OK, I don’t really have time for a long conclusion today. As usual, I ran out of time while writing this. But WOW this has been a very engaging presidential election bid so far…let’s see how it goes.

Filed in: Careers /40/ | Ti /30/ | ENFP /4/ | Interaction Styles /4/ | Socionics /7/ | Si /19/ | People /74/ | Fi /35/ | Global Issues /4/ | ENTJ /1/ | INTP /7/