Still Typing: Why MBTI Won’t Die – and What to Use Instead

Why I’m Wary of Labels

Let me be honest up front: I’ve never liked the MBTI. It’s not just the science (or lack of it) it’s the way it reminds me of how often people try to put others in boxes.

As a young man, I was boxed in from the start. I struggled at school, left at 16, and was often told I wasn’t going to amount to much. I’m dyslexic. I’ve had serious health issues. I spent years in and out of the health system trying to get the support I needed. Through it all, I heard the same message over and over: This is who you are. This is what you can expect from life.

And for a while, I believed it.

But I’ve always had a bit of an attitude. A refusal to stay where I was put. I’ve worked hard to not be defined by difficulty or by someone else’s idea of what people like me can do.

So when I see tools like MBTI, promising to define you in four letters, I get wary. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: identity isn’t something you get handed. It’s something you shape. And no test, especially one that fails half its retakes, gets to decide who you are.

The Test We Can’t Quit

It’s the personality test we love to hate — or maybe just love. Whether you proudly claim your four-letter label or quietly rolled your eyes at a team workshop, chances are you’ve met the MBTI before.

So why is it still everywhere? And does it actually tell us anything useful?

So this edition is for those wondering what MBTI actually does, why it feels so sticky, and what we might be better off using instead.

Origins: The Story Behind the Letters

The MBTI was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, neither of whom had formal training in psychology or psychometrics. Often described as “amateurs,” it’s important to acknowledge the context: they were women working in the mid-20th century, a time when academic psychology was overwhelmingly male and resistant to outside voices.

Their work wasn’t grounded in the emerging science of psychometric testing, but it struck a chord — offering people a language for personality that felt accessible, optimistic, and easy to use. That human appeal remains part of its lasting success, even as the scientific evidence has struggled to keep up.

Why It Took Off (Even Without the Science)

MBTI became a workplace staple for four key reasons:

• Simplicity. It offers a neat label in a world that loves shortcuts.

• Positivity. There are no bad types — only different strengths.

• Team-Building Value. It's easy to facilitate and safe to share.

• Big Marketing. Millions have been spent making MBTI feel scientific.

For leaders, HR professionals and coaches, MBTI has long been a go-to for starting conversations. But is it giving us the insight we actually need?

Let’s Rewind: The Career Reset Wheel

In the last edition, I introduced the Career Reset Wheel — a 10-question self-assessment tool I designed to help you check in on what really matters in your working life.

Give is a go if you haven’t already, I made it just for you and it’s free to use -

If you scored particularly low in areas like:

• Purpose (“Do I feel like the work I do matters?”)

• Self-Respect (“Do I like who I am at work?”)

• Values Alignment (“Does my job reflect who I am?”)

…it might be tempting to reach for something like MBTI to give you clarity or direction.

But maybe that’s the wrong move.

MBTI gives you a clean story to hold onto when the messiness of modern work feels overwhelming. But is that story true? Or helpful?

The Science: What MBTI Gets Wrong

Despite its popularity, MBTI fails some fundamental tests of scientific validity:

• 50% of people change type when retaking the test

• No predictive value for performance, leadership, or job fit

• Traits aren’t binary, but MBTI forces either/or choices

• Weak peer-reviewed evidence compared to modern psychometric tools

In short: it’s appealing. But it isn’t accurate.

User Case: “Typed Out of a Promotion”

Sam, a capable team member with strong feedback from colleagues, was encouraged to apply for a leadership role. As part of a wider development programme, he completed the MBTI. His profile came back as ISFJ “The Defender.”

During the interview, one panel member referenced his MBTI result and remarked:

Sam didn’t get the promotion.

Despite his track record, he left the process feeling boxed in—judged more on a four-letter label than his actual behaviour, values, or growth potential.

Takeaway:
When tools like MBTI are treated as truth rather than prompts for discussion, they risk narrowing opportunity instead of expanding it. No personality test should decide who gets to lead.

Better Tools: What to Use Instead

There are several scientifically validated personality assessments that offer far more accuracy and value:

Big Five / NEO-PI-R - Take the Test

• Measures traits like Openness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion on a continuum

• Backed by decades of psychological research

• Open-source, no sign up

HEXACO - Take the Test 

• Adds a sixth trait: Honesty-Humility

• Useful for leadership, ethics, and culture fit

• All six traits, free

VIA Strengths - Take the Test

• Focuses on character traits like Curiosity, Gratitude, and Perseverance

• Great for personal development and coaching

• Official test, free with account

CliftonStrengths - Take the Test

• Popular, easy to understand, and accessible for teams

• Less rigorous but highly practical

• Free with account creation

Hogan Assessments - Take the Test

• Trusted in executive coaching and leadership selection

• Offers deep, predictive insight (but often at higher cost)

• Free top trait, paid full report

✅ How to Choose the Right Personality Tool

Not sure what to use? Here’s a quick guide:

If You Still Use MBTI, Use It Like This

MBTI isn’t evil. But it is overused. If you want to keep it in the mix:

• Use it as a conversation starter, not a label

• Combine it with validated personality models

• Avoid using it for recruitment or promotion

• Make clear it measures preferences, not fixed traits

• Remind people they are always more than a type

The Real Work Starts with Reflection

Tools like MBTI give us categories.
The Reset Wheel gives us questions.

One tries to tell you who you are.
The other helps you decide what matters most right now.

If your score was low on Autonomy, Boundaries, or Impact — no test is going to fix that. But noticing the pattern is the first step.

Growth doesn’t come from being typed.
It comes from asking better questions.

What’s Next: Psychometrics Meets AI

Personality tests aren’t going away but they are changing. Fast.

Generative AI is now being used to analyse your writing, emails, and even meeting transcripts to predict traits like empathy, curiosity, or burnout risk. It’s a new era of psychometric profiling and one that raises big questions for HR, learning, and leadership.

I wrote about it in the first issue of The Human Stack — my new newsletter on how AI is reshaping people development.

Until then — keep questioning, keep reflecting.

Paul

Big Changes Coming...

This newsletter’s evolving quietly but meaningfully.

Throughout August, I’ll be sharing a few updates about what’s changing, what’s staying, and how I’m reshaping things to serve you better.

More soon.
For now, just know: something new is coming and it’s built with you in mind.