The Self-Promoting Protagonist
For an introductory look at self-promotion, please see our article “Everyday Self-Promotion and Personality Types.”
Protagonists (ENFJs) generally have a lot of assets, and so, just as generally, they have much to promote. People with this personality type generally connect well with others, including any decision-makers they might want to impress.
This makes their self-promoting life easier.
We need to encourage more self-promotion with some personality types, but that may not be so with many Protagonists. It’s not egotism that we worry about here. It’s simply that Protagonists are generally so enthusiastic about their lives that they are almost compelled to talk about them.
What They Have Going for Them
Protagonists have no problem discussing themselves and their accomplishments. They are also attuned to people, so they read their audiences well and can give their listeners exactly what they want or need to hear. It wouldn’t be accurate to say Protagonists don’t strive to be authentic. Yet they may drift a little into using heavily curated material in self-promotion. It’s natural to want to include the things that put us in the best light when talking about ourselves. Protagonists are savvy enough to know that there is often a game being played at the workplace, in which the right messaging designed to make a good impression has a place. However, they are unlikely to let these excesses get too out of hand.
What Gets in Their Way
Protagonists are warm and engaging people, but that may not come across if they try to sell themselves too strongly. They can sometimes appear overconfident and act a little condescending. They value humility and don’t like looking down on other people. Still, their intensity and dedication can get the better of them, and they might see a lack in others, compared to their own enthusiasm. Then mix in their foundational idealism, which to others might seem too distant from reality to be practical. Instead of connecting with those they want to impress, they might appear to be “too much.”
Self-Promotion Tip
Practice the humility that you value. Include other people in a positive light in your stories. Don’t overpolish your stories. Discuss your setbacks honestly, and explain the lessons that you learned from them. Be as human as possible, and share commonalities that bind you to those to whom you tell your story. Sometimes less is more, and keeping that in mind may temper some of your highly charged enthusiasm – although you may not want to tamp it down too much.
Keeping It Real
A combination of enthusiasm and idealism can be a wonderful thing. But if it is not handled with some regard for the people around you, it can also be pretty overwhelming. People may end up feeling that the things that you’re promoting about yourself are unrealistic, or they may compare their energy to yours and feel that you’re looking down on them. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to curb either your enthusiasm or your idealism. But you may want to utilize your empathy and interest in people and know your audience well enough to promote yourself in a way that they can relate to.
Now we invite you to relate to the 16Personalities community. In the comment section below, tell us about your self-promotion efforts. What’s worked? What hasn’t? How do you feel about self-promotion in general?
Further Reading
- Protagonist (ENFJ) Productivity Tips: When Enthusiasm Interferes
- 4 Ways Protagonist (ENFJ) and Defender (ISFJ) Personality Types Make Excellent Work Buddies
- 4 Awesome Ways Diplomat Personality Types Make a Fresh Start at Work
- For an in-depth look at how to achieve your career goals and connect with others at work, check out our premium Protagonist Guide to Careers.
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