The song remains the same

That is of course the name of a classic song, album, and concert movie by Led Zeppelin. In an interview Robert Plant would go on to explain that the song was all about the universality of music, that we all are united in whatever themes or meanings are hidden within the song. Basically, the music connects the listeners.

This kept coming to mind as I received some renewed interest in my facilitating the MBTI (Myers-Briggs) personality assessments in recently. One of the key principles that arises when people go through the individual assessment, or self-determine the dichotomies on their own, is that we are social beings and we are connected to one another. Each personality ‘type’ is not isolated from all others, especially if you are using this tool to understand the group you are in, which means we get the opportunity to explore how our unique make up intersects with that of the others. Seeing people become introspective through the conversations and insights, and then become lively as they see the others’ revelations of where things connect or oppose. I have yet to go through these sessions and NOT have people get excited about discovering more about self and how we work together. 

(Add to this the fact I had the opportunity to lead my youngest through her first assessment! Lots of snacks, lots of fun.)

So, the song remains the same…

I also retook the basic assessment for myself, because it occurred to me that I have not done so since the year I was certified to be a practitioner. 2026 is 10 years since I took the official MBTI assessment, which led to my going for the training and certification in Fall, and ultimately starting Lead Freely to offer my services. I have been blessed with all kinds of settings, groups, and individuals who have since entrusted me to walk with them down the path of discovery. It has led to some great soul work for many people, new paths for others, and some tough conversations for a few groups. This was a great moment of reflection for me, looking back at the ways I could provide new tools and learning experiences for so many people.

Some things change, some just get clearer…

One of the important aspects to recognise about the MBTI is what could sway the results. Realistically there are only 2 items that can skew the clarity and consistency of responses:

– Family upbringing.

– Stress. (Mental health issues would fall into this category.)

Everything else should be consistent. 

You may recall in some of my posts in the past, or from in person meetings, I mentioned being close to the line on a couple of the dichotomy pairings in my results. I began to wonder if one of my letters was actually misrepresented, which is where the self-determination part of the MBTI would come into play. The dichotomy that was very close to the middle back in 2016 was my ‘judging’ line: This is the output style, or how you make decisions. There was a slight leaning towards ‘Feeling’, which is associated with considering others, compassion, the impact on certain individuals when making a decision, etc. ‘Thinking’ on the other hand, is all about the mission, the policy, consistent approaches to all individuals on all matters, etc. I wondered if I was actually a T, not a F, if even if it was close.  

So, as I guided my daughter through her assessment I filled out my own. To my surprise, not only were the letters the same as every other time (ENFP), but there was no hint of middle ground! It was very clear, quite strongly, a result of ENFP (Extravert, Intuiting, Feeling, Perceiving). And that was an a-ha moment I got to share with my daughter as we both excitedly shared our findings: 2026 was very different than 2016.

The song remained the same…so what changed? 

Stress. When I went through the assessment and training in 2016 I had burned out in my last church. It was the climax of a few years of mental health decline leading to my quick departure from my last permanent role. It was leading into the end of my marriage, the sale of our home, and the end of everything ‘normal’ up to that point. To use MBTI terminology, I had ‘flipped out’ in 2015, the last stage of being ‘in the grip’. This is when stress takes such a hold that you begin to lean heavily into the weaker aspects of your personality, until you ultimately respond to life in the opposite way you would naturally, when healthy. I had ‘flipped’. My results for this last assessment were an encouragement; I am no longer in the same place. The song remained the same, but the resonance was much clearer.

I hope for many more of these opportunities in the future. More importantly, I hope that others can receive those some ‘a-ha’ moments in the process. Finding a healthy and renewed approach to how they do life in all settings. 

And, if you have read this far, I hope the same for you!