Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine personality typologies as a predictor of being a successful elementary school principal. Methodology: A post-hoc analysis design was used to describe the personality typologies as a predictor of being a successful elementary school principal. Eighteen principals were selected to participate in this study. The statistical dynamics of this study have an independent variable of successful principals' skills approach and an independent variable of personality typologies. The instruments used to gather data in this study were the Skills Approach Inventory and the Personality Type Inventory (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Findings: From the Skills Approach Inventory and the Personality Type Inventory (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) instruments administered to eighteen elementary principals, the researcher concluded that a principal who has been identified as ENFJ has the personality typology as a predictor of being successful. Although ENFJ is the dominant personality type in this study, four additional personality typologies were also identified: INTJ (introvert, intuitive, thinking, judging), INFJ (introvert, intuitive, feeling, judging), ESFJ (extrovert, sensing, feeling, judging), and ENTJ (extrovert, intuitive, thinking, judging). Of those who were identified as one of these five personality types, the principals also had human skills approach as the dominant of the three skills approaches. Recommendations: It is recommended that other researchers replicate this study in the following areas: (a) principals whose schools are located in counties other than in Kern County, California, which this study examined, (b) schools whose Academic Performance is greater than 850, (c) gender comparisons, (d) high school principals, (e) district administration, and (f) superintendents. Conclusions: The potential for where principals can take their school sites can be maximized by tapping into their personality types, and by taking what they know about themselves and applying the Jungian typology to what they do not know yet about themselves. Skills can only assist leaders to a certain extent; by using their knowledge of the strengths of their personality types, principals can live up to the potential they have to be the leaders they have imagined themselves to be.