Understanding Culture Through People—and Vehicles
In today’s modern workplace, understanding business personality traits has become just as important as understanding the personalities of individual employees. That’s why so many companies use personality tests like Myers-Briggs or CliftonStrengths. These tools aim to unlock how people communicate, collaborate, and thrive within a team.
But here’s the real question: Can a company itself have a personality—just like a person? And if so, how do those traits influence organizational success?
Personality Tests: Useful, But Not Absolute
Personality tests indeed offer insights, but they’re not foolproof. In fact, I’ve taken multiple and gotten different results each time. And I’m not alone—personality traits can shift depending on life stage, job environment, or emotional state (Roberts et al., 2006).
That’s why the real power of these assessments lies in self-reflection, not labels. They help employees understand their responses and triggers—which is a necessary step in adapting to others and contributing positively to the organization’s personality.
A Business Is Like a Car: Its Culture is the System
Let’s use a metaphor: A business is like a car. The people are the moving parts—the engine, tires, and gears. The leader is behind the wheel. And the company’s personality? That’s the entire operating system.
You can have the best engine in the world, but if your brakes are worn or your alignment is off, the vehicle won’t perform. Similarly, even a company with great talent won’t succeed if it has a dysfunctional or toxic culture.
Understanding business personality traits is like running a diagnostic check. It helps leaders identify what’s working and what needs to be adjusted before bigger issues (like burnout or turnover) occur.
Can Businesses Really Have Personality Traits?
Absolutely. Just like individuals, organizations develop behaviors, values, and tendencies over time. These business personality traits are shaped by leadership styles, team dynamics, and even industry pressures.
Harvard Business Review notes that companies with strong, healthy cultures see better employee performance, higher retention, and improved innovation (Groysberg et al., 2018). On the flip side, companies with toxic traits—micromanagement, lack of trust, poor communication—are 10x more likely to experience employee turnover (Sull et al., 2022).
These traits don’t form randomly. They reflect the priorities, reactions, and patterns of leadership. And just like a car can be tuned, a company can change—if someone takes the time to listen to the signs and steer in the right direction.
Final Thoughts
Just like people, companies exhibit consistent behaviors and values—business personality traits—that influence their performance, culture, and employee experience. The more leaders and employees reflect on those traits, the better equipped they are to improve them.
Because ultimately, whether you’re an individual or an entire organization, growth starts with self-awareness.
References
Groysberg, B., Lee, J., Price, J., & Cheng, J. Y. (2018). The leader’s guide to corporate culture. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/01/the-culture-factor
Morgeson, F. P., Campion, M. A., Dipboye, R. L., Hollenbeck, J. R., Murphy, K., & Schmitt, N. (2007). Reconsidering the use of personality tests in personnel selection contexts. Personnel Psychology, 60(3), 683–729.
Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E., & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 1–25.
Sull, D., Sull, C., & Zweig, B. (2022). Toxic culture is driving the great resignation. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/
Image Credits
Contactzilla. (2015, September 30). How to encourage collaboration between multidisciplinary teams. https://contactzilla.com/encourage-collaboration-multidisciplinary-teams/
Windmill Garage. (n.d.). Dashboard warning lights and what they mean. https://www.windmillgarage.co.uk/mot/dashboard-warning-lights/
