Our typology and risk taking

October is the month of quick ideas.

I have been working with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for a number of years now. It featured in my PhD thesis, for example. And in my day job, we used MBTI as a team building tool last year. There are many applications of this tool, and it has a rich vein of ideas associated with it.

Here is one that I have been exploring recently.

Does the distinction between Introversion and Extroversion have a bearing on the tendency to be risk-taking? If we are introverted and tend to define the world through our inner reality, does that mean that we are less inclined to be risk taking because we will be cautious until something is clear to us? And if we are extrovert, are we more inclined to take risks because we will test out new ideas in the outer world through interaction and dialogue with others?

I wonder whether there is credibility in this argument. If so, does this have something to teach us about a whole range of things form balancing risk, to the extent to which teams will be prepared to take risks and innovate?