All About the Campaigner Personality Type & Their Characteristics

• According to the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, campaigners (also known as ENFPs) have extroverted, intuitive, feeling, and prospecting traits.
• Campaigners are curious, creative, enthusiastic, and perceptive people. They’re expert communicators who can get along with just about anyone!
• ENFPs tend to prefer flexible humanitarian jobs that let them freely explore their passions. They make great psychologists, journalists, and actors.

What is the campaigner (ENFP) personality type?

Campaigners have extroverted, intuitive, feeling, and prospecting traits. Also known as an ENFP, “the champion,” or “the imaginative motivator,” campaigners are one of 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. Lively, upbeat, and free-spirited campaigners know how to find magic wherever they go! They’re idealists who love helping people and making new connections; they can be social yet also imaginative and introspective. “Extroverted” in ENFP means that campaigners get their energy from interacting with other people and tend to have a very involved social life. “Intuitive” means campaigners prefer engaging with new ideas, abstract theories, and symbolism rather than cold, hard data. “Feeling” means campaigners are often extremely aware of both their own emotions and the emotions of those around them. “Prospecting” means campaigners tend to be flexible and adaptable rather than carefully structured and organized.

Campaigner Strengths

Curious and imaginative Campaigners love to seek out new ideas and experiences. Because they have big imaginations and are super open-minded, they look for adventures everywhere they go and aren’t afraid of going outside their comfort zones in pursuit of knowledge and discovery. They also rarely believe in following tradition for the sake of it, preferring to take an original approach and find their own way no matter what. ENFPs aren’t the kind of people to get upset over an obstacle or challenge—they simply see an opportunity to learn something new and improve their creative problem-solving skills.

Enthusiastic Campaigners are the kind of people who like to broadcast their ideas for the whole world to hear about! When they’re feeling inspired or curious, their natural enthusiasm also kicks in, and they can’t stop talking about whatever new idea has captured their interest. They also love getting to hear different perspectives from other people, even if those opinions are totally different from their own. Their enthusiasm also makes campaigners super spontaneous, jovial, and all-around festive people. They light up any room and love sharing their joy and optimism with other people.

Perceptive ENFPs can pick up on just about anything, from moods to facial expressions. They’re very perceptive and therefore tend to notice the little things—which also makes them very caring, thoughtful people. Because they’re so sensitive, they have lots of social awareness and can pick up on their friends’ feelings and needs with ease. However, ENFPs can be a little overly sensitive at times; their imagination may sometimes cause them to see problems that don’t really exist. That, in turn, can lead to misunderstandings. If you’re a campaigner, make an effort to give everyone you meet the benefit of the doubt at first. You don’t need to look for hidden motivations everywhere! Get to know people and take their words at face value; if they sense your mistrust, they may not trust you in turn.

Communicative Of the many different MBTI types, ENFPs are some of the best conversationalists.They definitely have a way with words, but that’s not all—they’re also very thoughtful listeners. They’ve got a million things to say, and their infectious positivity makes them fun for just about anyone to engage with, even someone whose personality is the opposite of theirs. Campaigners know how to gently coax shy people out of their shells and have no problem singlehandedly keeping a conversation going in a way that feels totally natural. ENFPs also like to dig deep. They’re fun to be around but also great at having serious, meaningful conversations.

Friendly and altruistic Unsurprisingly, campaigners are social butterflies. Because they’re so easy to talk to (and love engaging with people), they have a very friendly, open demeanor and are super approachable. They also have a strong social conscience, which makes them great friends to have! They care about backing up kind words with good deeds, standing up for their beliefs, and speaking up when they see an injustice taking place. Most campaigners have a pretty wide circle of friends—or even several different friend groups to hang out with.

Natural leaders ENFPs instinctively gravitate toward leadership positions; overall, they tend to be fairly assertive and confident enough to handle challenges that other people might shy away from. They tend to prioritize cultivating trust with the people who work with them and often have a “can-do” attitude that inspires others to take action and put their best foot forward.

Campaigner Weaknesses

Unfocused A campaigner’s interests are always changing and evolving, which can make them seem a little scattered or easily distracted to other people. They may get so caught up in the excitement of a new project that they forget to finish the ones they already started. It may be difficult for ENFPs to focus on a single idea long-term or maintain their sense of discipline when there’s so much they want to do. If you’re a campaigner, try finding ways to hone your focus. Set daily goals for yourself, for example, and stick to any deadlines you set. Keep your tasks manageable, and break up particularly ambitious projects into smaller chunks so that you don’t start feeling overwhelmed.

Disorganized As curious and exuberant as campaigners are, there’s one thing that really tends to bore them: practical chores like organization or maintenance. They tend to avoid those chores as much as they can, which often results in ENFPs being fairly disorganized (and having a haphazard workspace as well). Though they dislike structure, the lack of organization may also really stress them out. If you’re an ENFP, try organizing your home and workspace in a way that makes it easy to keep things in order. For example, label your drawers or folders and come up with a designated spot for everything so you don’t have to keep thinking about it.

Restless It may be hard to tell when a cheerful campaigner is feeling dissatisfied. Internally, however, they can be so idealistic that they end up feeling like something is missing or that there’s always something to improve—either with their work or home life and personal relationships. They’re determined to keep evolving, even when life is good, and this can make them seem restless or difficult to satisfy. If you’re a campaigner, remember to stop and smell the roses every now and again. You don’t need to rush through everything looking for the next big idea or project. Don’t be afraid to dig in and do the “dirty” work when something (a relationship or project, for example) gets tough, rather than abandoning it for the next interesting thing to come along.

People-pleasing Many campaigners are uncomfortable with the thought that anyone might dislike them—they want to win everyone over. To that end, ENFPs may find themselves going out of their way, compromising their own values, or even letting themselves be mistreated if they feel like it’ll make someone else happy. They may also be overly accommodating and likely to say “yes” or avoid setting boundaries when they feel like someone else needs help. If you’re an ENFP, remember that everyone else’s happiness doesn’t have to come before your own. You deserve to be a priority, too! Look inside yourself for validation rather than relying on other people for it. Be true to yourself and follow your instincts; don’t let someone else’s opinion cause you to compromise your values. As an ENFP, you appreciate compliments and the approval of others—so instead, try practicing self-affirmations like, “I am enough” and “I am special and irreplaceable.”

Overly optimistic Being optimistic can be a fantastic trait, and ENFPs always know how to look on the bright side of life. However, that sense of optimism can also make it difficult for them to accept hard truths or bad news—it's tough for them to put away their rose-colored glasses. It may also cause ENFPs to make decisions without thinking them through; for example, they may trust someone who hasn’t earned it because they’re so optimistic. If you’re a campaigner, remember that there’s a difference between positive thinking and unrealistic thinking. It’s okay to look on the bright side, but don’t go so far as to ignore the warning signs of trouble.

Campaigners in Relationships

Campaigners value personal development in their relationships. They’re the kind of people who encourage partners to chase their dreams, and they need partners who can do the same for them. They’re also very respectful and accepting; ENFPs don't expect their partners to act a certain way or try to change them. They see love partners for who they are! ENFPs are just as supportive, loving, and accepting toward their children as well. They often encourage their kids’ creativity and teach them to think outside the box. If an ENFP seems put off by a partner’s behavior, it’s likely because they feel that their own values have been ignored or violated. Apart from that, they respect their partner’s individualism.

They tend to be protective of their deepest feelings. Campaigners are super expressive people; they love sharing feelings and being emotionally engaged with their partners. However, they may try to guard their deepest emotions if they feel like expressing them might lead to conflict. Because ENFPs can be people-pleasers, they’d rather look for a way to smooth things over than engage with negative emotions. If you’re an ENFP, work on opening up and letting your partner see your true emotions, even when you feel like it might lead to a difficult discussion. The good news is that you’re a creative problem-solver and know how to compromise. So, even when there’s a conflict between you and your partner (which is totally normal), you’re likely an expert at resolving it.

ENFPs make spontaneous (and unpredictable) partners. Campaigners follow their passions and inspirations first and foremost, which makes them exciting, spontaneous people to be around—but they may also seem a bit unreliable. Nonetheless, ENFPs are very emotionally responsive and always ready to be there for a partner in need. That’s why they need partners who can be supportive and appreciative of their creativity and enthusiasm in turn. The MBTI types that have the most in common with ENFPs are INFPs, ENTPs, ENFJs, and fellow ENFPs. ISFPs, INTJs, ESTPs, and ESFJs also make complementary partners; they have much in common, yet also enough differences to learn from one another. INTPs, INFJs, ESFPs, and ENTJs are quite different from campaigners, but their differences are likely to be intriguing to one another. Campaigners have the least in common with ISTPs, ISTJs, ISFJs, and ESTJs—but that also means they have the most to teach one another when they come together.

Campaigner Careers

Campaigners tend to prefer flexible, service-oriented career paths. Since ENFPs are a blend of enthusiasm, spontaneity, and altruism, they often look for a career that’ll suit all aspects of their personalities. They love creative problem-solving and the freedom to explore different ideas and possibilities as they work—routine and regulations aren’t their cup of tea. They’re also motivated by humanitarian causes, so ideal careers for ENFPs include: Psychologist Journalist or reporter Actor, producer, or director Interpreter Counselor Social worker Nutritionist Hairdresser or cosmetologist Archivist or curator Designer In terms of their hobbies, ENFPs love any kind of creative activity, from writing, making art, and playing music to acting and reading.

ENFPs work well in teams, though they dislike rules. Because they’re so friendly and sociable, it’s easy for campaigners to fit in with a team of fellow employees and even spearhead projects. However, they don’t like having too many rules and guidelines imposed on their creative process; they tend to encourage teammates to think outside the box, use their imaginations, and speak up for themselves. Task-oriented teammates may not get along with ENFPs; their rigidity may clash with an ENFP’s flexible approach to work. As leaders, ENFPs are enthusiastic and great at motivating their employees. They’re the kind of hands-on, open-minded bosses who really love helping other people grow. Sometimes ENFP bosses may lose track of their bigger goals because they’re so focused on helping and building relationships with employees. If you’re an ENFP, you may need to develop your planning and organizational skills to ensure you’re still able to meet goals and deadlines successfully.

How common is the campaigner personality type?

ENFP is a fairly common MBTI personality type. Of the 16 different MBTI personality types, roughly 8.2% of the general population have campaigner personalities. Furthermore, ENFP is a more common personality type among women than men, with about 10.2% of women being campaigners versus only 5.8% of men. Famous ENFPs include: Robin Williams Julie Andrews Kristen Bell Kim Nam-joon (RM) Drew Barrymore Jim Carrey Alicia Silverstone Carol Burnett Mark Twain