Project Person // Primer #14

_{Subscribe here to receive Project Person every other Friday.}

Kevin Jennings is a coach to entrepreneurs who has also worked with leaders like Dave Ramsay, Tony Robbins, and Oprah. He is the king of self-awareness, and he drops these poignantly wise one-liners (or questions directly at you, yikes) all the time. When I asked what he’d like to share with this email list as his “primer”, he excitedly sent over this list of his favorite self-assessments, including this letter to you, below:

The key to discovering your purpose and passions is discovering more about yourself. Studies show that successful leaders have high emotional intelligence and self-awareness. A great way to accelerate your knowledge of self is with personality assessments.

Will each assessment’s results describe you accurately? No. Will you see certain things repeatedly stated about you? Absolutely.

11 of the assessments are free or offer a free alternative. However, the paid assessments provide more detailed and robust reports instead of high-level overviews. If you’re ready to invest in yourself and have the resources, I highly recommend paying for the premium versions of the assessments.

All assessments require you to share your email address to access the results. Most free assessment providers will begin sending you regular emails. Consequently, I recommend unsubscribing later or using an email account you don’t care about so promotional emails stay out of your inboxes.

To maximize your time and money, I’ve listed the assessments in a recommended order, considering each assessment's scientific validity, breadth of insights, and practical impact on personal and professional growth.

I prioritized tools that offer actionable, research-backed insights with broad applicability across leadership, teamwork, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness. However, choosing assessments that align with your goals and interests will benefit you most.

I’m confident each assessment will provide more insight into you and the amazing value you provide to others.

Cheering for you, Kevin

#1: The Big Five Inventory (BFI)

The "Big Five Inventory"(BFI) measures personality across five dimensions:

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

It’s widely regarded as the most reliable and comprehensive framework for understanding personality in research and professional settings.

Price: Free

#2: CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder)

The CliftonStrengths assessment identifies your top talents and helps you develop them into strengths for personal and professional growth. It emphasizes focusing on your innate abilities to achieve higher engagement and performance.

Price: Starting at $24.99

NOTE: The most affordable edition of the CliftonStrengths only provides information on your top 5 strengths. To see the order of all 34 talents, which would also reveal your most significant weaknesses, you’ll need to purchase CliftonStrengths 34, which costs $59.99.

#3: The DISC & Motivators Assessment

The DISC assessment provides insights into observable behaviors and emotions, while the Motivators assessment reveals the core values driving those behaviors. Together, they offer a comprehensive picture of how individuals behave and why, helping them align with roles and environments that foster passion and productivity.

Price: Full Assessment: $69.50 DISC-Only (Abbreviated Report): Free

#4: Primal Questions Assessment

Mike Foster’s Primal Question Framework and assessment uncovers the subconscious questions driving your behavior and relationships, shaped by early life experiences. These questions reveal deep emotional drivers, such as “Am I safe?” or “Am I enough?” By identifying your dominant question, the assessment provides profound insights into how you approach decisions, relationships, and challenges, offering a clear path to personal growth and improved emotional intelligence. It’s especially valuable for enhancing leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution by fostering empathy and self-awareness.

Price: Free

#5: The Enneagram Assessment (iEQ9)

The Enneagram identifies nine personality types, offering a deep understanding of how each type perceives, reacts to, and interacts with the world. You can self-diagnose your Enneagram type or learn more about the framework by reading the Enneagram Institute’s overview of the methodology and personality types. However, for in-depth, customized results, take the assessment.

Price: Starting at $60

NOTE: The iEQ9 offers both the personal and professional editions. The professional version enhances these insights with guidance on communication, leadership, and teamwork dynamics.

#6: The Predictive Index™ (PI) Behavioral Assessment

The Predictive Index (PI) Behavioral Assessment measures workplace behavioral tendencies, focusing on four key drives—dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality. It provides actionable insights for improving team dynamics and personal alignment.

Price: Free

#7: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The MBTI categorizes personality preferences into 16 types, offering valuable insights into how individuals perceive the world, make decisions, and interact with others. It's a powerful tool for personal growth, career alignment, and team collaboration.

Price: Full Assessment: Starting at $59.95 // 4-Letter Type Only: Free

NOTE: MBTI offers MBTIonline for personal growth at $59.95 and MBTIonlineCareers for career exploration at $79.95.

#8-17: Kevin lists ten more of his favorite assessments in the PDF below. (Can you guess which ones will be listed there?)

 🪩 Meet Your Fellow Email Subscribers 🪩

Shantel Kriss, who built and sold Imagine Media and is currently a start-up consultant and the Vice Chair of the Board of the Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter.

Michael Nader Phillips, a writer, photographer, and creative project manager who’s been posting #weirdlinkedin content recently.

Next time, I’ll share details of the Zoom call I got to have yesterday with Seth Godin and the advice he gave me about my book launch 😳. Stay tuned!