Strategist (VMI-C)

Strategists are contemplative and logical individuals who highly value rationality and reason. They like to delve into the principles behind different systems and contrast ideas to evaluate them. Little pleases them more than finding a better, more correct solution or method for any situation.

This isn’t to say that this type is always firmly grounded – they’re independent and critical thinkers but like to juggle theories and philosophies. They thrive on the process as much as the product, analyzing everything to understand it and see if it makes sense. They often strip away aesthetic layers to reveal underlying laws of function – in programming languages and pianos alike.

What starts as a deconstructive mental exercise often leads to rebuilding in grand fashion, however. Strategists value rules, systems, and function, but they live in an imaginative realm where those boundaries are wilfully tested for the sake of improvement. They like orderly consistency but have little patience for inefficiency. Optimization is their aesthetic.

They create their sense of what is optimal through a similarly logical review. When flaws in their thinking are made apparent, Strategists find it hard to let it go until they can reconcile the facts and make everything fall back in line once again. But since they take particular joy in improving things, they’re guided by their rational insistence that something is either correct or not and apply this rule to themselves.

While any such shift in certainty can initially be distasteful to them, Strategists appreciate those who can make them re-examine their own conclusions – when it’s done with clear and rational arguments and logically consistent reasoning. Their minds can be hard to change, making them appear stubborn, but those who initiate valuable change are deeply respected.

Of course, Strategists rarely fail to point out flaws or holes in someone else’s reasoning. Capable of admitting they don’t know all the answers, they demand the same from others. When someone’s claims aren’t clear, Strategists seek elaboration that meets their standards. They rarely settle for a general assertion and don’t expect others to be offended if asked to explain their views.

This often occurs because Strategists dislike when something is backed merely by bland truisms, shaky logic, resting laurels, or social status. They believe such things have no real place in the reasoning behind a proposal, decision, or action. Strategists especially don’t like when others reach for them in a discussion or debate and insist on calling such individuals and moments out.

Their exacting nature may not quickly endear this type to others unless those people also value substance and elevated thought above all else. Strategists invest deliberately in their own emotional stability and independence and may assume everyone else shares (or should share) that same goal. They can be ill-equipped to relate to other people’s emotional reactions – even surprised by them.

Strategists are more likely to offer solutions to problems than to provide emotional support, but their sincerity and resolve can nonetheless strengthen those around them. Their insistence on rational logic may make Strategists seem uncaring, but those who know them find they’ll apply their minds fully to any great need, whether human or technical. In their own way, they strive to make the world better.