Guardians value stability and they bring order and rigor

Planning a big brainstorming session? That’s not the Guardian’s thing. In their opinion, learning from past approaches is better than trying something new. Why not take advantage of all that we already know and use tactics that have worked in the past? And don’t expect a Guardian to give you points for being original or imaginative while you brainstorm. They’re an unapologetically practical type. If it ain’t broke, why brainstorm creative ways to fix it? Guardians also tend to see things as absolutes—more black and white than gray. Sometimes that black and white approach means they get frustrated when others don’t do things the right way. And to a Guardian, right is synonymous with the way things have always been done.

Guardians are most comfortable when the waters are calm and no big waves are rocking their boat. And they often serve as anchors. Depending on who you ask, they’re anchors that thwart progress, or anchors that prevent aimless drifting or even being lost at sea. Guardians don’t always see a big risk as to the path to great things, but they also don’t reject risk entirely. They only want to thoroughly consider the possible implications before taking a risk. Likewise, they take their time when making decisions and they’re not sorry about it. To a Guardian, their decision-making pace is just right to ensure that they come to the correct decision. On occasions when they take a risk that doesn’t pay off or make a decision that backfires, they tend to beat themselves up about it. A Guardian will turn a mistake over and over in their mind to try and figure out what they missed or should have done differently; all the better to avoid making a similar mistake next time.

Guardians tend to be introverted and reserved, both socially and emotionally. You won’t usually find a Guardian at the center of a large group of colleagues and they don’t need to be in charge. Instead, they often contribute in other, less out-front and obvious ways. Of course, they work on teams—who doesn’t these days?—but they’re also quite comfortable working alone. And Guardians tend to be particularly quiet around new people. (Who are those strangers?) In groups, they may be uncomfortable expressing their emotions, or sometimes even their opinions. They’re unlikely to fight for the floor and they generally prefer to avoid any kind of confrontation. If you want to know what a Guardian thinks, you’ll often have to inquire.

When asked which type they’d least want to be, people tend to say, Guardian. While this doesn’t seem like a great compliment, the same people characterize Guardians as the most underappreciated type. And they further suggest that this lack of appreciation is because the Guardian’s work, while critical, is often conducted behind the scenes. So it makes a lot of sense that people might not wish to be Guardians—who want to be underappreciated? Consider thanking a Guardian today!