This article was first published in 2020 and has been updated in 2025 to provide our readers with the most up-to-date insights.
In this ongoing blog series, we take a look at the similarities and differences of many employee assessment instruments and how you might use them – individually and together – to achieve your business and talent development needs. Other articles in the series include HBDI® vs CliftonStrengths® and HBDI® vs DiSC®.
When it comes to understanding how people work, communicate, and solve problems, both the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI®) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) are well-established tools. While they’re often seen as alternatives, they actually measure different things—and when used together, they can offer powerful insight into both who your people are and how they think.
This guide explores the differences between HBDI and MBTI, and how they can complement each other to support stronger, more adaptable teams.
Quick Comparison: HBDI vs. MBTI
| Feature | HBDI® (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument) | MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) |
| What it Measures | Thinking preferences – how people process information and approach problems | Personality preferences – how people relate to the world and make decisions |
| Model | Whole Brain® Thinking (4 quadrants) | 16 personality types based on 4 dichotomies |
| Focus | Cognitive diversity and flexibility | Personal insight and self-awareness |
| How It’s Used | Leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving | Personal development, interpersonal understanding |
| Flexibility | Highly flexible – people can develop all four thinking styles | More fixed – people are assigned a type, which may feel limiting |
| Best For | Teams looking to improve collaboration, decision-making and innovation | Individuals looking to understand themselves better |
| Key Strength | Builds a shared framework for how teams think and work together | Offers deep insight into personal preferences and interpersonal dynamics |
| Limitations | Takes some commitment to apply across an organisation | Can create rigid thinking about personality and potential |
What Do HBDI and MBTI measure? (thinking vs personality)
HBDI: How you prefer to think
The HBDI assessment maps your thinking preferences across four quadrants:
- Analytical (Blue): Logical, fact-based, quantitative
- Practical (Green): Organised, detailed, process-focused
- Relational (Red): People-centred, empathetic, emotionally aware
- Experimental (Yellow): Big-picture, creative, strategic
Rather than putting people in a box, HBDI shows that we all have access to all four styles, but usually prefer some more than others. The model is about building awareness and adaptability—especially in team settings.
MBTI: How you prefer to perceive and interact
MBTI focuses on four key dichotomies that combine to form 16 personality types:
- Extraversion (E) / Introversion (I) – Where you focus your energy
- Sensing (S) / Intuition (N) – How you take in information
- Thinking (T) / Feeling (F) – How you make decisions
- Judging (J) / Perceiving (P) – How you approach structure and planning
Each MBTI type gives you insight into your natural tendencies and preferences in how you relate to others and make sense of the world.
Key difference:
- MBTI is about who you are (personality preferences).
- HBDI is about how you think (cognitive preferences).
- Used together, they create a more well-rounded picture of an individual.
Using HBDI and MBTI in the workplace: key differences
Both tools are valuable in a business context—but in different ways.
| Use Case | HBDI® | MBTI® |
| Leadership Development | Helps leaders adapt their thinking for decision-making and team communication | Helps leaders understand their style and build awareness of others’ personalities |
| Team Collaboration | Builds a shared language around thinking, problem-solving and communication | Helps teams understand personality differences and working styles |
| Problem-Solving | Encourages balanced, whole-brain approaches | Less focused on how people think through complex issues |
| Culture and Change | Supports change, innovation and cultural alignment | More useful for individual growth and coaching |
Key Insight:
MBTI helps people understand themselves and each other.
HBDI helps teams work better together by understanding how they think.
Flexibility: HBDI vs the fixed nature of MBTI
HBDI: built for adaptability
One of the core strengths of HBDI is its emphasis on cognitive agility—helping people stretch into different ways of thinking depending on the situation.
Someone might be naturally analytical, but with awareness and development, they can learn to lead with empathy, innovate creatively or stay grounded in process.
HBDI also scales well across an organisation, providing a common framework and language for improving communication, teamwork and strategy.
MBTI: useful, but sometimes limiting
MBTI provides a useful snapshot of someone’s personality preferences, but the 16-type model can feel rigid. People may come to believe their type defines what they can or can’t do, rather than seeing it as one lens among many.
While MBTI is excellent for self-awareness and coaching, it’s less effective for driving cross-functional collaboration or flexible thinking.
Can HBDI and MBTI be used together? Yes—here’s how
Yes—and many organisations use both.
They’re not competing models, but complementary tools.
- MBTI gives you insight into your personality style—how you behave, interact, and recharge.
- HBDI helps you understand your thinking preferences—how you process information and solve problems.
Together, they create a richer picture of individual and team dynamics.
MBTI tells you who you are. HBDI shows you how to work better with others.
Which one should you choose?
| Choose HBDI if… | Choose MBTI if… |
| You want to improve team thinking, problem-solving and collaboration | You want to explore personality styles and interpersonal behaviour |
| Your focus is on leadership, communication, strategy and adaptability | Your focus is on individual growth, coaching or career alignment |
| You need a scalable model for culture, innovation or change | You’re looking for self-awareness and personal insight |
Final thoughts: HBDI and MBTI—better together, built differently
Both HBDI® and MBTI® offer valuable insights—but they do different jobs.
- MBTI is great for understanding how people prefer to interact, and can build self-awareness and empathy.
- HBDI is ideal for building high-performing teams—helping people think more flexibly, work more effectively and solve problems in new ways.
That’s why many organisations use Whole Brain® Thinking not just as a tool, but as a practical operating system for collaboration, innovation and decision-making—across every level of the business.
If you’d like to find out more about how HBDI can help you solve any business problem, get in touch with Herrmann.
