Provider (role variant)

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The Provider Guardian is one of the 16 role variants identified in the Keirsey Temperament Sorter,[1] a self-assessed personality questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves. David Keirsey originally described the Provider role variant; however, a brief summary of the personality types described by Isabel Myers contributed to its development. Providers correlate with the ESFJ Myers-Briggs type.[2]



Providers are excellent masters of ceremonies or chairpersons of social events. Highly cooperative, Providers are very capable of maintaining teamwork among their workers. They are attentive to details of the goods and services they provide. During social events, they are often able to remember their guests' names after one introduction, and they may appear to be aware of what everyone has been doing.


Providers are often attracted to the sales and service occupations. They are usually good sales representatives as they are visibly and honestly interested in the customer’s welfare. They are also skilled in other people-to-people careers such as social workers, clergy and teachers. Their personal loyalty to their superiors often makes them valuable secretaries.


Notable Providers[edit]

According to Keirsey,[1] William Howard Taft may have been a Provider.

For illustrative purposes, Keirsey and his son, David M. Keirsey,[3] have identified well-known individuals whose behavior is consistent with a specific type. Unless otherwise noted, the categorization of the individuals below, whether living or dead, as Providers is a matter of expert opinion rather than the result of actual testing of the named individual.[1]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ a b c " Provider". Retrieved 2008-11-18. 

External links[edit]