I identify with the INTJ type as well, and I'm curious to know what destructive traits you're talking about. Also, I do somewhat identify with the description that you've given although I hate to put labels on people.
According the the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS) [1], xNTJs correlate very closely to a type of Temperament called "Rationals" -- which make up about 3% of the population.
I can't remember where I did the reading, but engineering disciplines seem to have an unusually large concentration of them. All of the KTS types break down into two subtypes which are pretty much the difference between the Myers-Briggs E and I extraverts and intraverts.
All of the temperaments have strengths and weaknesses. In the case of an INTJ/Mastermind [2], there's a tendancy to ignore social costs in the pursuit of "getting shit done" (GSD). In some other readings on the type I've found descriptions that basically describe Masterminds as masters of strategy who prefer to sit in the backgroud behind a competent Field Marshall [3]. But when they feel the Field Marshall is no longer competent, the need to GSD can overwhelm them and they will attempt to assume control in order to accomplish the goal. Then once the goal is accomplished, fade into the background behind a new field marshall. Viewed negatively Masterminds are basically coup makers. And that's very rarely something to be desired. I've found that it's usually better to simply change positions and get away from under a poor leader than try and overthrow them. It almost never puts one in a good light.
Of course KTS and MB both have the feel of a kind of tarot card pseudo-science hand waiving. But I've found that none of the other KTS types come as close to matching the internal thought processes I have about my temperment. It's not a perfect descriptor, but it's about 90% on the nose.
The scary part of that paragraph is that it actually describes me accurately. Without giving too much about myself, I can say that I have been in, and utilized the situations where I've pulled strings behind the leader (this, was in school/college, but still quite scary).
Although I too consider this as hand-wavy, pseudo-y stuff I seriously think I should start looking at this and try to know when I'm committing such actions.
I think he was saying the coup mentality is a destructive trait. Instead of focusing on what he is good at, masterminding, he was focusing on how to undermine the guy who assumed charge. By definition that's counter-productive. It's difficult to earn your (potentially invaluable) spot in the group when you "don't play nice with others".
Yeah, exactly. Until this was described to me via the KTS, I never really realized I was doing it. But on internal reflection realized it was a deep and pressing psychological need I had. I've found becoming aware of it has given me the tools to supress it.
I think that this tendency was sub-conciously "read" by others and growing up I rarely found myself in direct leadership roles. But after I started working on that part of myself, I think that vibe started to go away and I find myself in many more leadership roles these days.
