For those thinking more about their life purpose, knowing your Dharma personality type can help guide you and clarify your values and natural way of serving others. These are personality profiles based on your strengths and talents.
Some people are drawn to knowledge and learning. Others thrive in artistic expression and ideas. These are just a couple of examples of Dharma personality types, but there are several others. You can use this framework to better understand yourself and determine your path in life or true calling.
We’ll go over what this concept means, why it’s important, and what five of the main types are. We’ll also give you tips on identifying your type to help you work on personal and professional growth.
What does “Dharma personality type” mean?
The roots of this concept go all the way back to ancient Vedic philosophy. Dharma means the “right way of living,” and these personality types focus on helping people discover and understand their true nature and purpose.
A Dharma personality type is a framework used to help people build self-awareness and reflect on their identity and unique perspective. It’s not an archetype or personality quiz that comes with labels. Instead, it focuses on alignment and contribution to others.
Rather than putting you in a neatly labeled box, this framework helps you understand your natural tendencies and communication style and how you might use them to build a meaningful life serving others.
Why it matters to know your Dharma type
Identifying your Dharma type can lead you to make changes in your life that result in growth. It helps you understand your communication style and make decisions that are aligned with your values and strengths, like service, relationship, or career decisions. If you’ve been considering a career change, for example, you can use your Dharma type to explore your options and choose the best life path.
Knowing your type can bring clarity to your life and give you direction and peace of mind. Instead of struggling to figure out what you want to do, you can make decisions that guide you toward a more fulfilling life with a higher purpose.
When your values and natural tendencies aren’t aligned with your career or other aspects of your life, you may easily become confused about what to do. You might make decisions that add more stress to your life, affecting your wellbeing.
Or you could end up with burnout due to this mismatch, making you feel overwhelmed or stressed on a regular basis. Knowing your Dharma personality type can help bring more alignment to your life, replacing confusion with clarity or burnout with a sense of purpose.
An overview of the 5 main Dharma personality types
Though there are several Dharma types overall, including the Warrior, Outsider, and Merchant types, we’ll focus on the five main types that are most helpful for achieving personal growth.
The Leader
Leader types feel drawn to organizing and inspiring others to take action. They tend to have a strong sense of responsibility and vision.
Being a dominant Leader means you’re naturally comfortable with and drawn to governing, inspiring, and engaging others. You use your courage, strength, and determination to protect others, especially those who are less privileged. You’re good at providing structures and frameworks to encourage growth in other people.
What do you do well? As a Leader type, you’re organized. People look up to you and follow your instructions. You express your vision and objectives boldly and use direct communication. You clearly state what you expect of others and have the power to garner support for your success.
What can you work on improving? Leaders tend to be domineering and don’t usually appreciate questions or pushback. This can lead to resistance from others rather than cooperation. To better support and inspire others, try:
- Involving others more or delegating tasks
- Asking others for feedback or opinions
- Expressing interest in others’ preferences and input
- Showing emotion and being vulnerable
- Adopting a “softer” communication style
The Guide
Guide types are often seen as healers or coaches. They intuitively support others using empathy to understand their feelings and presence to offer their undivided attention.
Being a Guide type means that you are drawn to helping others find their purpose in life. You want to bring out the best in people around you and help them discover meaning, fulfillment, and purpose. You might find work coaching others or helping them heal and improve their lives in other ways. You also enjoy having time to yourself to reflect and explore your own experiences and feelings.
What do you do well? You have a strong ability to connect with others , build trust, and understand what they’re feeling or experiencing. You tend to express your observations without judging others, making them feel comfortable trusting you and turning to you for guidance. You’re also a good listener and able to stay present when others talk to you.
What can you improve on? Guide types can get caught up in other people’s challenges or struggles, adding stress to their own lives. They might also be so eager to help others that they jump in and try to solve problems for them. To guide others more effectively, try:
- Encouraging others to engage in creative problem-solving for their challenges
- Setting boundaries with others to avoid taking on their struggles
- Guiding others through self-discovery instead of stating your observations about them
- Practicing mindfulness and active listening to keep these skills sharp
The Creator
Being able to express something meaningful is where Creator types really shine. They tend to think in ideas, art, and innovation, using their creative skills and talents to help others.
Being a Creator type means that you’re drawn to brainstorming, networking, and innovating solutions that may benefit others. Working as an entrepreneur, marketer, or entertainer may be a good career path. As a natural negotiator and influencer, you use your skills or persuasion to convince people to make decisions that are best for them. You’re a hardworking individual who’s always on the move.
What do you do well? As a Creator type, you’re not afraid to show your emotions and be vulnerable in front of others. You always ask others for their opinions and value their input. You place more importance on group interests and preferences rather than your own.
What can you improve on? You tend to be led by your emotions and may be indecisive without others’ input. You sometimes have trouble being organized and clear in your reasoning and may struggle to handle conflict. To become more assertive and decisive, try:
- Learning to process your emotions
- Developing a mindful attitude to accept your feelings
- Maintaining healthy boundaries with others
- Building self-awareness and self-compassion
- Learning healthy ways to cope with change
The Maker
Maker types enjoy solving problems using resourcefulness and systems. They’re typically drawn to building, optimizing, and scaling, using their analytical skills to benefit others.
Being a Maker type means you’re naturally comfortable inventing, supporting, and implementing ideas and solutions to support or help others. Service-oriented roles, like being a doctor or social worker, are great career paths for this type. You’re a natural creator and helpful individual, working hard to support those in need. You use your skills to create security and wellbeing for yourself and others and choose meaningful goals to pursue.
What do you do well? You have a logical and analytical communication style that helps you base your decisions on facts and evidence rather than assumptions. You prefer to be guided by protocols and policies instead of making your own decisions. You strive to be accurate and avoid mistakes—and expect others to do the same.
What can you improve on? Maker types can come across as rigid or one-sided, relying on systems and processes rather than input from others. Fixed principles, a preference for the familiar, and an expectation for consistent results from others can cause conflict and stress. Making decisions without all data or dealing with change can be challenging. To handle decision-making and unexpected or changing circumstances, try:
- Gathering and using more input from others
- Being more willing to try new things or creative solutions
- Listening to others’ ideas with an open mind
- Learning to live with risk and uncertainty
The Teacher
Teacher types are energized when helping others grow through understanding. They’re driven to learn and share knowledge with others, hoping others can benefit from their wisdom.
Being a Teacher type means you’re drawn to helping others learn and understand new knowledge. You might find fulfillment as a mentor, life coach, educator, or similar roles. You place more emphasis on wisdom and knowledge rather than material objects or power and fame. You enjoy reading, debating, or engaging in other intellectual pursuits in your spare time.
What do you do well? Your passion for sharing knowledge and learning can inspire others to improve their lives and develop a love of learning. Your wisdom encourages you to reach out to others to help them.
What can you improve on? Teacher types sometimes assume they have more knowledge and wisdom than others, causing them to give advice or listen inattentively when others speak. They might dominate the conversation rather than giving others a chance to talk. To help others learn and grow, try:
- Working on building active listening skills
- Developing a mindful attitude that focuses on the present
- Keeping a clear and open mind when talking to others
How to identify your Dharma type
Thinking about your core motivations, natural tendencies, and how you most love contributing to others can help you identify your Dharma personality type. Consider your strengths and how you use them to serve others, such as helping others learn or inspiring change through leadership.
Pause and reflect on the following questions or use them as journal prompts to help you start making connections between your personality and Dharma type:
- What kind of work energizes you, even when it’s challenging?
- What do people often come to you for help with?
- When do you feel most in flow or aligned in your everyday life?
- If you didn’t care what others thought, how would you choose to serve?
- Which roles and responsibilities feel natural to you rather than draining?
You may be eager to fully understand your Dharma type and get started on making better decisions, but there’s no rush. Self-discovery is a journey, not a quick process. Your understanding of your Dharma type might slowly unfold over time as you reflect on it.
If you want to explore this concept in more depth, the Jay Shetty Certification School offers helpful resources. You can also put what you learn into practice with the school’s coaching program.
Use your Dharma type to guide your next chapter
Your unique combination of natural strengths, talents, personality traits, and passion for helping others can help you identify your Dharma type and discover your true purpose. This puts you on the right path to creating meaningful transformations in your personal life to achieve growth.
No matter which Dharma type you have, being a life coach can help you enjoy a rewarding career. The Jay Shetty Certification School offers coaching training with an emphasis on serving others, mindfulness, and developing a growth-oriented mindset.
Are you ready to begin your life coaching journey? Join our coaching program!
