The Enneagram at Work

Discovering who you truly are is the start of leading others with authenticity and grace. The Enneagram is your guide to unlocking this potential.

The Timeless Enneagram: A Tool for Growth

The Enneagram isn’t a modern phenomenon. Dating back 2,500 years, it has roots in traditions such as Sufism and Christianity. Updated with contemporary psychology, the Enneagram has transitioned from a mystical concept to a pragmatic tool used by businesses like Chanel and Geico. It’s employed to resolve conflicts and improve personal and professional relationships.

At its core, the Enneagram is about understanding patterns in behavior. These patterns don’t define you, but they do shape how you navigate the world. Instead of focusing on flaws to fix, it highlights your strengths and areas for alignment, allowing you to grow intentionally.

For those in leadership, the Enneagram acts as a mirror and a compass. It reflects personal blind spots and strengths, fostering trust and productivity among teams. By learning to shed harmful patterns and nurture beneficial ones, you can inspire and guide more effectively.

Examples

• Chanel uses the Enneagram to strengthen interpersonal dynamics in their teams.
• It benefits marriage counseling by increasing empathy between partners.
• Leaders learn to identify what hinders team morale, boosting outcomes.

Nine Types to Discover Yourself and Others

The Enneagram outlines nine unique personality types. Each represents a worldview and behavioral tendency that helps to illuminate your essence. These aren’t boxes to limit you but frameworks to better understand yourself and others.

The types range from Strict Perfectionists to Adaptive Peacemakers. For example, Perfectionists focus on doing what’s right and can be critical, while Peacemakers prefer harmony and struggle with decision-making. Identifying with one type helps you recognize patterns that guide your responses and relationships.

Personal growth begins with recognizing your type. It allows for better teamwork and deeper connections. For instance, knowing a Type Four craves validation can help you engage them positively. Once you understand yourself, you can explore how each type interacts and grows.

Examples

• A Perfectionist may help refine a project through their attention to detail.
• Adaptive Peacemakers excel at mediation, bringing balance to discussions.
• Enthusiastic Visionaries contribute energy and creativity to teams.

Self-Awareness: The Bedrock of Leadership

Self-awareness, though often dismissed as touchy-feely, is a powerful leadership skill. By seeing yourself clearly, you improve how you lead and communicate, benefiting both professional and personal relationships.

Jim McPartlin’s discovery of his type, the Loyal Skeptic, allowed him to understand his patterns of anxiety and preparation. By practicing self-awareness, he became more confident and effective. This clarity also enhanced his creativity and decision-making abilities, proving its value beyond mere insight.

You can cultivate self-awareness through mindful practices like meditation. By focusing on the present moment and observing yourself without judgment, you gain control over your reactive patterns. Leaders who know themselves operate with purpose, trustworthiness, and focus.

Examples

• Meditation helps you notice thoughts and emotions without reacting immediately.
• Aware leaders inspire confidence by navigating challenges calmly.
• Reflecting daily builds an ongoing habit of personal growth.

Balancing Action, Emotion, and Thought

The Enneagram introduces three centers of intelligence: action (gut), emotion (heart), and thought (mind). Effective living and leadership come from balancing these three aspects, allowing you to act consciously rather than react impulsively.

Julia Child exemplified this balance. In her cooking and life, she blended action (running a kitchen), emotion (her passion for fine meals), and thought (endless curiosity). Her alignment let her lead with enthusiasm and confidence.

To find balance in your life, try McPartlin’s “Pause” practice. By deliberately stopping to ask what you think, feel, and can do, you align your three centers. Recognizing which center you rely on the most and activating the ones you neglect fosters harmony in decision-making and leadership.

Examples

• Using “Pause” calms reactions during heated meetings.
• Emotional leaders balance their passion with logical planning.
• Gut-focused individuals add depth by incorporating emotional awareness.

Feedback as Empowerment

Feedback can feel uncomfortable, but it’s an essential element of leadership. Giving and receiving constructive feedback builds rapport, helps others grow, and strengthens your influence.

McPartlin suggests a four-step feedback model to handle these conversations effectively. Begin by observing behavior without judgment, then interpret by giving the benefit of the doubt. Share your feelings honestly, and conclude by stating what you need. This structure turns potentially uncomfortable exchanges into opportunities for improvement.

Mentorship, a deeper form of feedback, extends this process. By guiding others, you strengthen your own understanding of the Enneagram and leadership. It’s through mentoring that leaders solidify their practices and make a lasting impact on their teams.

Examples

• Address issues like tardiness without sounding accusatory but firm.
• Practicing feedback improves team dynamics and trust.
• Mentoring builds cohesion and deepens self-awareness.

Facing Fears with Resilience

Fear, from public speaking to career setbacks, is part of life. The difference lies in how you handle it. With the Enneagram, you can use humor and self-reflection to reframe fear and reduce its power.

A tactic borrowed from Harry Potter’s Riddikulus spell involves imagining fears in humorous ways. For instance, visualizing a frightening audience as teddy bears. This approach helps remove anxiety’s sting, enhancing confidence.

Failure is another fear to manage. McPartlin’s firing from a hotel position redirected his career toward the Enneagram. He paired rational thinking with emotional processing and fueled his gut instincts to bounce back stronger.

Examples

• Laughing at fear before public speeches builds confidence.
• Reframing “failure” opens doors to new opportunities.
• Transforming fear of imperfection into preparation reduces stress.

Conflict is Growth in Disguise

Conflict, though unpleasant, often stems from miscommunication and differing patterns. To resolve it, begin with introspection. Recognize your ingrained responses and adjust your approach during tense situations.

The Enneagram helps you manage your “good” and “bad” selves. For example, an Intense Creative under stress can either stay calm or become dramatic. By identifying when you slip into destructive patterns, you can shift toward a more constructive response.

On teams, conflict resolution involves acknowledging different perspectives. Recognizing contrasting values and triggers allows for collaborative solutions that strengthen relationships rather than strain them.

Examples

• Awareness of triggers improves team harmony.
• Tuning into your reactive moments diffuses arguments.
• Listening to all parties involved fosters creative problem-solving.

Layers of Personality: Subtypes and Instincts

Beyond the nine types, the Enneagram includes subtypes based on instincts: self-preservation, social, and one-on-one. These instincts shape how people interact and prioritize their needs in groups or relationships.

Understanding subtypes explains why we click with some people while struggling with others. A self-preservation type may focus on security, while a social type seeks belonging. Knowing these tendencies makes working with others more effective and enjoyable.

Teams thrive when leaders consider these instincts. For example, pairing a socially-driven individual with a one-on-one type can balance differing priorities. Leaders who adapt to these nuances demonstrate empathy and foresight.

Examples

• Social types focus on harmony during team efforts.
• One-on-one types value close feedback for personal growth.
• Awareness of instincts prevents clashes in team dynamics.

Leadership Starts with Walking the Talk

Great leadership comes from example. Leaders who step into the shoes of their teams foster authenticity, trust, and motivation. When McPartlin started his career, his hands-on experiences gave him empathy for all levels of work.

By doing unglamorous tasks, leaders display humility and accessibility. It also sets a standard for teamwork and accountability. Even as you rise in ranks, staying grounded in these experiences strengthens your rapport with others.

Walking the talk aligns with the Enneagram’s principles. It’s about balance, self-awareness, and showing the people you lead that you respect their contributions.

Examples

• McPartlin cleaned hotel rooms before becoming a general manager.
• Understanding entry-level roles helps leaders communicate better.
• Hands-on leaders build trust and team loyalty.

Takeaways

1. Use the "Pause" practice daily to reestablish emotional, logical, and action-based balance.
2. When offering feedback, apply the four-step model: observe, interpret, feel, and need.
3. Walk in your team’s shoes by engaging in the work they do to foster respect and empathy.