Learn how the Enneagram works and its positive effect on emotional intelligence.
Many of our customers' brightest minds are striving to solve their industries’ greatest challenges with bold and innovative solutions. Often, what gets in the way of achieving their goals has nothing to do with expertise or skill. Instead, the challenge lies in emotional intelligence, and more specifically, self-awareness.
Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist and researcher, has revealed that nearly 95% of us believe we are self-aware and only about 10% of us actually are. This gap creates inefficiencies and misunderstandings which not only lead to increased stress and burnout, but also turnover. Recent research on the Great Resignation out of MIT discovered toxic culture was the number one reason.
Although it may seem counter-cultural in a world that focuses on profit and production as the main measures of success, great leaders understand investing in people leads to greater results. They foster an environment of courage, vulnerability, and trust. The most impactful leaders develop potential in others, know how to make hard decisions, and when to take strategic risks. They are curious, self-reflective, and take responsibility.
The good news is this level of authentic leadership is not reserved for just a few “gifted” people. All of us can cultivate these qualities through deliberate and mindful practice.
While there are many tools out there that give us feedback about our personalities, capabilities, and preferences, there is one tool that goes much deeper to help us uncover and understand our intrinsic motivations and behavior: the Enneagram. This highly insightful tool helps us understand why we think, feel, say, and do what we think, feel, say, and do.
The Enneagram is an ancient tool that has received a lot more attention over the last couple of decades. The nine numbers that surround the Enneagram circle represent personality types and symbolize our connection to one another. While we can all access different attributes of every Enneagram type, we each have one type that is dominant.
Identifying your Enneagram type can seem like a daunting task for some. Taking an Enneagram assessment is not the most accurate way to identify your type. The individual must do the work to determine his or her type. It can be helpful to take an Enneagram assessment after you have determined which type you are, but it’s not required.. If you choose to take an Enneagram assessment, we recommend The Enneagram Institute RHETI test.
Enneagram types are determined by a person’s core motivation, and each type has its own unique core motivation. Algorithms and calculations can never replace a human being’s ability to self-identify what his or her core motivation is. To determine your Enneagram type, the recommendation is to explore all of the types, read about them, access information from a variety of Enneagram master teachers, institutes, and authors, and decide for yourself which one most resonates.
It’s important to note the Enneagram is not just about your unique Enneagram type. Unlike other tools, the Enneagram is highly fluid and accounts for a variety of ways we show up in the world. For example, when a person is stressed vs feeling secure, in a healthy or unhealthy mindset, and our orientation to time and how we achieve a goal. The Enneagram gives people the ability to engage in meaningful self-discovery and self-awareness.
Using the insights from the Enneagram, teams can deepen respect, understanding, and creativity. For example, when working on a project a One may quickly define the problem and the “right way” to solve it, and could neglect to collaborate on other options. A Two is likely focused on ensuring all team members get a chance to contribute to possible solutions. The Three on the project team will further dig into the One’s suggested solution to ensure the success of the project—if the team is successful, the Three is successful. A Five team member may appear to be withdrawn during the discussion, but is observing and needs time to process the information before they are comfortable sharing ideas.
At Five to Flow, the Enneagram has helped us grow individually and together.
Once we learn more about our core motivations and fears, we are not only able to identify our triggers and respond with control and choice, we are also able to understand the way others around us see the situation. Ultimately, the Enneagram can be a transformative tool to improve self-awareness, deepen our compassion and understanding for others, and become more authentic and impactful leaders and organizations.
Thanks to the Enneagram Institute and The Road Back To You (Cron & Stabile) for their definitions of Enneagram types.