Can the Enneagram Personality Test Make You a Better Leader?

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"Have you heard of the enneagram?" I've asked and heard this question from many people over the last few years. While the enneagram isn't new by any means, people in the professional and leadership world have been turning to it as a resource more and more.

What We Covered

This week, I sat down with licensed psychotherapist and enneagram expert, Beatrice Chestnut , to answer a lot of the questions people tend to have about it (including skeptics). In our conversation, she describes:

• what the assessment is
• how best to figure out your core type (and their nuances)
• how the enneagram helps people go from autopilot to being self aware of patterns and blindspots

Next week, in part two, Bea and I talk about how this plays out at work and ways to use the assessment to become a better leader.

A Brief Overview of the Nine Types*

Type 1 aka the strict perfectionist

Enneagram Ones value principles and integrity and are driven by the motivational need to be good and right. Their name comes from their striving for perfection and self-control. Integrity and quality will also be important to them. Ones tend to appreciate standards, principles and structure.

Type 2 aka the considerate helper

Enneagram Twos have a motivational need to be liked and appreciated. Twos value relationships and as a result kindness, generosity and self-sacrifice are important to them. Twos strive to make the world a more loving place, primarily by offering support and attention to those they care about.

Type 3 aka the competitive achiever

Enneagram Threes are likely to value achievement and want to be the best. As a result, efficiency, results, recognition and image are very important to them. Threes strive for success in their chosen field and tend to be highly flexible and willing to adapt to achieve their goals.

Type 4 aka the intense creative

Enneagram Fours have the motivational need to express their uniqueness and be authentic. Fours value individualism and as a result, feelings, self-expression and purpose will be important to them. They are quite romantic at heart and appreciate beauty and creating meaning for themselves and for others. At their best, Fours are experienced as sensitive yet content. They offer the gift of equanimity and authenticity to themselves and the world.

Type 5 aka the quiet specialist

Enneagram Fives have the motivational need to know and understand. Fives value making sense of the world around them and, as a result, objectivity and knowledge are important to them. Fives strive for independence, appreciate privacy and tend to conserve their resources to ensure future independence. At their best, others will experience Fives as visionary and mindful. They offer the gift of non-attachment to themselves and the world.

Type 6 aka the loyal skeptic

Enneagram Sixes value security and belonging, as this style stems from the motivational need to be safe and prepared. As a result, loyalty and trust are important to Sixes, who strive to be responsible and prepared at all times.

Type 7 aka the enthusiastic visionary

Enneagram Sevens have the motivational need to experience life to the fullest and avoid pain. Sevens value a sense of freedom and focus on optimism, being inspired and taking opportunities as they present themselves. Sevens approach life as an adventure and appreciate being playful and spontaneous.

Type 8 aka the active controller

Enneagram Eights have a motivational need to be strong and avoid showing vulnerability. They value having a sense of control and being direct and impactful. Eights love challenges and will embody a need for justice which enables them to protect others.

Type 9 aka the adaptive peacemaker

Enneagram Nines are motivated by a need to be settled and in harmony with the world and, as a result, being accommodating and accepting will be important to them. They strive for a peaceful existence and appreciate stability, preferring to avoid conflict.

*This list is from the Integrative 9 Enneagram Solutions

Personal and Professional Impact of the Enneagram

After taking the test years ago, I was blown away by its accuracy in typing me. What my results gave me was clearer language I could both understand and use when it came to observing myself and sharing who I am with others. It was like a personal user manual. For example, as a type seven, I would catch myself reframing every negative into a positive and say "there I go again." The Enneagram was enormously beneficial in my personal and professional life. I also watched coworkers interact more positively with each other as a result of the assessment.

One reason many professionals find a lot of value in the Enneagram is because it goes far beyond doling out personality types. Instead, the assessment gives a clear and practical path to becoming a better version of yourself through observation, accountability, and action. The Enneagram very clearly points to how to get out of your own way. Another benefit is that the Enneagram elicits a whole lot of empathy and reverence for others—like coworkers, family, and friends—of other Enneagram types. Integrating this kind of development into everyday interactions can give way to smoother collaboration, a culture more inclusive of personality differences, and stronger leaders.

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An assessment may be the simplest way to begin understanding your enneagram type. Bea and her business partner Uranio developed a free microtest , which is great for people still on the fence about it. They also offer a more in-depth assessment .

Remember that using the Enneagram to enhance strengths, improve tendencies, and become more aware of blind spots isn't time-bound. Many people who learn their types come back to the Enneagram's growth path years later, while others dive right in.

When you're ready, Bea suggests starting simply with self-observation. Notice the tendencies you have and what might be behind them. In other words, ask yourself why you're doing what you're doing. Just that is enough to recognize where your patterns could be keeping you on autopilot, even when you know that behaving differently could improve your personal or professional life.

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Book: "The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up: Find Your Path, Face Your Shadow, Discover Your True Self "

Book: "The 9 Types of Leadership " by Bea Chestnut

Podcast: "Enneagram 2.0 " hosted by Bea Chestnut and Uranio Paes

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Everyday Better is LinkedIn News’ weekly personal development podcast hosted by Leah Smart , a LinkedIn News Editor. You’ll hear from some of the worlds brightest minds and bravest hearts about how to live with more clarity and intention every day, in and out of work. Subscribe to the show's newsletter .