How Enneagram 3s Can Lead with Strength and Stay Grounded

As it turns out, my favorite people in work environments are Enneagram 3s. Being a type 6, I’m drawn to their leadership and adaptability. Their strength inspires me to refine and grow my own style of leadership.

If you aren’t familiar with the Enneagram here’s a fantastic 101 video to whet your appetite. For me, it’s been one of the most influential tools to help me understand both myself and others. It’s led to so much growth and change for myself and the people I’ve encountered that use it well.

I worked with a client (a Type 3) who is an absolute baddie accountant in her early 50s. She’s one of the kindest, most no-nonsense people I’ve ever met. She knows what she wants, and without healthy boundaries, I believe she’d stop at nothing to get it.

During one of our sessions, she expressed hesitation about a marketing decision. I asked her, point-blank, “Amy, is this your 3 getting in the way?” After a thoughtful pause, she realized her fear of being seen as a failure was holding her back.

She took the risk, by the way.

It’s paid off in dividends. Check out the incredible thriving business she co-founded as a merger with a tax firm.

This story highlights the dual nature of Enneagram 3s, often nicknamed “The Achievers.” They are high-performing, energetic, and focused on efficiency. But like any strength, these traits can work against them without proper support and boundaries. Whether you are a 3 or work closely with one, understanding how 3s thrive (and where they struggle) is crucial to unlocking their potential.

Let’s dig into how 3s shine in the workplace and how they can better support themselves for long-term success.

Goals are your superpower.

As a 3, your goal-oriented nature makes you an incredible founder, leader, or business developer. You’re laser-focused on success and thrive in leadership and project management roles. You set clear goals and work tirelessly to surpass them.

And your Achilles Heel.

Left unchecked, this drive can create an ever-evolving goalpost. Even the most significant achievements might not feel like enough. Sound familiar? You may also forget to bring your team along for the ride because you’re so focused on your own targets.

How to help yourself when it comes to goals.?

• Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge when you or your team meets a goal. Take the time to celebrate instead of barreling onto the next thing.
• Set well-defined objectives: Clear, achievable goals help you stay focused and productive without veering into burnout.
• Bring your team along: Involve your team in goal-setting to share the responsibility and avoid carrying the weight alone.

Adaptability is your hallmark.

One of the most impressive traits of a 3 is your adaptability. You seamlessly adjust to changing environments, roles, and challenges, which makes you a rockstar in dynamic settings. You’re flexible, resourceful, and thrive on juggling multiple tasks.

But here’s the thing: not everyone around you can keep up.

Some team members need more time to process change. And while your adaptability delights clients, it can also lead to scope creep on your projects, which strains profits.

How to help yourself when it comes to adaptability.

• Hire an executive assistant (EA): A great EA will handle scheduling and push back when you try to overcommit.
• Bring on an operations director: They’ll help keep your business on track, ensuring growth doesn’t come at the cost of your well-being.
• Experiment with time-blocking: Structure your schedule to include focused work time and personal downtime.
• Practice adaptability outside work: Try hiking new trails, exploring unfamiliar genres of books, or picking up golf—activities that challenge your flexibility in non-work settings.

Leadership comes naturally to you.

You’re often the one everyone looks to when answers are needed. You excel at setting vision, creating goals, and maintaining a positive outlook on what’s ahead. And yes, you probably have 82,000 ideas at any given time—most of which are probably really good!

You have trouble letting others lead.

It takes a very self-aware 3 to recognize when you are limiting your team from leading alongside you. Because you’re so good at what you do, you might forget that others have something to offer. Recognizing this in yourself is the first step toward letting your team step up. You’ll likely find those you’ve surrounded yourself with have their own Zones of Genius and can excel in ways you didn’t expect.

Another challenge? You want to be recognized, but you don’t always know how to ask for it without feeling foolish.

As a 3, you thrive on external validation. The rub is that, as a leader, people often assume you don’t need it. They see you as confident and forget you’re human, too. Some of the real work you need to do centers around asking for what you need and also not being afraid to celebrate your own wins.?

Helping yourself in leadership looks like collaborating more.

Build strong relationships with the people you have working with you. Push yourself to ask for team input and don’t send them walking immediately if you don’t like their ideas. Let your leaders try and fail. Then walk with them through the failure, asking how you can be of help, and teaching them some of the skills you have learned to keep moving forward.?

You are productive as hell.

Once you set your mind on something, you will get that shit done. It does not matter what time of night it is or how tired you are, you are the most dependable person in the room. You are excellent at organizing your tasks and managing your time to make sure projects are completed on time, and done with excellence. I bet you even find people saying “how did you get all of that done?!?”? It’s pretty clear that 3s will do whatever it takes.

Underneath productivity is a fear of failure and a tendency toward burnout.

Oof. That’s a bit of a downer isn’t it? It’s the honest to goodness truth. You work hard because somewhere you’ve been taught that doing so gives you value. And while that skill is valuable, it is not of inherent value to your personhood. When left to your own devices, without boundaries and people around you who genuinely care about your well-being, you will burn yourself into the ground; and then you will still feel like you haven’t done enough. Your ambition and drive to succeed will prioritize your career and your achievement above your family, your partner, and mostly anything that isn’t work.

How to help yourself avoid burnout:

• Reflect on your "why": Ask yourself, “If I weren’t concerned about success, what would I do?” This question can help you reconnect with your passions.
• Set boundaries: Define clear work hours and stick to them. Take time off to recharge—your business will survive, and so will you.
• Surround yourself with support: Invest in mentors, coaches, or peers who care about your well-being and will remind you to step back when needed.

Enneagram 3s bring incredible energy, adaptability, and leadership to the table. But their strength is also their challenge. By setting boundaries, celebrating their wins, and trusting their team, 3s can thrive without burning out.

So, if you’re a 3, know this: your value isn’t tied to your productivity or success. Your worth lies in who you are, not just what you achieve. Take the time to pause, reflect, and embrace the incredible leader you’re meant to be.

What’s one way you’ll show up differently this week? Let me know in the comments! And if you’re interested in digging in deeper with someone who gets you, schedule a clarity call and let’s figure some things out!