How to Transform Your Team’s Performance Using the Enneagram!

How to Transform Your Team’s Performance Using the Enneagram

If you’re leading a team that’s not reaching its full potential, you’re probably wondering where the disconnect lies. In most cases, it’s not about your team’s skills or abilities—it’s about understanding and tapping into what really drives each individual. This is where the Enneagram comes in.

The Enneagram is a powerful tool for understanding the core motivations, fears, and strengths of each team member. By integrating the Enneagram into your organization, you’re not just enhancing self-awareness; you’re equipping your team with the insights they need to communicate, collaborate, and perform at the highest level.

Why the Enneagram Works

Unlike other personality models that focus mainly on behaviors, the Enneagram digs into why people act the way they do. It’s a roadmap to understanding what motivates each individual and how they perceive and respond to their environment. When you understand your team through the Enneagram lens, you’re able to create more personalized, effective approaches to leadership and collaboration.

Here’s how you can use the Enneagram to drive sustainable change in your team:

1. Build Trust and Connection by Embracing Each Enneagram Type

Every Enneagram type brings unique strengths and vulnerabilities to the table. By understanding these, you can foster an environment where team members feel safe to bring their full selves to work. For example:

? Type 1 (The Perfectionist) might thrive with clear expectations and values alignment.

? Type 4 (The Individualist) needs space for creativity and authenticity to feel engaged.

During our off-sites and intensives, we use the Enneagram to help teams understand and appreciate these differences, creating a culture of empathy and trust. When team members feel seen and understood for who they are, they’re far more likely to communicate openly, admit mistakes, and support one another.

2. Improve Delegation with Type-Specific Approaches

Delegation isn’t one-size-fits-all. The way you delegate to a Type 3 (The Achiever) should be different from how you delegate to a Type 6 (The Loyalist). For instance:

? Type 3s are driven by achievement and can take on ambitious projects independently.

? Type 6s are loyal and cautious, so they may benefit from more structure and reassurance as they step into ownership.

Understanding these preferences helps you avoid micromanagement and create a structure where team members feel empowered in a way that aligns with their core motivations. In our team sessions, we guide leaders to leverage the Enneagram to delegate effectively, balancing autonomy with the right level of support for each type.

3. Set Meaningful Goals That Drive Motivation and Accountability

The Enneagram helps you understand not only what each type values but also how they approach challenges. For example:

? Type 7 (The Enthusiast) will be more engaged if there’s room for variety and creativity in their goals.

? Type 9 (The Peacemaker) might thrive with goals that emphasize team harmony and support rather than competitive benchmarks.

In our off-sites, we help leaders set goals that align with the deeper motivations of each type, creating buy-in and accountability that last. When team members feel their goals resonate with their core values, they’re far more invested in the outcomes.

Real Change Starts Here

These Enneagram-based strategies are the starting point for real, sustainable change. They’re not just about better understanding your team—they’re about equipping them to thrive together.

As an Enneagram coach, I’ve seen teams transform through this approach. When team members understand their own Enneagram types and each other’s, the entire organization benefits from deeper trust, authentic communication, and a shared commitment to success.

Ready to see these Enneagram tools in action? Book an off-site or intensive with us at Impact Initiative. We’ll guide your team through Enneagram-focused exercises, customized delegation practices, and goal-setting frameworks tailored to each Enneagram type. Let’s get your team performing at their best—by tapping into what makes each person unique.