Leadership question from the 2022 Enneagram in Organizations Global Survey

What level of improvement have you experienced in each of the below areas using the Enneagram? You can find the answers from the 2022 Enneagram in Organizations Global Survey, conducted online by the Enneagram in Business network and drawing nearly 800 respondents from 49 different countries.

Leadership is complex and nuanced, requiring skills in multiple areas. In the context of relationships, leaders need to foster trust, inclusion, respect and candid communication, effective decision-making, productive conflict resolution, and high motivation.

Leadership communication

The 2022 Global Survey shows how strongly the Enneagram increases a leader’s ability to communicate. 78% of the respondents indicated this extraordinary level of contribution to leadership development. Why is this so? There are many ways, such as these. Leaders, just like everyone who learns and uses the Enneagram, discover how they are similar to others of their same type and how they are different from the other eight types.

Once people know their types, Enneagram training usually helps people understand how their communication style impacts others and how to develop in this arena. For example, Ones communicate in clear and precise ways, but they also can appear critical of others, even when they are trying to not do so. It shows in their non-verbal behavior. Twos often engage by asking questions or using a soft vocal tone, but they have difficulty saying no, even if they might want to do so. Threes, for example, are often adept communicators, but far less so when they feel stressed or overworked. At these times,  they can become abrupt.

To augment a leader’s understanding of Enneagram-based communication styles even further,  leaders need to learn the importance of being able to communicate from all three Centers of Intelligence: Head, Heart and Body. Why does this matter? Context or circumstance of the communication always matters. For example, whether the communication context involves emotional distress or a celebration, a leader needs to communicate from the heart. When communication involves taking action, leaders need to communicate from the Body or action-based Center. And when it comes to planning or idea generation, being able to communicate from the Head Center is essential. Depending on their Enneagram types, leaders may rely on one Center more than the others. For example, Fours rely heavily on the Heart Center and secondarily the Head Center, but need to develop the ability to communicate from the Body Center as well. Fives rely heavily on their Head Center for almost everything, but what happens when they need to speak to feelings, values, and relationships (Heart Center) or the action to be taken (Body Center)? And Sixes also use and even overuse their Head Center, particularly in creating alternative scenarios, but also need to communicate from the Heart and the Body.

Through the Enneagram, leaders not only learn which Center is their bias Center) default Center, but also how and why to develop the other Centers if they want to communicate most effectively. The Enneagram provides both the insight and the precise development activities to help them do this.

Leadership decision making

The 2022 Enneagram in Organization also indicates how Enneagram training and coaching benefits leaders in their decision-making. Leaders make decisions all day long, but are they making optimal ones? This question has become increasingly crucial because leaders of all levels have to make decisions more quickly than ever before.

One way the Enneagram helps them do this is a simple principle. Optimal decisions are made taking into account the wisdom of all three Centers, not just from one or two Centers. To use the wisdom of each Center requires the leader to effectively access each Center. This can be a challenge for all leaders, but the insights and developmental practices from the Enneagram help them do this. For example, Seven leaders are overly enamored of their Mental Center (they love their ideas); Eights overly trust their Body or Gut Center (they rely on the truth that comes from their gut); Nines are not sure which Center of intelligence to rely on. Nines are called “anger that went to sleep,” because they are so uncomfortable with their own anger. Keeping their own anger subliminal requires them to be less aware of all their somatic or body-based reactions.

The Enneagram helps Sevens learn to access and honor their Heart and Body Centers, while it supports Eights in tuning into their Heart and Head Centers more. For Nines, the Enneagram shows them how to access their Body Center more fully, as well as to honor their Heart Center and Mental Center even more.

The next blog covers how the remarkable way in which the Enneagram supports leaders in developing their personal qualities that are important by themselves, but also help them balance their task and relationship responsibilities.

You can see the full results of the 2022 Enneagram in Organizations Global Survey here.

What Type of Leader Are You? by Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD

You can read more about leadership in my book What Type of Leader Are You?  – a roadmap for becoming an exemplary leader using the Enneagram to develop seven core leadership competencies: Drive for Results, Strive for Self-Mastery, Know the Business; Think and Act Strategically, Become an Excellent Communicator, Lead High-Performing Teams, Make Optimal Decisions, and Take Charge of Change. Purchase here

About Ginger

Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, author of nine Enneagram books, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs and training tools for business professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications. TheEnneagramInBusiness.com | ginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com