What does it take to be a great leader and how can the Enneagram contribute to leadership excellence? This model of leadership provides that understanding. A leader, no matter their organizational level, needs to be adept at both task leadership and relationship leadership, which includes not just interpersonal relationships but also organizational processes such as communication and decision-making. Adding to this leadership challenge is navigating the ever-changing balance between the task and the relationships. At times, the focus must be on one or the other, but sometimes, attention must be equally paid to both areas. What supports leaders in finding this sometimes precarious balance, and to do it well, lies in their personal qualities.

Here’s what these roles and personal qualities mean:

Task roles for leaders

Leaders function in certain roles related to tasks of the organization or team. Leaders need to provide the following: purpose, direction, operational structure, roles with the team or organization, resource allocation, and clarity.

Relationship roles for leaders

Leaders also need to fulfill specific relationship roles in their organizations and teams. These involve fostering the following: trust, inclusion, communication, decision-making, conflict and motivation.

Personal qualities for leaders

What are the personal characteristics leaders need to develop and exhibit if they want to be exemplary ones? Leaders need to possess the following: credibility, humility, integrity, empathy, connectedness and approachability.

This leadership model is something I created from my work developing leaders, while also integrating some of the latest research and thinking on this important topic. This blog series illuminates how using the Enneagram in developing leaders contributes to their roles as task leaders and relationships leaders in addition to how the Enneagram helps leaders develop the essential personal qualities that are crucial for leaders of all levels. Supporting this will be data and insights from the 2022 Enneagram in Business Network Global Enneagram Survey.

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