About The Enneagram

ENNEAGRAM is a powerful and profound tool for self-awareness and transformation. It helps us understand ourselves at depth, unlocking insights that enable us to become our best selves. 

Combining ancient philosophy with the latest research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Enneagram is a personality typology that identifies and describes the nine personality types. These types relate to the nine different ways we see the world, and the unconscious motivations and automatic habits that govern how we think, feel and act. 

Working with the Enneagram helps us get to know ourselves in a deeper way, accessing inner resources, understanding the depth of our strengths, and offering to the world what is ours to give. It gives us the tools to become more self-aware and emotionally intelligent; the keys to becoming successful as a person, a leader, a team-player.

The Enneagram Targets:

  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Leadership Development
  • Personal Development
  • Spiritual Development

I use Enneagram in a one-on-one coaching setting and via workshops and seminars. I know of no better tool to help you on your journey to becoming your best self.

The Enneagram acts as a road map for our specific personality type. It provides thorough and distinct descriptions of the nine ways of thinking, feeling and being in the world, showing us what we can be at our best and our worst. It shines a light on our unconscious motivations and automatic habits, showing us things about ourselves we haven’t wanted to see.  It can help us learn to become honest about our strengths and limitations, and more aware of our blindspots. It shows us the ways we get caught in our personality patterns and shines a light on the way forward.

The Enneagram doesn’t put us in a box; it shows us the box we’re already in, and provides us with a map for change and transformation. 

Where other personality typing tools group us into types based on behaviour, focusing on what we do, the Enneagram takes this to a deeper level, exploring the why. It looks at the level of motivation; the driving force of our personality. Unless we know what’s happening on this level, we can’t achieve effective or sustainable change. 

As we become aware of our drivers, and what sits beneath the surface, we can begin to see ourselves in our automatic, habitual personality patterns. With this conscious awareness, we can take intentional steps towards becoming more conscious, and operating out of our best, healthiest selves. We become less reactive, form stronger, healthier relationships, have higher compassion and empathy for others as we discover the different ways people see the world. It outlines the pathway to becoming our best selves. 

Why Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a powerful tool for helping YOU become your very best self. Uncover your strengths, unlock your potential, and discover what is YOURS to bring to the world.Self-awareness is the key to growth, change and transformation. The Enneagram is the tool to get you there. 

Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple and it is also that difficult.”

~ Warren Bennis, Author, Scholar and Leadership Expert

Enneagram Type descriptions

Type One: The Reformer

Ones have a desire to improve things – either themselves, others, the world around them, or all three. They are idealistic, setting high standards for themselves and others. They often think in terms of black and white, right and wrong, and try to do things the “right” way, as they see it. They can be hard on themselves, and struggle to relax.

Ones teach us all about seeking to become the best we can be.

Type Two: The Giver

Twos see the world through the lens of relationships. They are generous, loving, and seek to support, help, and come alongside others. They are quick to notice and meet others’ needs, but often struggle to identify their own needs, and risk burnout if they don’t stop to check in with themselves.

Twos teach us all about generosity, altruism, and service to others.

Type Three: The performer

Threes are the do-ers of the Enneagram. They are efficient, productive and results-driven. They are great at reading other people and can adapt themselves to connect with others. They can become overly identified with their work and productivity, to the point where they lose touch with who they are apart from what they do. They can struggle with the idea of “being”.

Threes teach us all about moving forward and making things happen.

Type Four: The Individualist

Fours focus on identity, meaning and pursuing authenticity. They are creative, and often seek to express their understanding of meaning in artistic and original ways. They are sensitive, empathetic, and seek deep connection with others. Fours feel their emotions deeply and can struggle to get things done when their emotions are strong or overwhelming.

Fours teach us about identity, creativity, and how to uncover and express our true authentic selves.

Type Five: The Investigator

Fives seek to understand the world objectively, and gather knowledge and information in order to be competent. They are highly perceptive, and are often experts in whatever piques their interest.

They can struggle to connect to their emotions, and may retreat into their heads if they feel others are demanding too much of them.

Fives offer us all a depth of insight, and model to others how to take a step back and view life objectively.

Type Six: The Loyalist

Sixes are warm, committed team-players. They are responsible, hard working, and value everyone playing their part. They are good trouble-shooters and can foresee potential obstacles, but can get caught-up in worry and over-thinking worst case scenario possibilities.

Sixes teach us about dependability, loyalty and perseverance.

Type Seven: The Adventurer

Sevens are the epicures of the Enneagram. They are positive and upbeat, and love change, new ideas and possibilities. They are quick thinkers and visionaries. Sevens can get stuck in false positivity, failing to pay attention to the challenging aspects of life, overlooking their own or others’ pain. 

Sevens teach us about positivity, enjoying life and exploring possibilites.

Type Eight: The Leader

Eights are strong, self-confident and make things happen. They know what they want and they are natural leaders. They are truth-tellers and fight against injustice where it shows up in their world. They can be unaware of the impact their strength has on others, and can work themselves to exhaustion if they don’t check in on themselves and their own capacity.

Eights teach us about taking a stand for what is important, and harnessing strength to make things happen. 

Type Nine: The Mediator

Nines are easy-going, good-natured and relatable. They easily see others’ points-of-view, making them good mediators. They have a peaceful energy, and are a calm and stable presence. They generally focus on other peoples agendas, and can lose sight of their own opinions and priorities.

Nines teach us about consensus-seeking, solidarity, and seeking the greater good. 

The Enneagram Diagram

The nine types are mapped onto the Enneagram – “ennea” meaning 9, and “gram”, meaning diagram – a nine pointed diagram. The diagram illustrates how the types relate to each other through wings and arrows.

WINGS refer to the numbers on either side of your core type. We often have aspects of the adjacent types, and these are called our “wings”.

The ARROWS on the Enneagram diagram relate to how we respond when in a healthy space, and also how we react under stress. We may take on both healthy and unhealthy aspects of the types that are connected via the arrow lines to our core type.

Enneagram Coaching For Leaders and Teams

Books & resources

Keen to learn more about Enneagram? Whether you’re brand new to Enneagram, or a seasoned expert, these are some of my top picks to get you started.

Leadership Development

The 9 Types of Leadership

Renowned Enneagram expert Beatrice Chestnut has written a comprehensive account of the Enneagram in a leadership context. This book is an excellent tool for leaders, helping them get to know themselves in a deeper way so they can more effectively lead others, and model conscious behaviours to their team.

Enneagram in depth

The Wisdom of the Enneagram

Don Riso and Russ Hudson are widely respected Enneagram teachers. This book provides a comprehensive overview and deep dive into each of the nine Enneagram types, and sets out many tools and practical exercises for growth and transformation for each type. It’s an excellent resource for those wanting to go deeper on their Enneagram journey.

Relationships

The Path Between Us

This book from Suzanne Stabile on the nine Enneagram types and how they behave and experience relationships will guide readers into deeper insights about themselves, their types, and others’ personalities so that they can have healthier, more life-giving relationships.

Enneagram and leadership 

The most effective leaders lead from a place of authenticity and genuine self-awareness, accessing inner-strength, integrity and groundedness.

The Enneagram offers a road map to uncovering your natural leadership style, and brings into laser-sharp focus the key leadership development areas specific to you. Enneagram coaching provides a clear pathway to unlock tools and skills to become the best leader you can be.

Enneagram for teams

Healthy and high-performing teams depend largely on people understanding each other well. When this happens, both individuals and teams thrive.

Enneagram team coaching is an effective way to build stronger teams, increase collaboration, and empower individuals to increased levels of self-mastery, enhanced leadership skills, and improved team dynamics. It’s the best way to invest in your team. 

Enneagram coaching for individuals

The Enneagram offers a specific roadmap to becoming your best self, increasing your self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication skills, leadership skills, and ability to understand and relate to others.

It’s a tool that takes you to the depth of who you are, to access the strengths, talents and gifts that are yours to offer. Simply put, it helps you bring your best self to the world.

Enneagram coaching for individuals

The Enneagram offers a specific roadmap to becoming your best self, increasing your self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication skills, leadership skills, and ability to understand and relate to others.

It’s a tool that takes you to the depth of who you are, to access the strengths, talents and gifts that are yours to offer. Simply put, it helps you bring your best self to the world.

I Also Run Enneagram Workshops

I run a range of workshops, from introductory sessions through to day-long intensives. I create custom workshops for your team or group. I’d love you to join me!

What people are saying about the Enneagram

The Enneagram is a transformational tool that invites me to come home to a healthy me. Like many, I’ve tried personality typing in the past, felt the rush of excitement in discovering something new about myself and not long after moved on. Enneagram on the other hand a flexible, wise and dynamic tool. It’s both confronting and comforting, to see how I work and to know there is more beauty, wholeness and growth in the pipeline.

Petra Bagust

TV Presenter

Enneagram has been a transformative tool for our team at work in terms of understanding ourselves, what drives us as how we best work together. For me personally it has helped bring some great and humorous self-insight  – and has certainly made me more compassionate and gracious with others.”

Rachel was a joy to work with –  highly skilled, insightful and endearing. 

Nikki Denholm

Company Director

The Enneagram is one of the most incisive, challenging, effective and gentle approaches to personal transformation I’ve come across.

I can honestly say that I can separate my life into BE (before the Enneagram) and PE (post Enneagram)!

Shirley Pastiroff

Counsellor & Mindfulness Coach