Overview of the Nine Enneagram Personality Types
The Enneagram Personality Approach is based on taking individual differences or personality into account and mapping out the basic motivations of each personality orientation. The nine personality types of the Enneagram are what we actually see in everyday business and organizational life. This system identifies the dynamics of personality with startling clarity, making applications precise and useful.
Type One: Reformers
Principled, purposeful, self-controlled & perfectionistic
The rational, orderly type. Dislike sloppiness and error, attracted to order and high standards for self and others.
Ones are concerned with maintaining quality and high standards. They focus on details and like to improve and streamline procedures. They are often good at coaching others on how to improve themselves, be more efficient, and do things correctly. Well-organized and orderly, they can also be overly critical of themselves and others. They dislike waste and sloppiness, but can deteriorate into micromanagement and constant, demoralizing criticism. At their best, they have good judgment, make wise decisions, and model ethical and responsible behavior.
Type Two: Mentors
Caring, generous, people-pleasing & intrusive
The helpful, interpersonal type. Dislike solitude and impersonal dealings, attracted to service and making personal connections.
Twos are sensitive to the needs of others and seek to be of service. They appreciate the talents of others and act as confidants and guides, good at networking people and services. However, they typically have trouble saying no to requests and tend to become stressed by trying to help others too much. They dislike impersonal rules and work situations and can deteriorate into favoritism and time-wasting personal over-involvements. At their best, they are empathetic and generous and help build team interpersonal connections.
Type Three: Achievers
Adaptable, self-developing, efficient & image-conscious
Ambitious, focused, excelling, driven. Dislike ineffectiveness and lack of ambition, attracted to success and recognition.
Threes know how to work efficiently to get the job done according to customer expectations. Often attractive, charming, and energetic, they are conscious of the image they project of themselves as well as of their team and company. They like getting recognition and are attracted to success and positions of prestige. They can be competitive and workaholic, driven by the need for status and personal advancement, deteriorating into cutting corners to stay ahead. At their best, they are accomplished and admirable, often seen as inspiring role models by others.
Type Four: Designers
Intuitive, expressive, individualistic & temperamental
Artistic, dramatic, and self-absorbed. Dislike uniformity and regulation, attracted to creativity and putting their personal mark on things
Fours deliver personalized service and/or develop distinctive products known for their refinement and sense of style. They can be uncompromising in their pursuit of the right effect, word, or design and of gauging the personal impact of a product. They dislike tasks that they feel are not creative or give them room for their personal imprint. They may be hypersensitive to criticism and can deteriorate into moodiness and erratic work habits. At their best, they bring intuition and creativity into the workplace and enrich it with their sense of depth, style, and appreciation of the personal dimension.
Type Five: Investigators
Perceptive, innovative, secretive & detached
Curious, provocative, and eccentric. Dislike intrusions on their time and space, attracted to depth and learning.
Fives are tireless learners and experimenters, especially in specialized or technical matters. They like to understand in detail, spend time on research, and follow their curiosity wherever it leads. They are highly analytical and preoccupied with discovery, not paying attention to project time constraints and relationships. They can deteriorate into arrogance and noncommunication, intellectual bickering and one-upsmanship. At their best, Fives are visionary pioneers, bringing strikingly new ideas and profound depth to their work.
Type Six: Troubleshooters
Committed, responsible, anxious & suspicious
Engaging, loyal, and likeable. Dislike unpredictability and rapid change, attracted to clear structures and foresight.
Sixes are diligent and reliable workers. They build alliances and partnerships that help orient their co-workers and get things done. They are able to assess the motivations and relative merits of others and scan the business environment for potential problems. They dislike taking risks and want consensus and predictability. They can be indecisive and have difficulty taking responsibility or action without group authority and can deteriorate into evasiveness and blaming others. At their best, Sixes are self-reliant, independent, and courageous, often calling a group back to its root values.
Type Seven: Enthusiasts
Spontaneous, versatile, talkative & scattered
Accomplished, upbeat, and impulsive. Dislike limitations and routines, attracted to new possibilities and excitement.
Sevens thrive on change, variety, excitement, and innovation. Often articulate and humorous, they are able to get others to support their ideas. They are in touch with the latest trends and are constantly looking for new possibilities and options. They are natural multi-taskers but can also get overextended and lack follow-through. They can deteriorate into endless talk and distractions, scattering their energy and talents and leaving many projects unfinished. At their best, Sevens focus on worthwhile goals and become highly productive and accomplished.
Type Eight: Challengers
Self-confident, decisive, willful & confrontational
Powerful, commanding, and hard-driving. Dislike indecisiveness and indirectness, attracted to strength and strategic action.
Eights have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish and the willpower to make it happen. They make difficult decisions and see serious problems simply as challenges to be met, obstacles to be overcome. They want to be in control and find it difficult to delegate tasks or share leadership. They champion people, protecting and empowering them, but also can deteriorate into intimidation to get their way, making unnecessary enemies both within and outside the organization. At their best, they are magnanimous and generous, using their strength to improve others' lives.
Type Nine: Peacemakers
Calm, reassuring, agreeable & complacent
Easygoing, accommodating, and receptive. Dislike tension and conflict, attracted to harmony and stability.
Nines create harmony among group members by emphasizing the positive so that conflicts and tensions can be eased. They are supportive and inclusive and work with everyone, humbly allowing others to shine. They dislike conflict and division in the team and try to create harmony and stability. But, they may accommodate others and avoid self-assertion too much, becoming secretly angry as a result. They can deteriorate into ineffectual "make-work," stubborn passivity, and serious neglect. At their best, they are able to negotiate differences and bring people together in a stable but dynamic way.
Guidelines
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The types are value-neutral: no type is inherently better or worse than any other type. Each type has assets and liabilities, qualities useful to an organization and qualities that impede harmony, communication, and growth.
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Descriptions of the types are gender-neutral, applying equally to males and females. They are also universal and cross-cultural and are currently being taught and worked with around the world.
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People do not change their basic personality type, although there is a wide spectrum of behaviors and motivations within each type which we call the "Levels of Development" (see below).
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Not everything in the description of your basic type will apply to you all the time because you fluctuate through various healthy, average, and unhealthy Levels within your type.
For More Information
See the Practical Applications Section.
Links to the Other Business Pages:
- Page 1 The Enneagram in Business
- Page 2 Introduction, The 9 Types, Guidelines
- Page 3 Business FAQs
- Page 4 The Personality Grid, Interpersonal Grid, Disruptive Grid
- Page 5 Enneagram with Types, Dysfunctional Workplace, Levels
- Page 6 Usefulness in Workplace, Programs & Consulting Group
- Page 7 The Nine Domains Approach
For additional information, availability, and fees, contact The Enneagram Institutesm.
* The Personality Grid, The Enneagram Institute Consulting Group, and The Insight Approach are Service Marks of The Enneagram Institute.
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