"There is growing evidence that people who are above average regarding self-awareness are likely to be high performers, particularly with respect to leadership and management. The Enneagram is a sound, tried and true technique for enhancing one´s self-awareness."
Warner Burke, developer of NASA´s leadership development programmes, first Executive Director of the Organisation Development Network and Professor at Columbia University

• Introduction
• History of the Enneagram
• The Enneagram
• Centres of Intelligence
• Nine Personality Types of the Enneagram
• Wings, Stress and Security Points

Introduction

The Enneagram (pronounced as "any-uh-gram") is arguably the oldest human development and profiling system in the world. It is a powerful tool that promotes deep self-understanding and provides useful insights for self-development and growth. Widely used in the USA and other parts of the world in a variety of disciplines including psychotherapy, education, law, entertainment and sales, the Enneagram is increasingly used for business, both in training and organisational development programmes - in areas of communication, conflict prevention and resolution, coaching, leadership development and organisation culture changes.

History of the Enneagram

The exact origins of the Enneagram is unknown. What is known is that it dates back several thousands of years ago, and until the 1930s, Enneagram teachings were handed down the generations through oral traditions.

Various aspects of the Enneagram were first introduced to the modern world in early 1930s by Geroge Gurdjieff, a Russian teacher of esoteric knowledge and a contemporary of Freud. In the 1950s, Oscar Ichazo, a Bolivian, further refined and organised the Enneagram and made used of it to explain the human psyche in teachings and training. His student, Claudio Naranjo, a Chilean psychologist was responsible for bringing the Enneagram further into Western psychology by reframing its concepts in contemporary psychological language, further elaborating Ichazo´s explorations of the human personality.

Naranjo brought the Enneagram into Berkeley in the 1970s, where he taught it in his own self-development programme. From then on, the Enneagram has been used and increasingly taught in many parts of the world to spiritual, psychological, educational business and commercial audiences.

The Enneagram

Derived from the Greek words ennea (which means "nine") and gramma (which means diagram or something written), the Enneagram is represented by a circle with nine equidistant points on its circumference :

The nine points of the Enneagram represents nine basic personality styles and offers insights to nine unique ways in which people think, feel and behave. These personality types are universal, and are equally applicable to male and female – no type is inherently masculine or feminine.

Everyone one has a place on the Enneagram – and often, you may find a little of yourself in each of the nine types. However, one type should stand out as being closest to who you are, and that would represent your basic personality style.

The Enneagram Centres of Intelligence

The Enneagram divides the 9 personality types into 3 groups, which represents the 3 basic centres of intelligence :

• The Head or Intellectual Centre
• The Heart or Emotional Centre
• The Body/Gut or Physical Centre

Each centre corresponds to 3 Enneagram types and each of the Enneagram types reflect their dominant centre :

Characteristics of Head/Intellectually Centred Persons :

• Strong in thinking
• Natural tendency in any situation is to take in evidence, use logic and remain objective
• The brain acts as the control centre

Characteristics of Heart/Emotionally Centred Persons :

• Emotional beings
• Deal with people and functions at the feelings level
• Concerned with how others feel about them and the kind of image they project to others

Characteristics of Gut/Physically Centred Persons :

• Spontaneous - function usually through instincts and habits
• Tend to react to external stimulation without thinking through their heads or feeling with their heart

The Nine Types in Brief
Copyright 2008 The Enneagram Institute
All Rights Reserved

Type One : The Reformer
The principled, idealistic type. Ones are conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are teachers, crusaders, and advocates for change: always striving to improve things, but afraid of making a mistake. Well–organized, orderly, and fastidious, they try to maintain high standards, but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic. They typically have problems with resentment and impatience.

At their Best: wise, discerning, realistic, and noble. Can be morally heroic.

Type Two : The Helper
The caring, interpersonal type. Twos are empathetic, sincere, and warm–hearted. They are friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing, but can also be sentimental, flattering, and people-pleasing. They are well-meaning and driven to be close to others, but can slip into doing things for others in order to be needed. They typically have problems with possessiveness and with acknowledging their own needs.

At their Best: unselfish and altruistic, they have unconditional love for others.

Type Three : The Achiever
The adaptable, success-oriented type. Threes are self-assured, attractive, and charming. Ambitious, competent, and energetic, they can also be status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. They are diplomatic and poised, but can also be overly concerned with their image and what others think of them. They typically have problems with workaholism and competitiveness.

At their Best: self-accepting, authentic, everything they seem to be–role models who inspire others.

Type Four : The Individualist
The introspective, romantic type. Fours are self-aware, sensitive, and reserved. They are emotionally honest, creative, and personal, but can also be moody and self-conscious. Withholding themselves from others due to feeling vulnerable and defective, they can also feel disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living. They typically have problems with melancholy, self-indulgence, and self-pity.

At their Best: inspired and highly creative, they are able to renew themselves and transform their experiences.

Type Five : The Investigator
The perceptive, cerebral type. Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation.

At their Best: visionary pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in an entirely new way

Type Six : The Loyalist
The committed, security-oriented type. Sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious–running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant and rebellious. They typically have problems with self-doubt and suspicion.

At their Best: internally stable and self-reliant, courageously championing themselves and others.

Type Seven : The Enthusiast
The busy, productive type. Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness.

At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.

Type Eight : The Challenger
The powerful, aggressive type. Eights are self-confident, strong, and assertive. Protective, resourceful, straight-talking, and decisive, but can also be ego-centric and domineering. Eights feel they must control their environment, especially people, sometimes becoming confrontational and intimidating. Eights typically have problems with their tempers and with allowing themselves to be vulnerable.

At their Best: self-mastering, they use their strength to improve others' lives, becoming heroic, magnanimous, and inspiring.

Type Nine : The Peacemaker
The easy-going, self-effacing type. Nines are accepting, trusting, and stable. They are usually creative, optimistic, and supportive, but can also be too willing to go along with others to keep the peace. They want everything to go smoothly and be without conflict, but they can also tend to be complacent, simplifying problems and minimizing anything upsetting. They typically have problems with inertia and stubbornness.

At their Best: indomitable and all-embracing, they are able to bring people together and heal conflicts.

Copyright 2008 The Enneagram Institute
All Rights Reserved

Wings, Stress and Security Points

Wings
Over and above your basic personality style, the Enneagram also explains styles which are secondary to your basic personality through what is called the "wings". Wings are the Enneagram styles on either side of your basic personality style – it explains why you may display some of the characteristics of these styles in addition to your basic personality characteristics.

Wings do not fundamentally change your basic personality style – it complements it. It adds important and sometimes contradictory elements to your total personality. You may have one wing, both wings, or one wing stronger than the other or even no wings at all. Even people with identical Enneagram style and wing/wings may use their qualities differently – these are attributes that, at the end of the day, make you uniquely you.

Stress and Security Points

The Enneagram is a dynamic tool in that, in addition to wings, it also examines how each style reacts to situations of risk/stress and security. Situations of risk/stress invokes a sense of insecurity, and has a tendency to mobilise people for action. Inversely, a situation of security causes defences to be relaxed, guards to be let down.

According to the Enneagram, under stress or in a secured environment, each Enneagram style would move along the Enneagram as follows :

Movement under stress :

Movement when secure :

Movement under Stress
Stress refers to any form of pressure, mild or extreme, which can invoke any sense of insecurity.

For example, Nines move to Six under stress, which means that when faced with stress or situations of insecurity, Nines may begin to worry and behave like Sixes – paralysed by fear, focusing on worst-case scenarios. However, on the more resourceful side, Nines may become more insightful and purposeful – when they will take action in their own interest against the will of others rather than diverting or distracting their attention. The fear invoked may allow them to access the strengths of the Six in going full out when up against the odds.

Movement when Secure
Situations of security usually lead to relaxation of one´s defences. However, security may or may not be desirable – for some, when relaxed, demonstrates more negative characteristics while others thrive as they exhibit more positive qualities when secure.

For example, Sixes move to Nine when they are secure. Such situations allow for the Sixes to relax, unwind and relief themselves from the anxieties of imagining the worst. However, at the same time, some Sixes may exhibit more of the unresourceful sides of the Nines where they begin to lose interest and initiative, lose motivation and begin to adopt a "don´t care" attitude.