The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Through the Lens of Your Enneagram Type

Understanding the interplay between your Enneagram type and The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership can be a game-changer in your journey towards becoming a more effective and conscious leader. Each Enneagram type tends to find certain commitments more challenging than others.

‍What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a powerful and nuanced tool for self-awareness and transformation. It categorizes personalities into nine types, offering insights into our core motivations and fears. These in turn impact how we lead and collaborate.

Understanding your Enneagram type can help you navigate The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. This guide sheds light on the commitments that might be more challenging for each type and offers targeted resources for overcoming these hurdles.  Focus on your type’s these commitments to support you in living and leading above the line.

Download a PDF version of this guide‍

Type 1 – The Reformer
The Type One is on a journey to move from judgment to acceptance. Commitments that may be particularly challenging include:

Commitment 2: Be curious when you want to be rightCommitment #2 Meditation – This meditation supports you in letting go of being right, and embracing the idea of curiosity.
Read: What could possibly be better than being right?
Commitment 3: Feel feelings (especially anger)Watch co-founder Diana Chapman model some ways of expressing anger
Read: What Does it Look Like to Feel Emotions Consciously?‍
Commitment 7: Appreciate the way things are now before reforming4A Meditation: Acknowledge, Allow, Accept, and Appreciate – Our co-founder Jim Dethmer leads a meditation to help you come all the way to appreciating a difficult situation
Turning Your Resentment Into Appreciation – Watch a real-life coaching session on shifting to appreciation
Commitment 9: Rest and play more! Take our workaholism quiz to get honest with yourself
Read: When F*cked is Funny: Humor as a Shift Move

Type 2 – The Giver
The Type Two is on a journey from pride (I don’t have needs) to humility. Key commitments include:

Commitment 1: Take only 100% responsibility some textRead: What’s in Your Control? (And What Isn’t)
Read: Going Deeper with The 15 Commitments: Conscious Leaders Embrace Discomfort to learn more about where your tendencies to jump in and save might be coming from (and what to do instead)

Commitment 4:  Reveal your needs and wants some textPractice speaking unarguably (revealing physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts) to make this simpler and smoother
Watch our co-founder Jim Dethmer offer a short coaching session on how to shift an issue by revealing.

Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the insideThis Identify the Threat worksheet will help you see from where you are sourcing security, approval and control.
Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 14: Creating a win-for-all means there must be a win-for-youRead: 5 Steps to Create Win-For-All Solutions (step one: be radically selfish!)
Use The Art of Whole Body Visioning to get clear on what a win-for-you looks like (there’s a guided audio included also)

Type 3 – The Achiever
The Type Three is on a journey from vanity (image) to authenticity. Essential commitments involve:

Commitment 3: Feel your feelings, especially your sadnessRead: Why Growing Companies Need to Grieve
Learn how to connect the dots between your grief and your impact

Commitment 4:  Reveal your authentic thoughts and feelings versus concealing themGet the basics, fast by watching: Candor: Are You Revealing or Concealing?
Deepen with a short meditation about candor. “I commit to saying what is true for me.”
Commitment 9:  Value rest and play as you achieve some textTake our workaholism quiz to get honest with yourself
Read: The Art of Stop: A Lesson in Conscious Leadership from one of San Francisco’s Finest

Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the insideThis Identify the Threat worksheet will help you see from where you are sourcing security, approval and control.
Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.

Type 4 – The Individualist
The Type Four is on a journey from envy (longing for what’s missing) to equanimity (knowing what is here is sufficient and being balanced with emotions). Commitments that may be particularly challenging include:

Commitment 1: Take 100% responsibility for your circumstances without blaming yourself or othersWatch: Are You Taking 100% Responsibility?
Use this handout to learn how you are the creator of your experience (in a playful way).
Commitment 8: Work in your Zone of Genius some textRead: Living in Your Genius: The First Question You Need to Ask
Committing to your zone of genius is a courageous act. Watch this video to learn why, and what it takes to make the commitment.
Commitment 9: Value not taking things too seriouslyPlay a quick game about taking things seriously.
Read: From a Distance, Nothing is Serious
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside some textThis Identify the Threat worksheet will help you see from where you are sourcing security, approval and control.
Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Type 5 – The Observer
The Type Five is moving from avarice (beliefs in scarcity) to non-attachment. Key commitments include:

Commitment 3: Feel your feelingsListen to this guided meditation to be more aware of your feelings in the moment and feel them to completion.
Read: The Cognitive Emotive Loop: What it is, Why it Keeps you Stuck, and How to Break Free
Commitment 4:  Reveal yourself and let others know what you think and feel personally some textGet the basics, fast by watching: Candor: Are You Revealing or Concealing?
Practice speaking unarguably (revealing physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts) to make this simpler and smoother
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the insideWatch this video to understand the concept, costs, and benefits.
Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 12: Experience that you have enough of everythingTake our Scarcity Inventory to explore the areas in your life where you believe you do not have enough.
Listen to this meditation for a path to a direct experience that you have enough of everything.

Type 6 – The Loyal Skeptic
The Type Six is on a journey from anxiety to courage. Important commitments for them may be:

Commitment 9: When things seem serious, find a way to play with itPlay a quick game about taking things seriously.
Read: From a Distance, Nothing is Serious
Commitment 10: When skeptical, see how the opposite of your story is at least as trueThis meditation guides you through the work of Byron Katie and supports you in releasing your judgments as true.
Follow these simple steps to investigate your beliefs and free your mind (Instructions for Doing “The Work” of Byron Katie).
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the insideWatch this video to understand the concept, costs, and benefits.
Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 13: Practice seeing everyone and everything as an allyIn this meditation our co-founder Jim Dethmer guides you to see how all of life is an ally and for you.
Watch an example of how to discover how something “negative” can be an ally.

Type 7 – The Enthusiast
The Type Seven is on a journey from seeking endless new experiences to finding fulfillment in the present moment. For Sevens, crucial commitments likely involve:

Commitment 3: Feel your feelings, especially fear and other uncomfortable onesListen to this guided meditation about feeling your fear
Read a simple process of noticing and being with fear.
Commitment 6:  Only make agreements that you have a Whole Body Yes toListen to this Whole Body Yes meditation and/or visualization
Learn to make impeccable agreements.
Commitment 8:  Work in your Zone of Genius some textRead: Living in Your Genius: The First Question You Need to Ask
Committing to your zone of genius is a courageous act. Watch this video to learn why, and what it takes to make the commitment.
Commitment 12: Experience that you have enough of everything, nowTake our Scarcity Inventory to explore the areas in your life where you believe you do not have enough.
Listen to this meditation for a path to a direct experience that you have enough of everything.

Type 8 – The Challenger
The Type Eight is on a journey from a need for control and intensity to embracing vulnerability and gentleness. Important commitments for them may be:

Commitment 3  Feel your feelings, especially the vulnerable ones like hurt and fearsome textListen to this guided meditation about feeling your fear
Read: What Does it Look Like to Feel Emotions Consciously?
Commitment 10: See how the opposite of your story is at least as trueThis meditation guides you through the work of Byron Katie and supports you in releasing your judgments as true.
Follow these simple steps to investigate your beliefs and free your mind (Instructions for Doing “The Work” of Byron Katie).
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the insideWatch this video to understand the concept, costs, and benefits.
Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 13: See that all people and circumstance are your alliesIn this meditation our co-founder Jim Dethmer guides you to see how all of life is an ally and for you.
Watch an example of how to discover how something “negative” can be an ally.

Type 9 – The Mediator
The Type Nine are on a journey from avoiding conflict to asserting their own voice. Key commitments for Nines include:

Commitment 3: Commit to feeling your feelings, especially your anger.Watch co-founder Diana Chapman model some ways of expressing anger
Read: What Does it Look Like to Feel Emotions Consciously?
Commitment 4:  Reveal your needs and wants, even if it might cause conflictGet the basics, fast by watching: Candor: Are You Revealing or Concealing?
Watch our co-founder Jim Dethmer offer a short coaching session on how to shift an issue by revealing.
Commitment 8:  Express your full magnificence some textRead: Living in Your Genius: The First Question You Need to Ask
Committing to your zone of genius is a courageous act. Watch this video to learn why, and what it takes to make the commitment.
Commitment 9:  Remember to play with what seems seriousPlay a quick game about taking things seriously.
Read: From a Distance, Nothing is Serious
Download a PDF version of this guide
‍‍
Ready to Grow?
In exploring these potential blind spots, remember to approach yourself with acceptance and curiosity. Start small, choose one commitment to focus on over the coming weeks, and use the linked resources to help you practice.

If you’re looking for more support, we’re here for you.

Quotes for Each of the 9 Enneagram Types

As humans, we love to classify things; it’s our way of understanding the world in manageable pieces. When it comes to people, we really love to categorize individuals into personality types so that we can better understand how they tick and how to interact with them.

Hence, the Enneagram personality model, which was introduced to the modern world by philosopher and teacher George Gurdjieff in 1915. (Its roots date back even earlier, though the exact origins are disputed.)

The term “Enneagram” stems from the Greek words ennéa, meaning “nine,” and grámma, meaning “written” or “drawn.” The model is based around a collection of nine different but interconnected personality types. The Enneagram theory discerns between a “healthy” and “unhealthy” version of each type, with a wide spectrum in between offering a path to self-improvement.

In modern times, the Enneagram is often used in business, leadership, and spiritual settings to help people gain a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. Generally speaking, though, it is not widely accepted as an actual scientific “diagnosis.” Rather, it’s a self-help tool that can be used as a jumping-off point for exploration, inspiring us to think more deeply about ourselves and our relationships with others.

Though many different names are attributed to each of the nine personality types, for purposes of consistency, we will use the names given to each type by The Enneagram Institute: The Reformer, The Helper, The Achiever, The Individualist, The Investigator, The Loyalist, The Enthusiast, The Challenger, and The Peacemaker. Below, we’ve compiled some meaningful quotes that touch upon key traits for each type.

 

TYPE ONE: THE REFORMER

The most dangerous way we sabotage ourselves is by waiting for the perfect moment to begin. Nothing works perfectly the first time, or the first 50 times. Everything has a learning curve. The beginning is just that — a beginning. Surrender your desire to do it flawlessly on the first try. It’s not possible. Learn to learn. Learn to fail. Learn to learn from failing. And begin today. Begin now. Stop waiting.

Vironika Tugaleva

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Enneagram Type 1 is perhaps also known as “the Perfectionist.” Those who fall into this Enneagram type tend to have lofty goals and strict moral codes that help guide their decision-making and ambitions. They also often have a deep sense of moral obligation to be the best person they can be in order to serve others — For instance, examples of well-known Enneagram Type 1s include Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Michelle Obama.

An issue many Type 1s face is being their own worst critic and constantly trying to be seen as the responsible or reliable one of a group, even as they have roiling emotions and passions they’re trying to tamp down. One important thing for Type 1s to remember, then, is that not everything has to be perfect all the time, and it’s OK to allow room for mistakes and setbacks.

 

TYPE TWO: THE HELPER

Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.

Albert Einstein

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When it comes to Enneagram Type 2s, life begins and ends with love: love for family, for friends, and for strangers. Compassion and generosity are at the root of a Type 2’s decision-making, and help guide the relationships they build throughout their lives. A Type 2 thrives when serving others, with the tiny caveat that they oftentimes want others to acknowledge their selflessness, too.

Enneagram Type 2 individuals are warm in part because they care a lot about people, and in part because they crave the feeling of being needed; their sense of self is very much tied to others’ gratitude and approval. Famous individuals who are Enneagram Type 2s include Stevie Wonder, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Desmond Tutu.

 

TYPE THREE: THE ACHIEVER

Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.

Seth Godin

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There is no task too large for the Enneagram Type 3. Individuals who identify most strongly with this type tend to be goal-oriented, charismatic, driven, and accomplished from an early age. They often have magnetic personalities and lean heavily on others’ perceptions of them as role models to dictate who they want to be. As a result, however, they can get lost in a blur of constant doing instead of just being.

Enneagram Type 3s are sometimes characterized as workaholics or overachievers who want to impress their peers, even at the expense of their own health and well-being. Examples of famous Type 3s include Truman Capote, Will Smith, and Ryan Seacrest, all of whom were/are known for their busy social calendars and many achievements.

 

TYPE FOUR: THE INDIVIDUALIST

Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Rainer Maria Rilke

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Those who identify with Enneagram Type 4, otherwise known as “the Romantic,” are creative spirits to the bone. They are highly sensitive, self-aware, and emotionally honest, sometimes to a fault — a problem some Enneagram Type 4 individuals have is wallowing in self pity or constantly feeling like an outsider looking in.

But it should be noted that Enneagram Type 4s’ individuality is also their biggest asset: They love being surrounded by beautiful things, and very much prize creation over consumption. Case in point: Famous Enneagram Type 4s include Stevie Nicks, Miles Davis, Virginia Wolfe, and Frida Kahlo. Type 4s are also particularly well-equipped to handle grief, which makes sense, given how much creativity can arise from sadness.

 

TYPE FIVE: THE INVESTIGATOR

Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.

Susan Sontag

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Of the nine Enneagram types, those who are Type 5 are perhaps most driven by the pursuit of knowledge. Individuals who most strongly identify with this type aren’t satisfied with the status quo, and always want to know why something is the way it is, digging deep into the scaffolding of society to find answers for their many questions.

Type 5s are innovative and have the potential to be true visionaries — famous individuals include Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, Mark Zuckerberg, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The proclivity for eccentricity runs so rampant among Type 5s, in fact, that they often reject easy answers to their queries, preferring to be challenged intellectually with more complex solutions. As a result, they are insatiably curious, and spend much of their life gathering knowledge.

 

TYPE SIX: THE LOYALIST

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

Oprah Winfrey

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Enneagram Type 6 individuals are all about planning ahead, especially when it comes to social situations. Alert, perceptive, and responsible, Type 6s want to do the most to avoid being caught off-guard, and this includes surrounding themselves with loyal, loving friends and family.

Safety and security are huge motivators for those who are a Type 6, and this manifests itself in a certain kind of “hunkering down” when it comes to ideas, lifestyle choices, and beliefs. Well-known Type 6s include Spike Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Aniston, and Mike Tyson. Type 6’s relationships very much revolve around trust and guidance, but once earned, that individual will be a loyal friend for life.

 

TYPE SEVEN: THE ENTHUSIAST

The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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There is so much to love about life when you’re an Enneagram Type 7. Ruled by optimism, ideas, and spontaneity, Type 7s are very carpe diem about the brief time we all have on this earth, and they want to maximize their experiences in every sense of the word.

Type 7s are impulsive and enthusiastic, and their excitement for life is infectious. They feel most alive when they’re in pursuit of a new idea or spearheading a new project, but as a result, they often need constant mental stimulation, and the less endearing reality is that their pursuit of novelty may be an exhausting, never-ending one. Famous Type 7s include Joe Biden, Britney Spears, Robin Williams, and Amelia Earhart.

 

TYPE EIGHT: THE CHALLENGER

With confidence, you have won before you have started.

Marcus Garvey

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If Enneagram Type 8 individuals were a horoscope sign, they would undoubtedly be Leos: confident, assertive, and fierce. Those who identify most with Type 8 are natural leaders, and are unafraid to speak their mind in defense of their beliefs. They are protective of those closest to them as well, and prize independence and endurance.

With their natural leadership skills, Enneagram Type 8s are able to influence others easily, and often choose careers as politicians, lawyers, public speakers, and other forms of changemakers. Kamala Harris, Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, and Clint Eastwood are all Type 8s. One of Type 8’s weaknesses, however, is never wanting to show weakness or vulnerability, which can ultimately lead to feelings of frustration and being misunderstood.

 

TYPE NINE: THE PEACEMAKER

Don’t hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.

Epictetus

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Of all the nine Enneagram types, Type 9 individuals are perhaps the most spiritual. Driven by peace — both within themselves and with those around them — Type 9s are averse to conflict and therefore have a more go-with-the-flow attitude. This is not to say, however, that Type 9s are pushovers. They can also be very stubborn, and will push back if provoked, though oftentimes in a passive-aggressive manner.

Individuals who identify with this type make great mediators, but often have to work to prioritize their own boundaries and beliefs over stronger personality types. Famous Type 9s include Carl Jung, Audrey Hepburn, and Gloria Steinem.

About the Author
Joyce Chen
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

 

Quotes for Each of the 9 Enneagram Types

As humans, we love to classify things; it’s our way of understanding the world in manageable pieces. When it comes to people, we really love to categorize individuals into personality types so that we can better understand how they tick and how to interact with them.

Hence, the Enneagram personality model, which was introduced to the modern world by philosopher and teacher George Gurdjieff in 1915. (Its roots date back even earlier, though the exact origins are disputed.)

The term “Enneagram” stems from the Greek words ennéa, meaning “nine,” and grámma, meaning “written” or “drawn.” The model is based around a collection of nine different but interconnected personality types. The Enneagram theory discerns between a “healthy” and “unhealthy” version of each type, with a wide spectrum in between offering a path to self-improvement.

In modern times, the Enneagram is often used in business, leadership, and spiritual settings to help people gain a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. Generally speaking, though, it is not widely accepted as an actual scientific “diagnosis.” Rather, it’s a self-help tool that can be used as a jumping-off point for exploration, inspiring us to think more deeply about ourselves and our relationships with others.

Though many different names are attributed to each of the nine personality types, for purposes of consistency, we will use the names given to each type by The Enneagram Institute: The Reformer, The Helper, The Achiever, The Individualist, The Investigator, The Loyalist, The Enthusiast, The Challenger, and The Peacemaker. Below, we’ve compiled some meaningful quotes that touch upon key traits for each type.

 

TYPE ONE: THE REFORMER

The most dangerous way we sabotage ourselves is by waiting for the perfect moment to begin. Nothing works perfectly the first time, or the first 50 times. Everything has a learning curve. The beginning is just that — a beginning. Surrender your desire to do it flawlessly on the first try. It’s not possible. Learn to learn. Learn to fail. Learn to learn from failing. And begin today. Begin now. Stop waiting.

Enneagram Type 1 is perhaps also known as “the Perfectionist.” Those who fall into this Enneagram type tend to have lofty goals and strict moral codes that help guide their decision-making and ambitions. They also often have a deep sense of moral obligation to be the best person they can be in order to serve others — For instance, examples of well-known Enneagram Type 1s include Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Michelle Obama.

An issue many Type 1s face is being their own worst critic and constantly trying to be seen as the responsible or reliable one of a group, even as they have roiling emotions and passions they’re trying to tamp down. One important thing for Type 1s to remember, then, is that not everything has to be perfect all the time, and it’s OK to allow room for mistakes and setbacks.

 

TYPE TWO: THE HELPER

Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.

Albert Einstein

When it comes to Enneagram Type 2s, life begins and ends with love: love for family, for friends, and for strangers. Compassion and generosity are at the root of a Type 2’s decision-making, and help guide the relationships they build throughout their lives. A Type 2 thrives when serving others, with the tiny caveat that they oftentimes want others to acknowledge their selflessness, too.

Enneagram Type 2 individuals are warm in part because they care a lot about people, and in part because they crave the feeling of being needed; their sense of self is very much tied to others’ gratitude and approval. Famous individuals who are Enneagram Type 2s include Stevie Wonder, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Desmond Tutu.

 

TYPE THREE: THE ACHIEVER

Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.

Seth Godin

There is no task too large for the Enneagram Type 3. Individuals who identify most strongly with this type tend to be goal-oriented, charismatic, driven, and accomplished from an early age. They often have magnetic personalities and lean heavily on others’ perceptions of them as role models to dictate who they want to be. As a result, however, they can get lost in a blur of constant doing instead of just being.

Enneagram Type 3s are sometimes characterized as workaholics or overachievers who want to impress their peers, even at the expense of their own health and well-being. Examples of famous Type 3s include Truman Capote, Will Smith, and Ryan Seacrest, all of whom were/are known for their busy social calendars and many achievements.

 

TYPE FOUR: THE INDIVIDUALIST

Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Those who identify with Enneagram Type 4, otherwise known as “the Romantic,” are creative spirits to the bone. They are highly sensitive, self-aware, and emotionally honest, sometimes to a fault — a problem some Enneagram Type 4 individuals have is wallowing in self pity or constantly feeling like an outsider looking in.

But it should be noted that Enneagram Type 4s’ individuality is also their biggest asset: They love being surrounded by beautiful things, and very much prize creation over consumption. Case in point: Famous Enneagram Type 4s include Stevie Nicks, Miles Davis, Virginia Wolfe, and Frida Kahlo. Type 4s are also particularly well-equipped to handle grief, which makes sense, given how much creativity can arise from sadness.

 

TYPE FIVE: THE INVESTIGATOR

Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.

Susan Sontag

Of the nine Enneagram types, those who are Type 5 are perhaps most driven by the pursuit of knowledge. Individuals who most strongly identify with this type aren’t satisfied with the status quo, and always want to know why something is the way it is, digging deep into the scaffolding of society to find answers for their many questions.

Type 5s are innovative and have the potential to be true visionaries — famous individuals include Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, Mark Zuckerberg, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The proclivity for eccentricity runs so rampant among Type 5s, in fact, that they often reject easy answers to their queries, preferring to be challenged intellectually with more complex solutions. As a result, they are insatiably curious, and spend much of their life gathering knowledge.

 

TYPE SIX: THE LOYALIST

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

Oprah Winfrey

Enneagram Type 6 individuals are all about planning ahead, especially when it comes to social situations. Alert, perceptive, and responsible, Type 6s want to do the most to avoid being caught off-guard, and this includes surrounding themselves with loyal, loving friends and family.

Safety and security are huge motivators for those who are a Type 6, and this manifests itself in a certain kind of “hunkering down” when it comes to ideas, lifestyle choices, and beliefs. Well-known Type 6s include Spike Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Aniston, and Mike Tyson. Type 6’s relationships very much revolve around trust and guidance, but once earned, that individual will be a loyal friend for life.

 

TYPE SEVEN: THE ENTHUSIAST

The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.

Eleanor Roosevelt

There is so much to love about life when you’re an Enneagram Type 7. Ruled by optimism, ideas, and spontaneity, Type 7s are very carpe diem about the brief time we all have on this earth, and they want to maximize their experiences in every sense of the word.

Type 7s are impulsive and enthusiastic, and their excitement for life is infectious. They feel most alive when they’re in pursuit of a new idea or spearheading a new project, but as a result, they often need constant mental stimulation, and the less endearing reality is that their pursuit of novelty may be an exhausting, never-ending one. Famous Type 7s include Joe Biden, Britney Spears, Robin Williams, and Amelia Earhart.

 

TYPE EIGHT: THE CHALLENGER

With confidence, you have won before you have started.

Marcus Garvey

If Enneagram Type 8 individuals were a horoscope sign, they would undoubtedly be Leos: confident, assertive, and fierce. Those who identify most with Type 8 are natural leaders, and are unafraid to speak their mind in defense of their beliefs. They are protective of those closest to them as well, and prize independence and endurance.

With their natural leadership skills, Enneagram Type 8s are able to influence others easily, and often choose careers as politicians, lawyers, public speakers, and other forms of changemakers. Kamala Harris, Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, and Clint Eastwood are all Type 8s. One of Type 8’s weaknesses, however, is never wanting to show weakness or vulnerability, which can ultimately lead to feelings of frustration and being misunderstood.

 

TYPE NINE: THE PEACEMAKER

Don’t hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.

Epictetus

Of all the nine Enneagram types, Type 9 individuals are perhaps the most spiritual. Driven by peace — both within themselves and with those around them — Type 9s are averse to conflict and therefore have a more go-with-the-flow attitude. This is not to say, however, that Type 9s are pushovers. They can also be very stubborn, and will push back if provoked, though oftentimes in a passive-aggressive manner.

Individuals who identify with this type make great mediators, but often have to work to prioritize their own boundaries and beliefs over stronger personality types. Famous Type 9s include Carl Jung, Audrey Hepburn, and Gloria Steinem.

https://www.inspiringquotes.com/quotes-for-each-of-the-9-enneagram-types/YQrGnlWlGwAHCGVq?liu=731d208355fed534fc90b40dec452a8b&utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2068465944

Songs for each Enneagram point

One | ‘Tis the Gift to be Simple (Shaker song by Joseph Brackett)
‘Tis the gift to be simple
‘Tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
It will be in the valley of love and delight

 

Two | People Who Need People (Barbra Streisand)
People
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world,
We’re children, needing other children
And yet letting our grown-up pride
Hide all the need inside,
Acting more like children
Than children.

Three | You’re So Vain (Carly Simon)
You walked into the party
Like you were walking on a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf, it was apricot
You had one eye on the mirror
And watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they’d be your partner
They’d be your partner, and

You’re so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You’re so vain,
I’ll bet you think this song is about you
Don’t you?
Don’t you?

Four | Anything for You (Gloria Estefan)
Anything for you
Though you’re not here
Since you said we’re through
It seems like years
Time keeps dragging on and on
And forever’s been and gone
Still I can’t figure what went wrong

Five | If  You could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot)
If you could read my mind love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
About a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free
As long as I’m a ghost you can see

Six | Devoted to You (Everly Brothers)
Darlin’, you can count on me
Till the sun dries up the sea
Until then I’ll always be devoted to you

I’ll be yours through endless time
I’ll adore your charms sublime
Guess by now you know that I’m devoted to you

I’ll never hurt you, I’ll never lie
I’ll never be untrue
I’ll never give you reason to cry
I’d be unhappy if you were blue

Seven | Happy Talk (Rodgers and Hammerstein from South Pacific)
Happy talk, keep talkin’ happy talk
Talk about things you’d like to do.
You gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream,
How you gonna have a dream come true?

Eight | If I Were King of the Forest (Arlen and Harburg from The Wizard of Oz)
If I Were King Of The Forest not queen, not duke, not prince.
My regal robes of the forest would be satin, not cotton, not chintz.

I’d command each thing, be it fish or fowl,
with a woof and a woof, and a royal growl.
As I’d click my heel all the trees would kneel
and the mountains bow and the bulls kowtow
And the sparrows would take wing, if I were king.

Nine | Watching the River Run (Loggins and Messina)
If you’ve been thinkin’ you were all that you’ve got
Then don’t feel alone anymore
‘Cause when we’re together then you’ve got a lot
‘Cause I am the river and you are the shore

And it goes on and on, watching the river run
Further and further from things that we’ve done
Leaving them one by one
And we have just begun, watching the river run
Listening and learning and yearning to run, river, run

Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, the author of six best-selling Enneagram-business books, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs for professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications, and is past-president of the International Enneagram Association. Visit her website: TheEnneagramInBusiness.comginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com

Foundation of Enneagram – R Hudson & J Dibbs

Here are just a few highlights from this insightful audio session with Russ:

  • (6:30) — Meaning of Enneagram Symbol
  • (7:57) — Russ’ introduction to the Enneagram
  • (12:32) — Mystical traditions from around the world
  • (15:28) — The Law of 3
  • (16:00) — Systems of 9
  • (19:50) — Desert Fathers and ancient Egypt
  • (21:47) — Meditation and art of presence
  • (22:51) — The Passions
  • (25:20) — The synthesis of the modern Enneagram

https://youtu.be/MowhgwPPXh4

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Enneagram: Moving Up the Levels of Development

 

 

Enneagram Levels of Development

In my early Enneagram training with Don Riso and Russ Hudson, I learned about Levels of Development within each of the nine Enneagram types. The discovery of the Levels was one of Don’s major contributions to Enneagram theory. Although he named this teaching the Levels of Development, later he agreed that it more accurately describes Levels of Functioning. Descending from Healthy to Average to Unhealthy attitudes and behavior, each Level is characterized by the degree to which a person is aligned with Presence.

Enneagram: Levels of Functioning and the Anchor Point

Enneagram LevelsLevel One at the top of the list is the Level of Spiritual Liberation, in which a person is fully identified as Presence and is no longer bound by ego. Level Nine, the lowest, is the state in which a person is most constricted and least in contact with Presence. Within the Levels each person has an anchor point, the set point to which the ego returns after the fluctuations of everyday living.  Driven by our Basic Fears, the anchor point progressively descends to the lower levels of functioning. The lower the anchor point, the more we are caught in the fixation of our type. By doing our inner work and learning to contact Presence, we move the anchor point to higher levels of functioning.

The model of Levels of Functioning describes how the ego is driven down the levels because of Fears and Desires. However, by definition, development involves addressing the tasks of one stage then moving to the next stage, building on the strength and skills already attained.  Think of the developmental stages in infancy and early childhood. Development, then, implies moving up the Levels, beginning at the lowest level in infancy. In my opinion, the movement up the levels proceeds naturally to about Level Five – if the child receives good parenting and is not subjected to trauma. We might call Level Five “normal” in terms of ego development.

What Normal Means

Enneagram bell curveNormal falls in the center of a bell-shaped curve that marks the levels of development. A bell-shaped curve is a statistical image used to convey the probability of distribution of a characteristic. If Level Five is a normal placement for the anchor point (that is, the level at which most people function most of the time, returning to that level again and again as they adjust to the daily events of their lives), then having an anchor point at either Levels Four or Six would represent one standard deviation from the midpoint of normal.

Statistically, based on the bell-shaped curve, we would expect 68% of the population to have their anchor point at Levels Four, Five or Six. Add another standard deviation in each direction away from the midpoint at Level Five and we include Levels Seven and Three. This accounts for 95% of the population. The remaining 5% would be distributed at either tail of the curve, so Levels Two and One account for half of that, or 2.5%, while Levels Eight and Nine account for the other half or the remaining 2.5%

Enneagram and Early Levels of Development

The developmental model of the Levels in the Enneagram begins with infancy.

Level Nine

In my model, using a developmental perspective with the Levels within the Enneagram, everyone begins life at Level Nine. In early infancy babies are totally out of touch with collective reality. They are completely engrossed in their inner experience, mostly with primal somatic sensations like hunger and satiety, warmth and cold, wet and dry.

Infants are completely helpless and dependent upon others for the care they need to survive. They are absorbed in finding comfort and pleasure, and in relieving discomfort. Despite their delightful innocence and sweetness, babies are demanding and without refined emotions such as empathy. They have no compassionate consideration of how Mommy is feeling or a willingness to postpone the satisfaction of their own needs in deference to others.

In short, infants behave very much like people with severe psychosis or autism. This is completely normal for an infant. For an adult, this is extremely unhealthy and is descriptive of severe psychopathology, autism, and developmental disabilities.

Level Eight

At Level Eight, from a developmental perspective, very young children begin to differentiate self from other. Initially the behavior at this level is repetitive and ritualized. Who hasn’t played the same game over and over to a toddler’s complete delight? In adults this would be considered compulsive behavior, but developmentally it functions as the means for learning through repetition. This is also the stage of delusion or magical thinking and in young children it is endearing. We encourage it in the form of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and talking animals. In adults, however, delusional thinking and compulsive behavior is characteristic of significant anxiety and addiction. As unhealthy adult behavior, it is dysfunctional and usually destructive to the individual and to others.

Level Seven

As children develop a stronger sense of self and become more assertive, they often become demanding and grabby. In Riso and Hudson’s description of the Levels of Functioning, Level Seven was defined as the level of Violation of Self and Others. In adults it is a psychopathological adaptation but it is perfectly normal for a three-year-old. Screaming, hitting, and biting may be ways a child expresses frustration and attempts to use physical power to get what she wants. With growing cognitive abilities, these aggressive methods are eventually replaced as parents and pre-school teachers emphasize learning to “use your words.”

In adults at Level Seven, aggression may be a way of life, relying on continual physical and verbal violence to try to be safe and get needs met in a world that feels threatening.

Average Levels of Development

Level Six

Level Six is the point at which children begin learning to use words instead of fists. In adults this is a low-average way of communicating a person’s wants and feelings. In Riso and Hudson’s language of diminishing Presence, this is the stage of making demands to meet the ego’s agenda. For the growing child, the ability to conceptualize and articulate its needs and wants is the developmental task. This is the stage of establishing boundaries and learning to manage relationships. Usually children feel affiliations with the group with which they identify – a sense of “us-and-them.” In adults this level is characterized by authoritarian processes to preserve stability by reliance on rules and expressing one’s sense of presumed autonomy by breaking them.

Level Five

At Level Five our reasoning skills open up the capacity for problem-solving. We begin to see life as a series of problems to solve. It is the level of Interpersonal Conflict as we engage with others to compete for whose ego agenda will win. This is considered average or normal in the contemporary American culture. While specific situations or events may inspire us to experience higher levels from time to time, or push us down a level or two under stress, average people tend to return to Level Five as their anchor point. Problem solving skills are developed by ages 11-12. But in terms of spiritual maturity, many people are encouraged by the culture to remain here.

Moving up the levels now requires self-awareness, reflection, and discipline. This corresponds with achievement-orientation, individualism, and autonomy-seeking.

Level Four

With further self-awareness and reflection, at Level Four the personality begins to aspire to a life in which we can live out our ego agendas. We dream of getting the Inner Critic off our backs by fulfilling what the personality believes it should be. Many people reach this level and believe they have arrived at realization and enlightenment. In fact, what we have is a bright shiny ego (to use Russ Hudson’s term) that is fulfilling its Ego Ideal. This corresponds with egalitarian organizations as well as experiential and consensual processes.

Higher Levels of Development

Level Three

By the time the anchor point has reached Level Three, we have been undertaking a spiritual journey in earnest. Through reading, meditation, and guidance or teaching, we discover that we are part of something larger than ourselves and a life purpose becomes increasingly clear. At Level Three, we recognize every day that we are an expression of Being or Essence or God, so that what we do in the world and in our lives is the expression of our part in creation. We begin to appreciate that this is true for every other person as well. We feel attuned to Presence in our daily lives.

“What could be better than that?” we ask ourselves.

Level Two

As we live our life’s purpose, we discover that we are increasingly drawn to Be rather than to Do. Curiously, Level Two requires engaging in some of our most challenging spiritual work, which is embracing the Shadow and resolving dualities. Being present as a unique self, increasingly aware of our connection with Essence, we begin to consistently recognize and embrace those aspects of ourselves that have been ignored and denied. A.H. Almaas calls this “clarifying the personality” or making it clear and flexible, able to be alive in the world and have work and relationships. In addition, we become receptive to Essential qualities as they arise on an ongoing basis. We radiate these qualities and build ways of daily living around them.

Level One

The ultimate reward for this difficult and challenging work is Liberation at Level One. We have faced our deepest fears and are now truly free. We are Essence-infused, living moment by moment, no longer identified with personality while able to live in the world of personalities. The Enneagram helps us identify our fears as they arise as part of the illusion of separation from Being. We discover that enlightenment is not complete happiness, total bliss, or total freedom. It is rather a state of being in which we have the capacity to experience our lives in the Now, to live in love with Truth.

We break out of the paradigm of always seeking to feel better. Life will actually be better but not as we planned. We are living in the paradox of being unique individuals – bundles of body, emotion and thought – and at the same time living as conscious points of awareness as the Oneness of Being.

Living in the Higher Levels of Development

Many of you have had living direct experiences in Levels Three, Two and One. Realistically there are very few people in the world who live at Levels Two and One. About 2.5% of the population as we discovered in our exploration of the bell-shaped curve of distribution.

Moving up the Levels of Development, we move from living with the Ego Ideal at Level Four to ascending gradually to Liberation at Level One. Each movement up the developmental levels requires additional intention and undertaking of a spiritual path or practice, as we begin to let go of our carefully constructed ego identification.

The brilliance of Riso and Hudson’s model of the Levels is that it works moving up from infancy as a developmental model as well as moving down from Liberation as a means of tracking the effect of Basic Fear. The Levels can help us recognize the impact of Presence in our lives and support our practices for opening our identification with Presence until we discover that it is truly what we are.

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