What’s the Deal with the Enneagram?
Oct 10, 2025
Want to know yourself on a deeper level?
So many things about my behavior used to confuse me. I wondered why I’d respond in certain ways or why I’d have a tendency toward certain patterns and thought processes. Then I discovered the Enneagram, and everything started to click. I learned so much about myself and suddenly had the tools I needed to give myself grace and to start a deeper growth journey.
Why I think professional woman need to know their Enneagram
The Enneagram divides people into nine distinct types, based on core motivations, fears, and desires.
As working women, it can be challenging to balance everything from personal life to the demands of our profession. With patient or client care, administrative tasks, and personal relationships to manage, it can be tough to find time for self-reflection and personal growth. And that's where the Enneagram comes in – this tool can help you achieve self-awareness and is so useful for personal development.
The Enneagram can help us identify our stressors and triggers, as well as provide us with tools to manage them in a healthy way. By having a deeper understanding of ourselves, we become more self-aware, compassionate, and effective in all aspects of our lives. When we can identify our motivations and fears, we can make more intentional choices and cultivate more fulfilling relationships in our personal lives as well.
Connection Between Enneagram and Communication
Understanding your Enneagram type can be a game-changer in your communication, both personally and professionally. Your motivations, fears, and desires are all key drivers of your communication styles and tendencies. By recognizing those tendencies in each Enneagram type, you can learn to communicate better with those around you who may have different communication styles.
For example, if you are an Enneagram Type 1 - The Perfectionist, you may find yourself critical of others or overly focused on rules and procedures. Recognizing this tendency can help you adjust your communication style to be more empathetic and open to others' perspectives. Or, if you are communicating with a Type 1, understanding their desire for order and structure can help you frame your message in a way that resonates with them and avoids triggering their perfectionist tendencies.
Knowing the Enneagram types of your colleagues and staff can help foster stronger and more collaborative relationships. For example, if you are working with a Type 9 - The Peacemaker, you may notice their reluctance to voice their opinions or ideas in meetings. By recognizing this tendency, you can create a more inclusive and cooperative work environment by proactively seeking out their input and making room for them to share their thoughts and suggestions.
Before I discovered the Enneagram, I was often reactive in my interactions with others. I would respond based on my own biases and assumptions, without taking into account the unique perspectives and needs of the people around me. This approach often led to misunderstandings, conflicts, and missed opportunities.
But, since diving deep into the nine distinct personality types, I have become much more proactive in my interactions. By understanding the core motivations, fears, and desires of myself and others, I can anticipate and adjust my communication style to better suit the situation at hand.
Embrace Your Strengths
Each Enneagram type has strengths and weaknesses. Once you know your type, you can focus on embracing your strengths and using them to achieve greater fulfillment.
For instance, if you are an Enneagram Type 9 - The Peacemaker, you may possess an innate ability to bring people together and resolve conflicts. By recognizing and embracing this strength, you can become a more effective leader and team player. In your personal life, you may excel in creating harmony within your relationships by mediating conflicts and finding common ground between opposing views. You may also have a natural talent for empathy and understanding others' perspectives, which can further enhance your relationships.
However, every Enneagram type also has its own set of weaknesses that can hinder personal growth and success. For Type 9s, these weaknesses may include difficulty asserting themselves, avoiding conflict, and struggling to prioritize their own needs. By understanding these tendencies and actively working to overcome them, Type 9s can continue to grow and develop into their fullest potential.
Recognize Your Blind Spots
While each Enneagram type has its strengths, it also has blind spots and areas for growth that can hinder personal and professional fulfillment.
For example, if you are an Enneagram Type 3 - The Achiever, you may be highly focused on external success and recognition. While this drive can lead to great achievements and accomplishments, it can also come at the cost of neglecting your personal growth and relationships. By recognizing this tendency, you can begin to cultivate more internal sources of fulfillment, such as personal growth and meaningful relationships.
Practice Self-Reflection
The Enneagram is an incredible tool for self-awareness, but it's not enough to simply know your Enneagram type. Taking time each day to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself.
Incorporating self-reflection into our daily routine doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes each day to journal or meditate. I loved to set aside time for reflection during a daily walk, yoga practice, or other activity that allows me to be present with myself.
Cultivate Compassion for Others
When we understand the Enneagram types of the people around us, we can begin to appreciate their unique strengths and challenges. This helps us approach others with more empathy and understanding, even when we may not agree with their perspectives or behaviors.
In a professional context, understanding the Enneagram types of our colleagues can help us work more effectively as a team. By appreciating each other's strengths and blind spots, we can work together to achieve common goals and build a more productive and harmonious workplace. In our personal lives, the Enneagram can help us deepen our relationships and create more meaningful connections with others. When we understand the motivations and perspectives of those around us, we can communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts more quickly, and build stronger bonds with those we love.
Burned Out on Social Media and looking for Real Community?
Life is rough. The world is crazy, and we could all use a place to land, a place where we can be vulnerable without feeling weak, a place made for women like you: professional, stretched, ambitious, burned out, bold, and human.
I’m inviting you to join the Sisterhood inside The Table: a private, off-social-media community built for women who are ready to be supported, not sold to. Encouraged, not judged. Seen, not scrolled past. Tap here to try it out for Two Weeks Free!
Feeling stretched thin? I can show you 10 ways to get back TWO HOURS in your week!
DOWNLOAD MY FREE TOOLKIT AND GET BACK HOURS OF TIME IN YOUR WEEK.
YES, YOU CAN.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
