Resources
Must-Read Articles for Every Leader
As a leader, your time is precious and wisdom is required from you at every turn.
This curated list of helpful articles might just give you the insight and boost of motivation you’re looking for.
Each of these articles implicitly make a case for the how the Enneagram can serve you.
What Self Awareness is and How to Cultivate It. - Harvard Business Review
The Secret to Leading Organizational Change is Empathy - Harvard Business Review
The Restorative Power of Small Habits - Harvard Business Review
The Busier You Are, the More You Need Quiet Time - Harvard Business Review
Meaning-Making in the Workplace is Essential - Harvard Business Review
Work and the Loneliness Epidemic - Harvard Business Review
3 Human Super Talents that AI Will Not Replace - Harvard Business Review
Working with People Who Aren’t Self-Aware - Harvard Business Review
Ego is the Enemy of Good Leadership - Harvard Business Review
Your Team Isn’t Participating in Meetings - Here’s What to Do. - Harvard Business Review
The Neuroscience of Trust - Harvard Business Review
Note: This list will be updated on a regular basis.
Strengths-Based or Fear-Based?
You may say you’re a “strengths-based organization”, but most people are driven by their fears.
A lot can be said about this idea - which is why whenever I’ve worked with an organization, the conversation about strengths and the Enneagram is an important one.
Many teams and leaders have spent quite a bit of time uncovering their strengths and emotional intelligence, often with the use of popular tools like Gallup’s Clifton Strengthfinder and EQ-i. While this can be a helpful model, I love how the Enneagram takes this conversation to the next level - truly helping people see where their strengths actually come from, why they respond to life the way they do, and how closely connected they are to a bigger force at play - their fears.
You can have “basement & balcony” constructs applied to each of your identified strengths, but the real power comes when you know “who’s” actually hiding in the basement afraid, and how you can console them and bring them up into the light. There is a map for this sort of inner work, and it’s called The Enneagram.
Taking time to learn about your fears in a safe, work-appropriate setting is the edge you and your team may be ready to explore.
If you’re curious, reach out to Christa - let’s have a conversation.
Fixing On Your Fixations
Did you know that you, and everyone on your team have a particular habit of fixating?
Each of us moves through our day preferring certain information at the expense of neglecting other parts that are just as important.
When I work with people, one of the most helpful aspects of the Enneagram is getting in tune with what we mentally fixate on the most and how that supports our unique contributions and also hinders our success.
Imagine if your entire team understood this dynamic at play in themselves and leveraged the strength it offers and also learned how to use it to mitigate their inherent blind-spots.
As you look at this list, do you have a sense of where you most naturally focus? Remember, these are called “fixations” for a reason.
I pay attention to flaws so that nothing ever seems good enough
I look for acceptance through giving compliments or other forms of attention to others
I strategically think about how to create an idealized image based on being or appearing to be successful
I think continuously about what is missing, with accompanying thoughts of being disconnected or separated from others
I’m strategizing about how to control my environment and feel most comfortable with an insatiable thirst for knowing, and a reluctance to share – my knowledge, time, space, and personal information
I often have thoughts of doubt and worry that cause the continuous creation of worst-case or anticipatory scenarios
My mental process is often going into “hyper gear,” moving in rapid succession from one thing to another
I’m often mentally in the process of rebalancing wrongs through thoughts related to anger, blame, and intimidation
I seem to have a hard time paying attention to my own feelings and needs and easily merge with the ideas and feelings of others.
If you had a difficult time identifying yourself, you’re in good company. Often, it’s a challenge to be aware of our own mental patterns. This is why the Enneagram can help.
In each of the above, you’ll notice how these fixations could really take you and your team off course. But, within these fixations lies a great super-power. Once again, the Enneagram give the map to uncover this for us.
If you’re curious about know which of the above fixations match which Enneagram type, visit, The Enneagram in Business .
“ Conscious leadership
equals
successful leadership."
Beatrice Chestnut - The Nine Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace