Let’s be honest: the Enneagram isn’t new. But the way we use it in leadership coaching? That’s evolving—and it’s powerful.
I work with high-performing leaders. Founders, CEOs, CMOs. People who are deeply driven, wildly capable, and constantly moving. And here’s what I know: tools that get straight to the heart of what drives us—and what sabotages us—are worth their weight in gold.
That’s why I use the Enneagram. There are many tests – I personally like this one the best from The Enneagram Institute.
Enneagram offers a map of your inner operating system—your unconscious habits of attention, your core motivations, your stress tells, your growth edges. The Enneagram gives language to patterns you’ve always felt but maybe haven’t fully named. And once it’s named, it can be navigated.
Here’s how I use it in coaching:
- To accelerate self-awareness. In high-stakes environments, speed matters. The Enneagram helps my clients see their blind spots fast—without shame, without sugarcoating.
- To reveal leadership patterns. We all have a default setting under pressure. Some double down on control. Others over-accommodate, overwork, withdraw, perform. Knowing your type helps you shift from reactive to responsive. You lead with intention instead of instinct.
- To deepen team dynamics. I often bring the Enneagram into executive teams to decode conflict, build empathy, and create space for more honest communication. Once people understand how different types give and receive feedback, for example, things start to click. Fast.
- To reconnect you to your essence. This is where it gets real. The Enneagram doesn’t just show you your ego strategies—it points you back to your true self. The one that’s calm, connected, creative. The version of you that leads from clarity instead of compulsion.
This isn’t theoretical—it’s lived experience. I wrote about one of my earliest uses of the Enneagram in leadership in Leader Coach by Kaley Klemp & Sue Heilbronner (which I highly recommend!). Here’s a paraphrased snapshot of that story:
When I took over a new global product marketing group at Oracle, I knew we had to build trust fast. We didn’t need another team-building exercise. We needed to actually see each other.
So, I introduced the Enneagram.
After reviewing the basics, we shared our types. I opened up as a Type 3—driven, fast-paced, and addicted to doing. I asked for accountability. I told them to call me out when my stress patterns hijacked the team.
And they did.
A few weeks later, they shared that they were burned out—and they saw me burning out too. My unconscious Achiever drive was pushing an unsustainable pace. Together, we slowed down, recalibrated, and created space to do the real work—better. It was humbling. And transformative.
That same tool helped unlock potential in one of my direct reports, a brilliant but overwhelmed Type 7. She loved the energy of starting things, but perfectionism and fear of delegation had her buried. When she saw that her need to be “the best” was actually keeping her stuck, it shifted everything. She opened up. We connected. She led differently.
That’s the power of this tool.
So, why now?
Because the deeper you go, the more you can grow. And in a world that rewards the external—metrics, optics, momentum—the Enneagram invites a radical return to the internal.
It’s not just about managing better. It’s about leading with clarity, energy, and heart.
And it’s incredibly practical.
When leaders and teams understand their types, they can:
- Spot unconscious patterns before they become problems
- Decode conflict by seeing how different people react under stress
- Build empathy by understanding what motivates each teammate at a deeper level
- Give and receive feedback in ways that actually land
- Foster real connection—not surface-level niceness, but true psychological safety
This is how trust gets built. Not just by being nice or efficient—but by being known.
When teams use the Enneagram to get curious about themselves and each other, everything changes. Communication gets cleaner. Collaboration gets easier. Accountability gets stronger.
Whether you’re leading a company or building a team, the Enneagram gives you a shared language to name what’s happening below the surface—and the tools to shift it.
