Matt Schlegel

Like a computer simulator, the mind of Enneagram Type 6 is constantly racing into the future imagining what might happen, alert to any possible risks or danger.  Type 6s are masterful at plotting a path forward that avoids pitfalls and gets your team safely to the goal. In this video, I describe the intrinsic motivation of Type 6. Don’t be afraid, danger is avoided.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

The active Type 6 mind continuously connects dots into the future. As the suppressed anxiety type, they seek to minimize their feelings of anxiety by identifying a path to the goal that has a high likelihood for success. As 6s review the pro/con analysis of each idea in Step 5, they can intuitively assign probabilities to outcomes, which gives them insight into the most promising ideas.

The 6s are driven by the fear of failure and the danger that failure represents, so they can easily identify the danger in each option. Their gift is being able to identify the path of least danger. In their minds, the 6s connect the dots along the path to the goal for each idea. The path with the clearest set of dots stands out starkly to them. This makes the 6 well equipped to lead the group in both selecting the most promising ideas and creating a plan of action that connects the dots and guides the team to the desired goal.

The aphorism, “Failing to plan is planning to fail,” captures the mindset of Type 6. In Step 6, you plan schedules, budgets, resource allocation, and contingencies that will withstand scrutiny from the stakeholders. Before further investment in the project, the action plan needs to be organized in a logical and palatable manner.

How does your leadership style minimize risk? Do you take time to think through possible problems, or do you plunge ahead and figure it out as you go?  How much do you value planning? What are leadership styles that work well with Enneagram Type 6?

[Video Transcript]

Now, we’re going to get to the suppressed anxiety. And I know this one well, because this is my type. And the way that I address my anxiety is, if I know what’s going to happen, then my anxiety goes down. And what I’m trying to do is I’m just trying to avoid any possible risks or danger, right? And I will plan things out and as long as everything goes on track and everything’s smoothly going along, my anxiety stays down. But when things start to go up, it’s, “Danger, Will Robinson. Danger, Will Robinson.” That’s the six dynamic, right? And my anxiety’s coming up, because now I don’t know what’s going to happen anymore. So sixes love to… I think a lot of sixes are drawn to project management, because we love to plan. We like to plan things out. And we have our contingency plans. We have our plan A and our plan B. And we think things through to make sure that we can successfully get to the outcomes that we’re after.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others, and please subscribe to the channel. And stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks, again.

Hi! How are you!  Who are the natural networkers of the Enneagram? Type 7, of course! Most networking groups have a plurality if not majority of Type 7s. And why not? Type 7s are engaging, charming, talkative, and FUN—the perfect mix for a mixer! They always have something to say and will keep things light and fun. What motivates these behaviors? My latest video gives you a sneak peek at what’s going on under the hood for Enneagram Type 7.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

The external anxiety Type 7 is motivated to create a positive environment and build enthusiasm for the next adventure. This motivation drives them to encourage and embolden the project stakeholders in Step 7, making them perfectly tuned for leadership during this step. The 7’s dynamic is invaluable for helping the team coalesce the broader group of stakeholders around the plan and getting the buy-in, endorsements, sponsorships, budget allocations, and so on necessary to execute the plan.

The 7’s natural ability in this role is evidenced by the fact that many of our elected politicians are 7s. The kind of leadership that gets a politician elected is exactly the sort of leadership required by the project team in Step 7. The 7 can lead the team to create the “pitch deck” presentation for the project, deliver that pitch, and navigate the nuances of the stakeholder communication to get the support the team needs to move the project towards implementation.

In a nutshell, the key activity in Step 7 is instilling trust and confidence in the sponsors and stakeholders that the team will accomplish the plan, meet the goals, and solve the problem. Type 7s are masters at instilling trust in others.

How does your leadership style create a positive social atmosphere for projects or for networking?  Do you draw in others who like to keep things light and fun?  How much do you value being liked by others? What are leadership styles that work well with Enneagram Type 7?

[Video Transcript]

Now we’re in the head group, and the issue for the head group is anxiety. If you know a 7, you would never associate a 7 with anxiety. Because what you associate with 7s is fun, doing exciting things, trying new things. This is what you’ll see in the 7, right? But the underlying issue is anxiety, and what they’re really wanting is to be liked.

So if they go into a room, they’re going to be the ones who can go around and work the room, right? “Oh, hey, how’s it going? Hey. Oh, it’s so great to see you.” As they connect, they’ll connect briefly, and they’ll laugh, and they’ll joke around a little bit and say, “Oh, yeah, I’m going to go over and say hi to Mary.” And then they’ll go over and say hi to Mary. Then they’ll go over… So they’ll go around and work the room.

And what they’re doing is, it’s like, “Hey. We’re okay, right? We’re good?” If we’re good, then anxiety goes down. And if there’s something wrong, then the anxiety goes up. So that, because they’re always trying to keep that anxiety down and just be liked, then that compels them to be charming and fun and enthusiastic, because all of those garner being liked and everybody will end up having fun. So that’s the dynamic of the 7.

Thanks so much for listening. If you liked this, please leave a comment and share it with others. And please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.

When you need to get things under control—NOW!—turn to Enneagram Type 8.  Type 8s are motivated to secure control of their environment and their intuition informs them what to do.  No need for thinking, no need for talking, Type 8s  already instinctively know what needs to be done. And they want to get to action ASAP! Their motivation to secure and maintain control will your keep projects on track and moving forward.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

The external anger Type 8 wants to get started, and Step 8 is the point in problem solving where action-oriented leadership shines. With the plan in place and the resources allocated, the 8 can direct the team in executing that plan. The strength and confidence of Type 8s inspires and motivates others to follow their lead. Type 8s are not afraid to fail. If they go down a path that proves to be unproductive, they are quick to course-correct and try something new. There is little fretting or pondering; the dynamic in Step 8 is action, which the Type 8 leader delivers.

Since other types are more susceptible to a fear of failure, Type 8 in particular provides the confidence to help others overcome their inhibitions and take action. If feelings are hurt along the way, that is a price that must be paid to achieve the goal. Conflicts will arise in this step, and 8s tap into their anger-based energy and easily rise to the challenge. They can get beyond a confrontation and move on to the task at hand. They won’t let feelings get in the way of getting the job done. They tend not to take things personally, and they expect others not to either.

What’s your leadership style when you need to get things under control? Does your intuition inform you what needs to be done?  Does anger energize you to action? What are leadership styles that work well with Enneagram Type 8?

[Video Transcript]

So we’ll start off with the external anger types. Okay. And the thing that the 8, Type 8 wants to do is they want to be in control of their environment, right? And so they’re always concerned with how secure control they have of the environment. And when they feel that their control is threatened, their go-to tool is anger. They use anger to help them get back into control. So you’ve probably seen people do this before. So you might’ve been in a meeting and there might be a person in that meeting who all the sudden starts raising their voice, or they might start pounding the table, or they might start pointing their finger when they talk. So all of these are indications. These are all very eight type behaviors. And they’re tools that when people are in that Type 8 dynamic that they use to help get back into control. And the Type 8s, because they are informed by their intuition, they often have a sense of what to do.

Their intuition is already telling them. So they don’t need a lot of conversation. They don’t need a lot of thought. They already kind of know what to do. So they really don’t like being in long conversations because they just want to get to the point so they can get to action. And because they have this intuition telling them what to do, it gives them the sense of decisiveness and confidence, and they kind of exude this. And people sense that. And so they often become leaders. They’re these natural leaders. So you’ll see Type 8s migrate to roles, leadership roles. So you might see them as a CEO or a COO. Those are the types of roles that the Type 8 just seems to go to naturally.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others and please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.

Need someone to restore peace? No one has better instincts at keeping peace than Enneagram Type 9.  Their superpower is understanding others’ perspectives, and they use this superpower to make sure everyone is heard and understood, thereby reducing anger and conflict in their environment.  After transformational change or in a changing workplace, they work to restore and maintain harmony.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

The project is complete, and the goal has been accomplished. Yet, there still may be a sense of discord in the air as people adjust to the new environment. The main project team is withdrawing, along with the Type 8 energy that drove the team. This is when the suppressed anger Type 9 leadership needs to emerge, with the ability to understand the issues that have left people unsettled and to facilitate harmony in the new environment. The 9s are highly attuned to sensing anger and the potential for conflict. If they sense this, the 9 will immediately engage to mitigate possible conflict. Type 9s tend to stay calm even as others are emotionally activated and agitated. Their calmness has a settling effect on those around them that brings people back into a conversation that leads to conflict resolution.

How does you leadership style calm an unsettled environment?  Do you actively engage in mitigating conflict?  Or do you rely on others? What are leadership styles that work well with Enneagram Type 9?

[Video Transcript]

Next is the suppressed anger. Now Type 9 wants to eliminate anger from the environment. Their radar for anger is probably the highest of all types. They’re highly sensitive to it, and they want to avoid it. So they’re always on the lookout to figure out, “Okay, how can I navigate this world in a way with the least amount of conflict?” So, Type 9 is the best at really understanding other people’s perspectives. They’re always thinking about other people and how they’re looking at the world. By doing that, they can anticipate any possible conflict, and then they can create environments for people. They will do their best to optimize for the group to make sure that we’ve minimized conflict.

So, if you’re going to go out to lunch with a Type 9 and say, “Where do you want to go to lunch? The Type 9 will say, “Well, where do you want to go to lunch?” You’ll go back and forth with them, and you’ll be trying to get them to give you their opinion. And then finally you’ll say, “It’s your birthday. You get to choose.” Now they’re on the spot. Right? Are they thinking, “Where do I want to go?” No, they’re not. They’re thinking, “Where do you think they want to go to lunch?” That’s what they’re thinking.

They’re never going to assert themselves and put their own opinion out there because if they put their own opinion out there, what might that cause? It might cause a conflict. So, why would you ever do that? You just won’t. So that’s the Type 9. So, where I see the Type 9s play is in customer service roles. There’s nobody better in customer service than a Type 9. You get an angry customer on a call, the Type 9 will just knows how to calm them down, understand their perspective, and then make sure their needs are met. It’s almost like magic. They’re just great at that, and they go into other service-type roles where they can work with people and help them solve problems in a way that reduces conflict.

Thanks so much for listening. If you liked this, please leave a comment and share it with others. Please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.