Myth Busters: Enneagram Edition

So ... what have you heard about the Enneagram??

Get ready to bust some myths!! Add any additional myths you have heard in the comments below. Let's get to the bottom of this fascinating tool!

MYTH: The Enneagram is a spiritual or religious tool.

TRUTH: The Enneagram is a system for understanding personality patterns and motivations. It has been used by all kinds of different people to learn self-development and emotional intelligence. It was not born out of or used exclusively by any religion and has been developed by various teachers and

professionals after years of observing the patterns of people.

MYTH: It's only useful for personal growth, not professional development.

TRUTH: What happens at home comes to work and vice versa. The best leaders know that the more they understand themselves the more successful they are at effectively leading their teams and creating positive workplace culture. Business leaders around the world are using the Enneagram to deepen their understanding of their impact on their team.

MYTH: Your Enneagram type is fixed and unchangeable.

TRUTH: Your Enneagram type has likely been with you your whole life but what that looks like today vs. what it looked like ten years ago is the beauty and nuance of this system. The system is designed to explore how your personality has shifted and changed over time including typical patterns of stress and health. This is a multi-layered approach to personal development - people are complicated, and so is the Enneagram.

MYTH: The Enneagram puts people in boxes and limits their potential.

TRUTH: No system should be putting people in boxes. The Enneagram is looking at patterns, motivations and specific areas of potential growth. Systems that label outward behaviour only have limitations; the Enneagram looks at what is causing your limitations and shows you solutions.

MYTH: It's just another personality test like Myers-Briggs or DISC.

TRUTH: Personality tests like Myers-Briggs and DiSC provide insight into behaviours. They are helpful as a guide to improve interpersonal relationships and role alignment. The deeper understanding provided by the Enneagram allows for more nuanced personal growth and team development. The information gathered by an Enneagram Organizational Report provides a unique perspective on team dynamics, pinpointing areas of imbalance and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the entire team.

MYTH: You need to be an expert to use or benefit from the Enneagram.

TRUTH: Anyone can start using the Enneagram with a basic grasp of the nine types and their core motivations, gaining valuable insights into themselves and others. This accessibility makes it useful for improving workplace communication and self-awareness from day one. The Enneagram's full potential, however, is realized when it becomes a shared language within a team or organization. As groups engage more deeply with the system, they can leverage diverse strengths, enhance problem-solving, and create a culture of empathy and mutual understanding. This collective approach unlocks the Enneagram's power to transform team dynamics and drive organizational effectiveness.

The Next Level of Success

It's crucial to understand what the Enneagram truly represents. The Enneagram is NOT a method of controlling others or a study of behavioral traits. Instead, it is a study of what already exists within your organization and a tool to build your most effective team.

By embracing the Enneagram, leaders can unlock the diverse potential within their workforce, fostering an environment of self-awareness, empathy, and growth. This powerful framework can transform workplace dynamics, enhance communication, and drive both individual and collective success.

The Enneagram offers a path to creating more balanced, resilient, and high-performing teams – not by changing who people are, but by recognizing and leveraging the unique strengths and perspectives each individual brings to the table.