Understanding the 9 Enneagram Personality Types

ENNEAGRAM
of
PERSONALITIES
Jemie T. Narag-Manzano, MD
CVMC-DFCM
APRIL 13, 2019

γράμμα
[grámma,
meaning
something
"written" or
"drawn”]
ἐννέα
[ennéa,
meaning
"nine”]
Enneagram
Source: What is the Enneagram? https://www.integrative9.com/enneagram/
DISCLAIMER
• Not everything in the description of
your basic type will apply to you all the
time
• No type is inherently better or worse
than any other
Benefits of using the enneagram:
Individual benefits:
– Self-awareness
– Increases consciousness and
confidence
– clearing of core emotional issues
– framework for understanding functional
and dysfunctional behaviors that stem
from core motivations
– Increases compassion for self and
others
– Uncovers pathways to development
– Increases productivity and motivation
– Builds leadership authenticity, potency
and impact
Benefits of using the enneagram:
Team benefits:
– Reduces judgment and criticism of others
while building understanding and
tolerance
– Provides a framework for making sense of
team conflict and challenges
– Enables the team to move beyond a
pattern of blaming conflict on “personality
differences”
– Improves working relationships and team
productivity
– Improves communication while also
developing a new language framework
for team dynamics
3 Centers
3 Centers
Instinctual Center Focus:
 Body-based types  personal security
 lead with the body  control
for movement and  social belonging
sensate awareness  taking the right
 gut-level knowing action
Source: Tour the 9 types. https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/tour-the-nine-types/

3 Centers
Emotional Center
 Feeling-based
types
 heart for
positive and
negative
feelings,
Focus: empathy and
 success and concern for
relationship others,
 performing up romance and
to expectations devotion
of the job or
other people
Source: Tour the 9 types. https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/tour-the-nine-types/
3 Centers
Intellectual Center
 Thinking-based
types
 lead with head/ Focus:
ideas,  creating
gathering certainty and
information, safety
figuring things  finding multiple
out and options
rational
decision-
making before
acting. Source: Tour the 9 types. https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/tour-the-nine-types/
THE
PERFECTIONIST
Source: Fine Distinctions – “Stress” and “Security” Points – Tom Condon. http://www.ninepointsmagazine.org/fine-
distinctions-stress-and-security-points-tom-condon/
TYPE 1: The Reformer/Perfectionist
Strengths:
• Honest • Orderly
• Ethical • Fastidious
• Responsible
• Conscientious
• Hard-working
• Dependable
• Practical
• Self-reliant
• Well-organized
Challenges:
• Resentful • Controlling
• Rigid • Anxious
• Judgmental
• Non-adaptable/inflexible
• Overly critical
• Dogmatic
• Obsessive- compulsive
• Overly serious
You must be
good and right
to be worthy.
Focus of Attention: What is right or wrong, correct or incorrect
Basic Desire: To be good, to have integrity, to be balanced

Basic Fear: Of being corrupt/evil, defective
Defense Mechanism: Reaction formation
The Idealist
The Advocate
Life Lesson:
To change what can
be changed, to
accept what cannot
be changed, and to
develop the wisdom
to know the
difference
Relating to Ones:
 Take their concerns seriously
 Respect their integrity
 Be responsible and honor your agreements
 Admit your mistakes
 Recognize that Ones are especially sensitive to
criticism
TYPE 2: The Helper/Giver
Strengths:
• Empathetic • Supportive
• Sincere • Exuberant
• Warm-hearted
• Caring
• Helpful
• Relationship-oriented
• Generous
• Sensitive to others’
feelings
Challenges:
• Prideful • Hysterical
• Dependent on approval • Overly accommodating
of others • Overly demonstrative
• Intrusive
• Demanding
• Privileged
• Martyr-like
• Manipulative
• Possessive
You must give

fully to others
to be loved.
Focus of attention: Others’ needs, feelings and desires

Basic Desire: To feel loved
Basic Fear: Of being unwanted, unworthy of being loved
Defense mechanism: Repression
Servant
The Host
Life lesson:
To develop the
humility that comes
from allowing yourself
to be loved without
being needed and to
have needs of your
own
Relating to Twos:
 Step forward to make contact
 Offer approval or appreciation when possible
 Stay constant and provide steadiness, paying attention to
their needs
 Join them in valuing warmth, personal contact and
partnership
 Avoid being critical or not taking them seriously
 Head off outbursts by addressing their dissatisfaction or
resentment
TYPE 3: The Achiever/Performer
Strengths:
• Successful
• Self-assured
• Efficient
• Attractive
• Practical
• Charming
• Industrious
• Ambitious
• Fast-paced
• Competent
• Goal-oriented
• Energetic
• Enthusiastic
• Action-oriented
• Problem-solving
Challenges:
• Vain
• Image-driven
• Superficial
• Over-worked
• Vindictive
• Impatient
• Competitive
• Out of touch with
feelings
• Deceptive
• Narcissistic
• Pretentious
You must
succeed to
be loved.
Focus of attention:
Tasks, goals and recognition for accomplishments
Basic Desire: To feel valuable and worthwhile
Basic Fear: Of being worthless
Defense mechanism: Identification
Charmer
The Professional
Life lesson
To reclaim the
truth that love
comes to you
because of who
you are, not
because of
what you do
Relating to Threes
 Let them know that you care regardless of their
accomplishments
 Encourage them to pay attention to feelings
 Show and tell them what is really important to you
 Express your appreciation for what they do
 Join them in being active, getting results and earning
recognition
Strengths:
• Self-aware • Intuitive
• Sensitive • Supportive
• Reserved • Refined
• Emotionally honest
• Creative
• Warm
• Compassionate
• Introspective
• Expressive
Challenges:
• Dramatic • Moralistic
• Moody • Stubborn
• Self-conscious
• Withdrawn
• Self-absorbed
• Over-sensitive
• Demanding
• Unsatisfied
• Guilt-ridden
You can regain the

perfect state by
finding the situation
that is unique, special
and fulfilling.
Focus of attention: What is missing
Basic Desire: To find themselves and their significance (to create

an identity)
Basic Fear: That they have no identity or personal significance

Defense mechanism: Introjection
The Aristocrat
The Bohemian
Life lesson:
To reclaim wholeness in the
present moment by appreciating
what is here and now, feeling the
experience in their bodies rather
than over-indulging in the story of
what’s happening, and
accepting yourself as you are
without needing to be special or
unique
Relating to Fours:
 Appreciate their emotional sensitivity, creativity and
idealism.
 Reveal your own feelings and reactions; avoid being
overly rational.
 When they are upset, don’t take everything they say too
literally since they may be expressing a momentary
feeling.
 Return to the present and be positive while
acknowledging their experience of what is missing.
TYPE 5: The Observer/Investigator
Strengths:
• Analytic • Thoughtful
• Self-sufficient • Unobtrusive
• Persevering
• Sensitive
• Wise
• Objective
• Perceptive
• Self-controlled
• Non-demanding
Challenges:
• Intellectually arrogant • Withholding
• Stingy • Detached
• Stubborn • Overly private
• Distant
• Critical of others
• Unassertive
• Negative
You must protect

yourself from a world
that demands too
much and gives too
little.
Focus of attention: Intellectual understanding, accumulating knowledge,

and potential intrusions from others’ agendas, needs and feelings
Basic Desire: To be capable and competent
Basic Fear: Being useless, helpless, or incapable

Defense Mechanism: Isolation
The Problem-solver
The Iconoclast
Life lesson
To reconnect to the vitality of your life force and your
heartfelt feelings, realizing that ample energy and resources
are available.
Relating to Fives
 Respect their need for privacy (understanding this is not
rejection).
 Make it safe for them to share themselves, especially their
feelings, giving them the space needed to do so.
 Approach them slowly and thoughtfully, and avoid
pressuring them for immediate contact or fast decisions.
 Join them in talking about ideas and valuing the inner life.
 Don’t make assumptions about what’s going on with
them. Ask them for direct communication.
TYPE 6: The Loyal Skeptic
Strengths:
• Loyal • Witty
• Reliable • Practical
• Hard-working • Helpful
• Responsible • Perceptive
• Trustworthy • Sensitive
• Likeable • Courageous
• Caring Strategic thinking
• Warm
• Compassionate
Challenges:
• Hypervigilant • Self-defeating
• Controlling • Anxious
• Unpredictable • Pessimistic
• Judgmental • Over-active imagination
• Paranoid
• Accusatory
• Doubtful
• Defensive
• Rigid
You must gain

certainty and security
in a hazardous world
that you just can’t
trust.
Focus of attention
What could go wrong, worst-case scenarios and how to deal with them
Basic Desire: To have security and support
Basic Fear: Of being without support and guidance

Defense mechanism: Projection
The Buddy
The Defender
Life lesson
To reclaim trust in
yourself, others and the
world, and live
comfortably with
uncertainty
Relating to Sixes
 Be consistent and trustworthy
 Disclose your own personal feelings and thoughts
 Appreciate their attention to problems; agree on rules
and procedures
 Join them in acknowledging what can go wrong before
moving ahead
 Put your cards on the table as much as possible – don’t
be ambiguous
TYPE 7: The Enthusiast/Generalist
Strengths:
• Optimistic • Quick
• Versatile • Confident
• Spontaneous • Charming
• Adventurous • Curious
• Playful
• Imaginative
• Energetic
• Optimistic
• Quick-thinking
Challenges:
• Narcissistic • Self-absorbed
• Impulsive • Dispersed
• Unfocused • Uncommitted
• Rebellious • Impatient
• Undisciplined • Unrealistic
• Possessive
• Manic
• Self-destructive
• Restless
You must stay

upbeat and keep
your possibilities
open to assure a
good life.
Focus of attention
Multiple options and idealized future plans
Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled
Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain

Defense Mechanism: Rationalization
The Realist
The Entertainer
Life lesson
To reclaim and
accept all of life,
the pleasures and
the pains, in the
present moment
Relating to Sevens
 Join them in having fun and envisioning new possibilities.
 Appreciate their stories and positive ideas.
 Let them know what you want or need from them.
 Support them to move into painful situations and
commitments.
 Listen to their suggestions and avoid insisting on one way
of doing things.
TYPE 8: The Challenger/Protector
Strengths:
• Self-confident • Direct
• Strong • Authoritative
• Assertive • Loyal
• Courageous • Energetic
• Fair • Earthy
• Truthful
• Determined
• Generous
• Protective of others
Challenges:
• Excessive • Self-centered
• Angry • Skeptical aggressive
• Dominating
• Lustful
• Afraid of
vulnerability
• Controlling
• Rebellious
• Insensitive
You must be strong

and powerful to
assure protection and
regard in a tough
world.
Focus of attention
Injustice, not being controlled by others, and getting things moving in work or
play
Basic Desire: To protect themselves (to be in control of their own life and destiny)
Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others

Defense Mechanism: Denial
The Bear
The Maverick
Life lesson
To harness the life force in productive ways, integrating self-
assertion with vulnerability
Relating to Eights
 Be direct and forthright, yet flexible and open.
 Stay steady and present in the face of confrontation and
conflict; hold your ground.
 Call them on destructive or threatening behavior, while
being empathetic to their underlying hurt feelings.
 Express your own feelings, including softer, tender ones.
 Join them in getting things moving in work or play.
TYPE 9: The Mediator/Peacemaker
Strengths:
• Accepting • Reassuring
• Trusting • Non-judgmental
• Stable
• Excellent mediators
• Caring
• Supportive
• Adaptive
• Steady
• Receptive
Challenges:
• Stubborn
• Ambivalent
• Self-forgetful
• Indecisive
• Conflict-avoidant
• Obsessive
• Passive-aggressive
• Unassertive
Mediators believe
that to be loved
and valued, you
must blend in and
go with the flow.
Focus of attention:
Other people’s agendas and the external environment
Basic Desire: inner stability "peace of mind"
Basic Fear: loss and separation
Defense Mechanism: Narcotization
The Dreamer
The Referee
Life lesson
To reclaim yourself and wake up to personal priorities
Relating to Nines
 Ask them what they want and need, and give them time
to discern the answer.
 Avoid coming on too strong, getting impatient or creating
pressure.
 If you sense they are reluctant or unsure about something
they said “yes” to or agreed to do, let them know that it’s
ok to say “no.”
 Encourage them to determine their priorities and support
them to take action
REFERENCES
• Fine Distinctions – “Stress” and “Security” Points – Tom Condon.
http://www.ninepointsmagazine.org/fine-distinctions-stress-and-security-
points-tom-condon/
• How the enneagram system works. Accessed from:
https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/how-the-enneagram-system-works
• Tour the nine types. Accessed from:
https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/tour-the-nine-types/

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ENNEAGRAM

APRIL 13, 2019

Source: Tour the 9 types. https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/tour-the-nine-types/

Focus of Attention: What is right or wrong, correct or incorrect

Basic Desire: To be good, to have integrity, to be balanced

You must give

Focus of attention: Others’ needs, feelings and desires

You can regain the

Focus of attention: What is missing

Basic Desire: To find themselves and their significance (to create

Basic Fear: That they have no identity or personal significance

You must protect

Focus of attention: Intellectual understanding, accumulating knowledge,

Basic Desire: To be capable and competent

Basic Fear: Being useless, helpless, or incapable

You must gain

Basic Desire: To have security and support

Basic Fear: Of being without support and guidance

You must stay

Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled

Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain

You must be strong

Basic Fear: Of being harmed or controlled by others

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