The Enneagram
What is the Enneagram?
Most people have heard of it. Far fewer understand what it actually is.
The Enneagram, from the Greek words 'ennea' meaning nine and 'gramma' loosely meaning 'figure", a nine pointed diagram, is a personality tool that has been refined over centuries.
It maps nine distinct ways of seeing the world, nine sets of fears and motivations, nine patterns of behaviour that form long before we have any awareness of them.
It's not a quiz. It is not a label. It is not something you figure out in an afternoon.
It is a mirror. And like all mirrors, what it shows you depends entirely on whether you are ready to look.
The answers are in there. But they take patience to find. And they reveal themselves most powerfully when you have someone who knows how to read the map sitting beside you.
That is what I do.
The 9 Enneagram Types
Type 1.
The Perfectionist
Driven by a deep need to do things 'right'.
In business they circle decisions because nothing is ever quite good enough.
In relationships they hold others to the same impossible standard they hold themselves.
And privately they live with an inner critic that never rests.
Type 2.
The Helper
Gives freely to everyone around them, often at the cost of their own needs.
In business they overgive and undercharge.
In relationships they love deeply but struggle to receive.
And underneath it all they wonder why, after everything they give, they still feel unseen.
Type 3.
The Achiever
Built for success.
In business they build what looks impressive rather than what fulfils them.
In relationships they perform rather than connect.
And privately they struggle to know who they actually are when nobody is watching.
Type 4.
The Individualist
Deeply feeling and highly creative.
In business they struggle to finish what they start.
In relationships they long for deep connection but fear it will never be enough.
And privately they carry a quiet belief that something essential is missing in them that others seem to have.
Type 5.
The Investigator
Thinks deeply before acting.
In business they prepare endlessly but struggle to put themselves out there.
In relationships they retreat into their mind when things get emotionally demanding.
And privately they guard their energy and inner world as if it were all they have.
Type 6.
The Loyalist
Loyal, prepared and alert to what could go wrong.
In business they struggle to trust their own decisions and seek constant reassurance.
In relationships they are devoted but can become anxious and doubt what they have.
And privately they live with a background hum of worry that rarely goes quiet.
Type 7.
The Enthusiast
Full of ideas, energy and possibility.
In business they start everything and finish little.
In relationships they keep things light to avoid pain.
And privately they use movement and stimulation to stay one step ahead of whatever they are not ready to feel.
Type 8.
The Challenger
Powerful, direct and fiercely protective of those they love.
In business they lead with confidence but struggle to show vulnerability.
In relationships they love deeply but on their own terms.
And privately they carry a tenderness they rarely let anyone see.
Type 9.
The Peacemaker
Warm, steady and deeply empathic.
In business they struggle to know what they actually want and say yes when they mean no.
In relationships they keep the peace at the cost of their own needs.
And privately they have spent so long accommodating everyone else they have lost touch with themselves.
Instinctual Stacking: 27 Expressions
Your Enneagram type is just the beginning.
Each of the 9 types is shaped by three primal drives that we all carry. What makes you unique is the order in which they show up. This is your instinctual stack and it changes everything about how your type actually shows up in real life.:
Self-Preservation (SP)
Your dominant focus is safety, comfort and security. In business this shows up around money, sustainability and the practical details that keep everything stable. In relationships it shows up as a need for reliability and a quiet anxiety when things feel uncertain.
One-to-One/Sexual (SX)
Your dominant focus is intensity, connection and impact. In business this shows up as passion, all or nothing energy and the need for work that truly means something. In relationships it shows up as a hunger for depth and a restlessness with anything that feels surface level.
Social (SO)
Your dominant focus is belonging, contribution and how you are perceived. In business this shows up in your reputation, your community and your need to be seen as credible. In relationships it shows up as a deep need to contribute and be valued by the people around you.
Your dominant instinct shapes how your type expresses itself in the world. A Type 2 leading with Self Preservation looks very different from a Type 2 leading with One to One. Same type. Completely different person.
This is why we identify both your type and your dominant instinct when we work together. Because that is where the real clarity lives.
How the Enneagram Works
Understanding your Enneagram type isn't about putting yourself in a box. It's about seeing the box you're already in - so you can step out of it.
When you know your type and your dominant instinct you start to see:
Why you are stuck
The decisions you keep circling. The offers you keep tweaking. The conversations you keep avoiding. The relationships that keep playing out the same way. None of it is random.
What is driving your patterns
The fears underneath your business decisions. The resistance that shows up when you try to communicate what you really need to the people closest to you. Why certain things feel impossible even when the logic says they should be easy. Why you say yes when you mean no, in your business and in your life.
How to build differently
From your actual strengths rather than your compensating patterns. Aligned with who you actually are rather than who you think you should be. With more ease, more confidence and more inner peace.
The Enneagram does not fix you. You were never something that needed fixing. It shows you yourself, clearly, perhaps for the first time. And from there everything becomes possible.
Discover Your Enneagram Type
Whether you are working with me or simply curious about yourself, starting with an online assessment is a great first step.
My preferred tool is 'Truity', one of the most reliable Enneagram assessments available.
Free Version
A shorter assessment that gives you a good first glimpse of your type.
Paid Version ($19 USD)
A comprehensive report that includes your type, your instinctual stacking, your wing and your growth path. More than 20 pages of insight to bring into our first session together.
Either way, take the results as a starting point not a conclusion. The real discovery happens when you sit with what comes up and start to notice where it shows up in your life.
(Note: I'm an affiliate partner with 'Truity'. If you purchase the paid version through this link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Got your Results? Here's What's Next!
If you took the free assessment
Your results will show you a circular diagram divided into nine segments, one for each Enneagram type. The larger the segment, the higher your score for that type. Look at which two or three segments are biggest. One of them will stand out. That is where you start.
Go online and begin reading about that type. Sit with it. You may find it feels uncomfortably accurate. You may also find that the type with the highest score reflects what has been driving you recently rather than your true core type. If you are here because something in your life or business is not working, that distinction matters. Keep reading.
And if it gets confusing or overwhelming, reach out. We can talk it through together in a free 30 minute discovery call.
If you took the paid assessment
Your report goes much deeper. You will have a detailed description of your core type, your instinctual stacking, your wing and a growth path that shows you where real development is possible.
Spend real time with it. Read it slowly. Notice what makes you uncomfortable as much as what resonates. The parts that sting a little are often the most useful. Bring it to our first session together.
And if you are not working with me right now, let it be the beginning of a conversation you start having with yourself.
Either way, remember this.
The assessment is just the beginning. Understanding your type intellectually is completely different from seeing how it plays out in your real life, your relationships and your business.
That's where our work together comes in.
Go Deeper - Work with Me
An online assessment can tell you your type.
But it cannot show you:
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Why you keep arriving at the same place in your business
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Why certain decisions feel impossible no matter how clear the logic is
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Why the same patterns keep showing up in your relationships
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What to actually do with everything you are discovering about yourself
That is what The Fearless Foundation is for.
Three sessions using the Enneagram and the C-OARS framework to connect what you are learning about yourself to what is actually happening in your business, your relationships and your life.
Not just information. Real change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Enneagram scientific? The Enneagram is a psychological framework that has been refined and developed over centuries. While it is not a clinical tool in the academic sense, it has been used effectively in psychology, business coaching and personal development for decades. What matters most is not whether it is scientific. It is whether it is accurate. And most people find it uncomfortably so.
Can my type change? Your core type doesn't change. But you can develop healthier expressions of it and integrate qualities from other types as you grow. Think of it less as changing who you are and more as expanding the range of who you can be.
What if I test as multiple types? This is common, especially when you are in a period of stress or transition. You have one core type but you may be expressing patterns from your wing or your stress points. This is exactly the kind of thing we work through together as we work through each Session.
How long does it take to find my true type? It varies from person to person. Some people read the descriptions and recognise themselves immediately. Others have spent so many years adapting to what everyone else needs from them that their true type takes time to surface. There is no rush. The Enneagram rewards patience and honest self reflection far more than speed.
How is the Enneagram different from Myers Briggs or other personality tools? Most personality tools tell you what you do. The Enneagram goes deeper than that. It shows you why you do it. The fears, the motivations, the patterns that formed long before you had any awareness of them. That is what makes it so precise and so confronting in equal measure.
Can I do anything with my results on my own or do I need a coach? You can absolutely begin on your own. Read about your type, sit with it, notice where it shows up. Many people find the assessment alone shifts something in them. But in my experience the real change happens when you have someone who knows how to read the map sitting beside you. The map is only as useful as your ability to navigate it.
Is the Enneagram connected to any religion or spiritual practice? The Enneagram has roots that touch various wisdom traditions but it is not a religious tool. I work with it purely as a framework for self understanding. You do not need any particular belief system to benefit from it. You just need a willingness to look honestly at yourself.
How accurate are online assessments really? They are a starting point not a conclusion. Online assessments can be inaccurate, especially if you answered based on who you think you should be rather than who you actually are. That is more common than you might think. I always recommend using your results as a conversation starter rather than a definitive answer.
What if I don't resonate with my assessment results? This happens and it is not a problem. Sometimes the assessment reflects what has been driving you recently rather than your true core type. We explore this together and find your true type through conversation, not just a score.
Do I need to know my type before working with you? No. If you have taken an assessment before bring your results. We will use them as a starting point. Finding your true type is part of the work we do together across our sessions. It is a discovery that unfolds, layer by layer, as we go deeper.