Who am I? For most of us, knowing the answer to this existential question can be challenging, but for Enneagram Type 3 leaders, the answer is often entirely elusive. These performers can easily project different personal images, depending on the situation and how they want to be perceived. Yet, they risk losing themselves in their relentless mission to be ‘the best’.
At Trilogy Effect, we use the Enneagram framework with our clients to help them identify their worldview and for them to see how this influences their behaviors and reactions. It’s a useful tool to help leaders grow through self-awareness and to surface untapped potential in their teams.
There are nine Enneagram Types grouped into three centers of intelligence (head, heart, belly). When successfully leading others, each Type will engage all three centers, even though he or she will begin with the preferred and most trusted center.
Enneagram Type 3 is heart-centered. This leader tends to be empathetic and attuned to people and dynamics. Also known as The Achiever, Type 3s are focused on producing and performing. They are driven to seek the attention and admiration of others, and they do this by being successful or ‘the best’.
“They figure out what is desired for a given situation, and then they prepare, practice and are ready to perform,” explains Trilogy Effect Managing Partner Heather Marasse. “Enneagram type 3 wing 2 leaders are motivated to outshine everybody to prove their value. Achieving is everything, and failure is never an option.”
Enneagram Achiever
Enneagram 3s are drawn towards business careers, and they're natural leaders. They tend to be highly skilled in discerning what's valued by others, and they are chameleon-like in providing the same. It’s this gift that makes Type 3s successful in sales, marketing, public relations and communications.
As heart-centered leaders, Enneagram 3s come across as beautifully authentic. They are willing to be personal and they are compassionate.
“When they are at their best, Type 3 leaders easily connect with the truth of what’s going on around them,” says Mary Beth Sawicki, Partner at Trilogy Effect. “They're willing to get personal and communicate with authenticity. They keep it real. “
Healthy 3s can stop spending their energy in striving to achieve and instead use it to bring out the best in others. They're very talented at seeing people's potential and in coaching them towards business success.
The Achiever Enneagram
But it’s not always easy being a 3; they can be workaholics or suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. Because they equate their intrinsic value with what others mirror back, there’s a risk of getting caught in a tragic cycle. They become so busy performing to meet the expectation of others, that they can lose the sense of who they are.
“We once worked with a Type 3 leader who said, ‘I’ve got it all. I've got the job. I've got the family and big house; I've got all the toys I could ever dream about. And yet, why do I feel so empty inside?’” says Heather. “He was exhausted from performing, performing, performing without rest. With increased self-awareness, he was able to drop the mask and reconnect his true self and focus on what mattered in his life.”
“They need to slow down. It’s shocking how many Type 3s never take a vacation, or they keep working during time off,” says Trilogy Effect Partner Wendy Appel. “They need to take some of their focus off ‘achieving’ and place it on more heart-centered endeavors such as building strong relationships.”
Once Type 3 leaders make this shift, they can step out of the spotlight and allow others to shine. They can move past efficiency goals towards greater effectiveness for all. They understand their own real value and learn that of others.
Healthy Enneagram Type 3 leaders know that being human is good for business.
Are you an Enneagram Achiever? Learn about how the Enneagram can help your organization develop great leaders. Contact us to set up a call.