The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace
by: Paula Ketter
Join ATD Kentuckiana on Tuesday, July 25, to discuss the effective use of the Enneagram personality model in business applications. For details visit atdky.org.
In the past few years, mindfulness and other approaches to self-awareness have made their way into workplace vernacular. Beatrice Chestnut, a psychotherapist, uses her new book to explain how to apply a personality framework to solve people problems on the job quickly and efficiently. (Beatrice Chestnut, 2017, Post Hill Press.)
According to Chestnut, "This book is written for people who are open to the idea that the first and main challenge involved in being a good or great leader is waking up to what's happening in the present moment and coming to know yourself in a deeper and more meaningful way."
The personality framework used in The 9 Types of Leadership—The Enneagram Model of Personality—is a business tool that can help make sense of differences among people, providing information on the varied ways that humans operate in the world. Each of the book's chapters details one of the nine personality types—the reformer, the helper, the achiever, the individualist, the investigator, the loyalist, the enthusiast, the challenger, and the peacemaker—to help readers understand why people do what they do, why we have conflicts with some people, and how we become aware of our blind spots. Most importantly, it can help leaders understand themselves in a deeper way so they can more effectively lead others.
Chapter 13 will help you put the Enneagram tool to work in your organization. This chapter answers the questions: "If I decide to use the Enneagram, what do I do? How do I proceed? How do I use it to ensure the best return on my investment?" Chestnut outlines how to use the framework in leadership and professional development by talking with chief learning officers, HR executives, CEOs, chief information officers, and others. Their stories describe their professional growth after using the model.
Along with how to use the Enneagram framework for learning and development, Chestnut highlights how to use it to develop better working relationships, understand team dynamics, and create a culture of conscious professionalism.
The term "mindfulness" can cause some skepticism among leaders. It is a soft skill that is hard to quantify and brings questions as to how leaders can be successful when using different self-awareness approaches. Chestnut sees it a different way: "I believe the Enneagram can support you on your adventure of accessing a deeper level of personal awareness so you can liberate yourself from the limiting constraints of your habitual patterns and work to manifest to your highest potential."
Reprinted with permission, © 2017 Association for Talent Development