The Nine Types of Leaders (Head, Heart & Hands)
My first love gave me a Claddagh ring shortly after I left university, in Ireland. We broke up for various reasons and this was her parting gift. It also doubled up as a 21st birthday gift. Knowing that we would not exchange wedding bands, she wanted me to have this. It’s a beautiful ring with a depiction of head, heart and hands.
Years later, in San Francisco, that depiction of head, heart and hands took on another special meaning for me. I was going through a rough patch – one of the roughest. I was trying to work it all out and make sense of my life; trying to “think” my way through my difficulties. During that time, a counsellor told me that I needed to “drop the two feet” from my head to my heart. I remember looking at the heart in my Claddagh ring and making a promise to do just that. Well, more of a “mental note” as that was all I could manage at the time. Heartfelt commitments were simply out of my range.
The Claddagh ring is a beautiful representation of the three centers of our human experience and intelligence centers: the head (rational), the heart (feeling) and the body (gut). As I learned first-hand, when we live more in one of these centers to the detriment of the others, we can be off balance and get into trouble. At the very least, we deny ourselves a fuller life.
Likewise, leaders must integrate these three intelligence centers to be effective and stay ahead of the game. According to the Enneagram, there are three types of head leaders, three types of heart leaders and three types of action leaders, resulting in nine main types.
Below are brief descriptions of the nine types of leaders from the Enneagram. The full descriptions contain more detailed information regarding the motivation, blind spots, defense mechanisms, vulnerabilities, values, strengths and development areas for each type. You may see yourself in several of these, but what defines the type is the core motivation or focus of attention.
The nine types of leaders and their core focus areas are:
The Perfectionist focuses on doing things right. This type of leader focuses on quality, making things as perfect as they can be, being ethical, playing by the rules and applying high standards.
The People Person focuses on the needs of others. This type of leader wants to please others and meet their needs in a helpful and supportive way. They focus on being liked, creating relationships, and strategically supporting others.
The Achiever focuses on productivity and performance. This type of leader is a “doer” and tends to be efficient and productive. They often project the image of someone who is successful, competent or a “winner”.
The Intense Creative focuses on emotions. This type of leader searches for meaning, depth and authenticity. They often focus on their internal experience and on expressing themselves so that people will understand and see them as being unique. They are often very creative.
The Specialist focuses on facts and data. This leader is typically a private individual and more comfortable operating on the intellectual level as opposed to the emotional level. They are objective, analytical, and often like to work independently.
The Trouble Shooter focuses on what can go wrong. This leader tunes into potential danger and risks, forecasting problems before they happen so they can prepare for them ahead of time.
The Enthusiast focuses on the future and innovation. This leader focuses on new ideas and planning for the future, often seeking stimulation and fun. This leadership style brings creativity, energy and optimism.
The Controller focuses on results, power and control. This type of leader has a strong presence and personality that values being in control and making things happen. They prefer big-picture thinking to figuring out the details. They have an easier time dealing with conflict and confrontation than some of the other types.
The Peacemaker focuses on harmony. This type of leader is diplomatic and attuned to the ideas of others. They lead by consensus, wanting to make sure everyone is heard and different points of view are considered.
The Three Centers
While we all operate out of all three centers, the center that includes our main personality type (our Enneagram number) is typically our dominant center. Below are the leadership types in the three categories.
Head leaders (types FIVE, SIX and SEVEN) are mainly concerned with security and survival. Their control tower is the mind. They substitute thought for authentic contact with reality and often hide their vulnerable or tender feelings. They believe that they can be fully present to “what is” with their minds. Getting out of this mind trap is their biggest challenge. At higher expressions they have quieter minds, non-attachment and more authenticity.
Heart leaders (types TWO, THREE and FOUR) need affection and esteem. Ironically, they may be less in tune with their own feelings while they are very much aware of other people’s feelings. The need to help, achieve or create is often for the purpose of getting the approval of others. They are often outwardly self-confident but much less so on the inside. At higher expressions they are more fully connected and at peace with themselves and others.
Gut leaders (types EIGHT, NINE and ONE) are concerned with power and control and feel things instinctually. When things go wrong EIGHT’s fight back, NINE’s back off, and ONE’s try to fix, reform, and control reality. At higher expressions these leaders are more grounded, less reactive and at the same time more fully alive.
Why does all this matter?
Self-awareness is the single most important meta-skill a leader can have in order to do great work. Knowing what type of leader you are and what your primary centers are will provide you with a map of how to move from your reactive to your creative settings. The Conscious Leadership Group calls this Above and Below the Line. The Enneagram contains a detailed above and below the line map (higher and lower expressions) for each of the nine types. As we move to a higher level of leadership, we need to access all the centers and some of the qualities of the other types. Doers become thinkers, feelers become doers, thinkers become feelers. Also, leaders who are responsible for culture and business transformations (vs. just delivering financial returns) MUST do the work of self-development as they cannot lead the business at a level higher than their own development, self-awareness or consciousness. For leaders willing to work it, the Enneagram delivers on this.
My type is SEVEN (Enthusiast) which makes me a thinker by default. We like excitement and variety precisely because it allows us to avoid our own feelings. SEVENs are also great at building networks and alliances. While this makes SEVEN leaders very positive, it also can prevent us from focusing on the details or following through – especially when working in default mode or under stress. Those who know me (or worked with me) will probably resonate with this!
And as for that two-foot journey from head to heart that my counselor pointed me to? It is still a work in progress – but a really good one these days. My Claddagh ring is still on my finger after all these years; maybe to remind me that the work is never really done. My old friend, Claire, is coming to New York next week on business. We plan to meet up after all these years.
If you are interested in this work and you want to discover your type, there are lots of free options on the internet. I would not recommend them as they can easily mistype. Instead, I wholeheartedly recommend the iEQ9 from Integrative Enneagram Solutions. It is highly reliable and built especially for business leaders. There are three pricing levels for taking the assessment on their website. Check it out at https://www.integrative9.com/GetYourType .
Please reach out if you would like to discuss.