Page 216 - Using the Enneagram System to Identify and Grow Your Leadership Strengths and Achieve Maximum Success

Lead High-Performing Teams 191

customer. Encouraging participation and acting as the team’s
cheerleader, they coach, urge, and challenge team members on a
one-on-one basis, preferring not to say anything negative to some-
one in public for fear of damaging the morale of the individual,
the team, or both.
Anne is an example of an excellent Two leader:

Anne’s greatest strength as a team leader is in bringing
together a group of talented people and transforming them
into a community. Her team produced the best conference
in the organization’s history thus far, with a strong team
spirit that was dedicated both to producing a high-quality
event and to the members’ supporting one another in the
process. For example, Anne dedicated the first half hour of
every team meeting to a check-in, with team members
being given the opportunity to share what was happening
in both their work and their personal lives. With this foun-
dation of openness and mutual understanding, the team
thrived. Although Anne’s leadership style was to allow team
members to take the initiative and do their jobs well, her
behind-the-scenes influence could be felt in all aspects of
the work.

Although Twos can be quite forceful in setting direction, many
are uncomfortable with being in highly visible leadership roles and
having attention focused on them for extended periods of time.
When Two leaders receive commendations for work they have
done, they typically deflect the praise to their team as a whole, say-
ing that the achievement would not have been possible without
the efforts of the entire team. While this statement may be true, it
also minimizes the contribution, diminishes the stature, and
reduces the visibility of the Two leader. Twos prefer to work behind
the scenes, even when they are in fact at the center of activity. How-
ever, every team needs a leader who willingly acknowledges and
accepts a visible leadership role.