Page 231 - Using the Enneagram System to Identify and Grow Your Leadership Strengths and Achieve Maximum Success

206 What Type of Leader Are You?

ferent activities related to the vision. However, these continual
additions may feel overwhelming to team members and may cause
the team to lose focus on essential work.
Finally, Seven leaders may feel that they end up supplying all
the new ideas for their teams and may hunger for their team mem-
bers to take more initiative. The irony is that team members may
not be contributing ideas because the Seven leader has so many
new suggestions and presents them so quickly that members do
not have time to think through their own ideas or find it difficult
to get “air time.”
Here is Francesca’s report of her own idea-generation process:

“I get so excited by new ideas—once I think of one idea,
more keep on coming. Two weeks before a team project is
due, I have 12 items on my to-do list, which I write down but
rarely use. Two days before the project is due, I have 20
items on my list. I just can’t say no to a good idea. My team
members say I wear them out with last-minute changes and
additions, and that I delay projects. Sometimes I even wear
myself out!”

Development Stretches for Sevens

ACCEPT THAT YOUR JOB IS TO LEAD FROM A CLEARLY DEFINED LEAD-
ERSHIP ROLE Although you may prefer teams that are egalitarian,
they can still be egalitarian with you in a clear leadership role.
Embrace a leadership role from the start. Many Seven team lead-
ers act more like team members in the beginning; this can make
the inevitable and necessary shift to a more authoritative role more
difficult.

CREATE MORE TEAM STRUCTURE AND PROCESSES THAN YOU YOUR-
SELF NEED Encourage the members of your team to tell you how
much structure they need beyond what you currently provide. By
honoring these requests, you’ll create more safety in the group