Page 235 - Using the Enneagram System to Identify and Grow Your Leadership Strengths and Achieve Maximum Success

210 What Type of Leader Are You?

EXAMINE YOUR ISSUES WITH DEPENDENCY AND AUTONOMY This
stretch can be challenging, because you may not see yourself as
creating dependency or as offering too much autonomy to those
whom you regard highly. Start by asking yourself this question:
How have I become overly reliant on my strength? Next, ask your-
self this question: How am I overly reliant on my autonomy? Dis-
cuss your answers with someone whom you know well and
respect. Finally, examine how you may be demonstrating these
same tendencies in your team leadership by asking yourself these
questions: How am I causing some members to become depend-
ent on my strength? How am I acting overly reliant on the strength
of a few team members? What is the downside of my giving some
team members so much autonomy?

Enneagram Style Nines

Nine leaders build collaborative and cohesive teams
by aligning them around a common purpose and
concrete goals, expecting each person to contribute
individually and interdependently to both the work
of the team and a harmonious team climate.
Nines usually dislike elaborate or highly structured team archi-
tectures, perceiving them as too demanding and rigid. However,
Nines do like structured work processes that are predictable and
routine. Consequently, Nine leaders tend to clearly define team
processes in order to (1) let team members know what is expected
of them, (2) provide appropriate support for getting the work
done, and (3) minimize potential disagreements.
Nine leaders also contribute to the morale and well-being of
their teams through their easygoing and nonjudgmental interper-
sonal style. These same characteristics also help team members feel
comfortable voicing their opinions to Nine leaders, whether in
one-on-one conversations or during team meetings. The Nine’s
approach to leadership tends to be more facilitative than authori-