Page 289 - Using the Enneagram System to Identify and Grow Your Leadership Strengths and Achieve Maximum Success

Take Charge of Change 263

and so many people with different agendas to consider that the
Two worries that there is no way to satisfy everyone. If the tough
decisions they make generate anger in the organization, Two
leaders may feel that they haven’t done a good enough job or
that their hard work was unappreciated. This scenario is aggra-
vated when Twos believe that others are inappropriately influ-
encing the change effort or are undermining decisions that they
have made.
Most change efforts involve both positive and negative unantic-
ipated consequences. For Twos, who emphasize the impact of
change on people, the negative outcomes can be extremely dis-
heartening, especially if the Two leader has publicly vowed that
these negative outcomes would not occur. While some Twos are
equally adept at managing people and managing tasks, others
focus more on the former. As a result, employees may be very well
informed about and aligned with the change effort, but the Two
may pay less attention to the details of execution. Finally, Twos
often work themselves to exhaustion in the service of others, but
repress their feelings of fatigue until they either get sick or become
angry about all the demands placed on them.
Here’s an example of what happened when Sally was the human
resources manager for a small retail firm in her previous job:

Sally was part of a steering committee authorized to change
the company from a function-based organization to one
based on teams. At first, she supported the change 100
percent and used her enthusiasm to enlist others. However,
the company then brought in efficiency experts who decided
that the new change had to include a 15 percent reduction in
staff. Not only did Sally perceive these outsiders as
preempting the steering committee’s work, but she had to
lead the part of the change process that involved laying off
existing workers. Angry and frustrated, Sally did a mediocre
job of implementing the staff reduction process and quit two
weeks after the whole ordeal was over.