Page 83 - Using the Enneagram System to Identify and Grow Your Leadership Strengths and Achieve Maximum Success

62 What Type of Leader Are You?

the easygoing and comfortable work environment that Aaron
established, the members of his team knew that they would
be high performing even when the inevitable crises, changes,
and unexpected events came their way.

However, the Nine leader’s strength in creating cohesion can
also become a derailer. Because Nine leaders value harmony so
highly, they may be reluctant to take strong positions on project-
related issues or to assert themselves fully when teams need clear
guidance. Because Nines tend to avoid conflict for the sake of
keeping the peace, others often do not know just where the Nine
leader stands on an issue.
Nine leaders also need to pay attention to their tendency to pro-
crastinate. Their attention can easily become diffused, switching
focus from a high-priority work item to something else that is
much less important. This forgetting about the task at hand and
moving away from it can result in multiple items piling up on their
desks, creating bottlenecks in projects. Nines need to learn to
move things off their desks soon after these items arrive and to pay
less attention to small details that, while needing to be dealt with
at some point, are not worth creating project delays for.
There’s another side to Nine leaders when they drive for results,
as shown in the following story:

Although Marissa was well liked and was perceived as
competent by the members of her staff, they did not
perceive her to be the decisive leader they needed when
times got tough. When projects were running smoothly,
Marissa’s ability to share insights and bring people together
made her much appreciated. However, when conflicts arose
between team members, between the team and people in
other parts of the organization, or between Marissa and a
staff member, Marissa seemed to look the other way or with-
draw. Because of this, the team members began avoiding
conflict rather than put themselves in a situation where they