To become an entrepreneur, you must be willing to research and learn how to become a great and successful entrepreneur. One way to accelerate your journey is to utilize the Enneagram to better understand how your personality type can thrive as an entrepreneur.
Enneagram entrepreneur types will thrive differently depending on their unique characteristics associated with their personality. There are nine Enneagram types therefore, each personality type possesses different strengths, weaknesses, and stressors, all of which affect your entrepreneurial journey.
Keep reading more to learn about each Enneagram Type, why the Enneagram is such a powerful resource, and how each type can thrive as an entrepreneur.
Why Is The Enneagram For Entrepreneurs So Powerful?
The Enneagram is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs because it provides unique insight into each personality type’s:
- Feelings
- Behaviors
- Thought Patterns
Understanding these three aspects of your personality will strengthen your awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, habits, mindset tendencies, and overall personality.
Entrepreneurs are often their own worst critics; therefore, being mindful of the false narratives about yourselves that you may be creating about yourself, a situation, or your potential is powerful. Awareness of these tendencies can help keep your mindset and decisions in a healthy place.
The Enneagram provides vital information that entrepreneurs can use to keep from being blindsided by their weaknesses and practice intentionality to exercise their strengths.
To summarize, the Enneagram for entrepreneurs is so powerful because it can help you in three primary ways:
The Enneagram Provides Insight Into What Motivates Your Personality Type
The Enneagram uses the concepts of behaviors, fears, and motivators, to explain and differentiate each personality type. Insight into how your type, and the other types, will likely think, feel, and act is incredibly helpful to an entrepreneurial leader for building relationships and making decisions.
Entrepreneurs Can Use The Enneagram To Increase Their Success Rate
Strengthening your awareness of the strengths and motivations of your type is critical. Entrepreneurs who are aware of their strengths can better utilize their skillset to create a noticeable impact on their business, their team, and their customers.
Entrepreneurs Can Use The Enneagram To Reveal Hindering Blindspots
It’s sad that many people live without having any idea of their weaknesses. However, humility and vulnerability can open your eyes to your weaknesses. Knowing your blind spots can help ensure you do not ignore the red flags hurting your relationships and business.
You can work towards bettering yourself and growing your business more healthily. Ignoring your weaknesses will create more stress for you, increasing the challenge of growing your business. Plus, when entrepreneurs accept their weaknesses they can more quickly delegate and avoid hindering blind spots.
Self-awareness is a powerful asset that can determine how well you thrive and succeed as an entrepreneur. Next, you’ll discover how each Enneagram Type can thrive as an entrepreneur based on the traits and characteristics of their personality.
How Can Entrepreneurs Use The Enneagram To Thrive Based On Their Personality?
Enneagram Type 1: The Improver
Enneagram Type 1’s wants to create change by improving or fixing a problem. They hold tightly to their morals, which influences their desire to make things better or right in their eyes.
Many consider Elon Musk to be a quintessential type one. For example, Elon Musk strongly reacted to what he believed was wrong with NASA and invested his money to create the Falcon 9 to provide safe transportation into space with reusable rockets.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram One Entrepreneur
The motivation of an Enneagram One is to possess integrity and demonstrate virtue. As entrepreneurs, they will seek to provide quality and value to earn respect from those they serve. They will take their role seriously and expect the same from others on their team.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Type Ones are also known as “The Perfectionist” and value the fine details necessary to a task or service. Although they can be serious, this is because they are optimistic about how they can provide improvement for their audience. They also excel because of their commitment to their beliefs and core values.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Types Ones tend to become overly critical of themselves and others, especially if work or results are below their standards. Lacking self-awareness of their perfectionistic behavior can negatively affect their relationships and cause others to perceive them as smug. If unhealthy, they can prioritize correctness over care for people and believe that everyone else is wrong.
Enneagram Type One Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Ones prefer order. They have a low tolerance for messiness, corruption, and low standards. In response to these stressors, they can become moody, irritable, burnt out, and withdrawn from others.
Their moodiness will become apparent through their hostility towards others and sarcasm. These responses can surface because things are not going their way, or they feel as though they are being taken for granted and underappreciated.
Entrepreneurial Enneagram Type Ones can lower their stress by focusing on the positives, asking for help, and finding something to laugh about with a friend or someone they trust.
Enneagram Type 2: The Helper
Enneagram Two’s known as the helper. They are always willing to assist and provide support when others ask or if they sense there is a need. Type Two’s can use their warm, giving, people-centered demeanor to solve problems by building strong relationships.
Type Two’s may become drawn toward philanthropists and activists because they want to serve people and give back financially. An example of someone like this is the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Cohen, who created a nonprofit that helps advertise social and environmental justice.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Two Entrepreneur
The motivation of an Enneagram Two is to feel appreciation, love, and desirable. As Entrepreneurs, they will seek to provide the same honor, care, and value that they desire to receive from others. For them, it’s all about mutual respect and validation.
Strengths To Utilize
Type Two’s are great small talkers who are pretty observant and great listeners. They can give others undivided attention, show that they genuinely care about what the other person is saying, and value their opinions. Traits such as these are great for entrepreneurs when it comes to networking because they will be able to form mutually respectful relationships with others.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
If Type Twos feel there is a relational hindrance, they can become clingy, needy, and sensitive in an attempt to restore the relationship. These characteristics can especially surface when others give constructive criticism. Enneagram Two’s can interpret the difficult feedback as a personal attack.
Enneagram Type Two Entrepreneurs And Stress
Without awareness, Type Twos will likely become overwhelmed and burnt out from being available for too many people. Also, if respect and time are not reciprocal, they can feel like they are being taken for granted.
When these stressors happen, they are likely to become the opposite of how they like to portray themselves to be, which is more aggressive and blunt when responding to others.
Twos must acknowledge their need for validation and set clear boundaries to control stress. Twos must also prioritize their own needs and be sure to schedule time away from the needs of their clients to take care of themself.
Enneagram Type 3: The Achiever
Enneagram Threes are often overachievers who like to work with a clear goal in mind. Threes can use their adaptability, networking skills, and ability to plan to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. Many consider Oprah Winfrey an enneagram type three; she is ambitious, driven by high vision, and adaptable. She has successfully used these attributes to accumulate a net worth of over two billion dollars.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Three Entrepreneur
An Enneagram Type Three’s motivation is to be admired and acknowledged by others. They want to know that others value their work, consider it excellent, and appreciate their effort.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Threes are confident and charismatic individuals who can hold a conversation which makes them great at networking and building partnerships. They have a drive for success and can use their enthusiasm to motivate others to perform and to get things done.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Three’s are pretty hard on themselves if things do not go their way. They have a competitive spirit that can blind their self-worth and treatment of others. Also, because they so strongly want to be admired, they can become chameleon-like in their relationships to win over others. They can also overthink and waste time worrying about how others perceive their worth.
Enneagram Type Three Entrepreneurs And Stress
Three’s hate to lose. If they are not succeeding at something or do not see any progression, they can become impatient and self-defeated. Under stress, Threes can become overly sensitive and procrastinate by being busy-bodies.
Because Threes are innovative and hardworking, they have little patience for others who do not possess the same qualities.
Threes should practice venting their frustration and identifying their feelings to prevent burnout and overwhelm. Three’s should find a small group of people they feel safe expressing themself with and who will push them toward transparency. These people can also provide honest feedback and encouragement to remind the Three of the successes they have already accomplished.
Enneagram Type 4: The Individualist
Enneagram Type Fours are expressive individuals that strive for authenticity at every level. Fours can use their creativity and ability to inspire to compel their entrepreneurial efforts. Fours are also courageous people – tapping into this characteristic will be helpful to those who are pursuing a dream or building a business.
Fours can also use their openness to new ideas to evaluate opportunities and build robust avenues of income and possibility.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Four Entrepreneur
Enneagram Fours want to know, trust and believe they are unique, special individuals. Therefore their work is a great opportunity to capitalize on their ability to express ideas and challenge others toward growth.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Fours are quite imaginative, innovative, and creative individuals. They use their ideas, skills, and talents to express themselves. Type Fours can use their emotional IQ to measure how best to communicate with others. They can also lean into their open-mindedness to explore new ways of doing things, opportunities, services, and even marketing effectiveness.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Fours use their emotions to interpret situations and make decisions. They must be aware of becoming overly sensitive when it comes to constructive criticism or misinterpreting others’ words and actions. Fours can also become unproductive if they fall short of an idealized image or goal. Bearing this weakness in mind, it’s important for a Four to practice regulating their emotions.
Enneagram Type Four Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Fours will experience stress if their creativity is blocked, forced to “fake” being happy when they are upset, if others dismiss their feelings or when criticized.
When a Four experiences those stressors, instead of expressing their feelings, they tend to dwell on them and bottle up their emotions. Instead of expressing themselves, they will fake contentment to make others happy.
Enneagram Fours that choose to become entrepreneurs can stay in a healthy state of emotions by expressing their feelings with a trustworthy friend who will not be dismissive or make them feel inferior.
Enneagram Type 5: The Observer
Enneagram Fives are observant and analytical. They are knowledgeable, love to figure things out independently, and can tend to keep to themselves. There is a long list of famous and successful Type 5 entrepreneurs ranging from Albert Einstein, Thom York, Tim Burton, and Bill Gates.
Enneagram Fives can use their curiosity to build expertise in a specific niche of an industry. They can allow their inventive behavior to offer helpful solutions to real problems customers experience. Their perceptive nature allows them to simultaneously hold space for complex ideas to help ensure that the best ideas and solutions are implemented.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Five Entrepreneur
Type Fives are motivated by a desire the be capable, self-sufficient, and entirely competent. Entrepreneurial pursuits that allow you to balance time between research and sharing your ideas to help others are ideal.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Fives pay attention to details, can separate emotions from decisions, and are analytical. These qualities can help them get through challenging situations. Their objectivity and wise insights can aid when making difficult decisions.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Enneagram Fives tend to become less empathetic and will follow what they perceive as logic as opposed to their feelings. Their demeanor can often become off-putting, causing others to perceive them as apathetic or condescending.
Enneagram Type Five Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Fives experience stress when they feel their personal space is being invaded. And, when unaware, they will dive deeper into isolation and detachment in hopes of recovering. The problem with this is too much disconnection can keep them from maintaining healthy relationships with key partners, customers, and friends.
Enneagram Fives can prevent this by managing their time and personal space and carefully scheduling time for it. Fives can also alleviate stress by participating in physical activity, a sport, or a hobby. These efforts will also help them to re-energize, connect with others, and focus on something less stressful.
Enneagram Type 6: The Loyalist
Enneagram Type Sixes are loyal and committed individuals who do all they can to provide the best possible solutions. They are detail-oriented and prefer to offer solutions with sequential and practical processes.
An Enneagram Six can use their ability to prepare to build a strong foundation to support their entrepreneurial endeavors. Because they prioritize safety, sixes can establish a secure business that serves others by carefully assessing opportunities and growth trends. Their commitment to people and preference for team-based collaboration can help them create a healthy environment for individuals to thrive.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Six Entrepreneur
An Enneagram Six’s motivation is to feel safe and secure within their environment and with others. Sixes will work hard to provide supportive relationships and services to offer viable, tested, and safe solutions for their target market.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Sixes are hard-working people who remain committed to their word and values. They also prefer routine and sticking to a schedule. Sixes are punctual, respectful of others’ feelings, and intensely loyal.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Sixes can become overwhelmed with worry and anxiety if their thoughts about the future are not kept in check. Sixes can also become overly suspicious of others, causing them to label people as either allies or enemies.
Enneagram Type Six Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Sixes will experience stress if their environment is disorganized, chaotic, and lacking structure. Simple mistakes and disregarding details are frustrating to a six, especially when they can see how to prevent these issues. If their stress is unmanaged, they can spiral into worst-case scenario thinking, which can overshadow their business’s greater goals and purpose.
Sixes can manage the stress created from their work by learning to trust themselves based on experience and logic. They can also practice mindful exercises to de-escalate their worry and re-focus their attention. It is important for Type Six Entrepreneurs to maintain friendships with others where they can be honest, accountable, and have fun.
Enneagram Type 7: The Enthusiast
Enneagram Type Sevens, also known as the visionary, are fun, on-the-go, enthusiastic individuals. They prefer activity, social interaction, and to have excitement around them. They are spontaneous by nature. An example of an Enneagram Type Seven could be Russell Brand, Richard Branson, and the late Robin Williams. Many consider it possible for these to be a type 7.
Enneagram Sevens can use their spontaneous nature and positive outlook to pursue their entrepreneurial vision and to compel others to be a part. Their friendly demeanor and energetic personality can inspire others to invest, buy, or participate in their ventures.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Seven Entrepreneur
Enneagram Type Sevens what to be happy. They are motivated by a desire for excitement, to feel free, and to live without restraint. Sevens can use their optimistic outlook to inspire their vision and to remain hopeful that their vision will come to pass.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Sevens can use utilize their extroversion to create meaningful relationships with others. They are also creative and able to anticipate future needs. This ability allows them to make early decisions that prepare their business for a growth curve.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Sevens can become easily distracted and suffer from “shiny object” syndrome. This will cause them to be scattered, unorganized, and constantly chase the next big thing. This disruption in goals and planning can prevent progress and demoralize others involved. Sevens must practice being aware of their motives and addressing why they want to change direction.
Enneagram Type Seven Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Sevens will feel stress in their entrepreneurial journey if they feel that their pursuit for freedom is challenged or hindered. A seven will exhibit impulsivity, black-and-white thinking, and overly critical of others.
Enneagram Sevens can manage stress by leaning into important relationships, practicing trusting others, asking for help when necessary, and acknowledging with others have hurt or betrayed your trust.
Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger
Enneagram Type Eights, The Challenger, prefer independence and autonomy and are willing to take responsibility for their performance. They are authoritative by nature and can thrive as entrepreneurial leaders. Enneagram Eights like to move at a fast pace, make quick decisions, and are willing to use their influence to help those who are vulnerable or without power.
Enneagram Eights can use their leadership skills and intuition to provide solutions and solve problems. Eights are typically resilient individuals with strong instincts that can trust their gut on their entrepreneurial journey.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Eight Entrepreneur
Enneagram Eights are motivated by independence and exercising control to protect themself. Eights are not afraid of confrontation or standing up for their beliefs.
Strengths To Utilize
Enneagram Eights are strong-willed and can use their charisma to be persuasive. On the surface, they can manage stress and channel their passion for creating solutions. Their confidence can guide them toward assertiveness and leading when others are unsure or find it difficult to make a decision.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Enneagram Eights are independent by nature; being told what to do or how to do something can be challenging for them and cause others to withhold important feedback. Because Eights find it easy to make decisions, they can disregard others’ opinions or think their way is best. They have a hard time seeing others’ perspectives and, when lacking awareness, can become domineering and egocentric.
Enneagram Type Eight Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Eights experience stress when they feel they cannot control a situation or outcome. During stress, Eights will downplay their emotions, seclude themselves, and struggle with anger.
Eights can better manage their stress by having open and honest conversations and taking time for themself. Also, they must practice vulnerability with others, lowering their guard to admit when they feel weak or helpless. Eights can take time to journal areas they want to release control and acknowledge they are incapable of doing it all.
Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker
Enneagram Type Nine Entrepreneurs are empathetic and supportive individuals that can mediate between parties to provide desirable solutions. Type Nines are known as The Peacemaker and can manage complex relationships, remain patient, and trust the process.
Enneagram Nines are likable, understanding people that others find easy to get along with and to trust. Type Nine’s can use their mediating skills to identify solutions that alleviate stress and problem areas for their ideal client.
The Motivation Of An Enneagram Nine Entrepreneur
The core motivation of an Enneagram Nine is peace. Nines want to provide stability and maintain connectedness with others. This desire makes them tremendous problem-solvers who are willing to consider multiple perspectives and solutions to create happy customers.
Strengths To Utilize
Nines can remain calm and open-minded in almost any situation. They are patient, genuine, and understanding. Because they can synthesize information to find commonalities among different groups, they make excellent peacemakers. Their ability to empathize is a great asset as an entrepreneur because they can relate to their audience’s pain points and seek to provide the best solutions.
Weaknesses To Be Aware Of
Enneagram Nines may avoid conflict to keep the peace. However, this is problematic for a nine because frustration and aggression can mount within them, causing them to overcommit or become reactive. They must also monitor their assertiveness to express their wishes; if not, they can disregard their own desires for the sake of others.
Enneagram Type Nine Entrepreneurs And Stress
Enneagram Nines experience stress if they feel pressure from others to make a decision or take action if they do not feel ready. Under stress, Nines bottle up their thoughts and feelings, causing them to over-fixate on worst-case scenarios. When Enneagram Nines stay in a place of stress, they become anxious, passive-aggressive, and commit to things they do not want to do.
Type Nines can overcome stress by expressing their opinions when discussing options with clients or team members. They can also practice reminding themself of their value. For Nines, setting goals and adhering to a schedule can help them remain productive while avoiding unnecessary pressure.
Relevant Practices For Entrepreneurs, Regardless Of Your Enneagram Type
Becoming an entrepreneur is not an overnight success. It takes hard work, dedication, and patience to get to a level where you are not only financially stable for yourself, but your business is thriving, and you can take care of those helping you run your business. Along with the apparent challenging and lengthy amounts of work it takes to become an entrepreneur; additional factors are relevant to each Enneagram type.
Some of these ways include:
- Developing a positive mental attitude
- Use failure and rejection as a motivator
- Set realistic goals
- Continue learning
- Maintain a support system
- Maintain and actively practice a work-life balance
It is difficult, in any career, to maintain a successful career. For entrepreneurs, especially, it is great for the economy, but it is difficult to start up and maintain a successful business; however, as many others prove, it is possible.
Each Enneagram Type is capable of being a successful entrepreneur. And there are several aspects that all successful entrepreneurs learn to practice, regardless of their Enneagram type.
Six Necessary Attitudes To Succeed And Thrive As An Entrepreneur, Regardless Of Your Enneagram Type
1. Develop a Positive Mental Attitude
There are days when it will be difficult, and you may want to give up, but developing a positive mental attitude can help shift your mindset. This attribute does not mean ignoring your bad days but does require you to not dwell on negative emotions too long.
Positive affirmations and believing in yourself are excellent practices because if you can’t do that, it will be difficult for others to believe in you.
2. Use Failure and Rejection as a Motivator
Failure and rejection are a part of the entrepreneurial process. It is going to happen. Rather than getting upset and wanting to give up, use it as a motivator to assess what works.
Readjust and commit to a new plan to reach your goals and better your business. Like many other successful entrepreneurs, they’ve had to deal with failure and still do.
3. Set Realistic Goals
Set realistic, obtainable goals that you can achieve. Establishing smaller goals that guide you toward your dreams can keep you on track. Small manageable goals that prioritize your effort in the right direction will get you closer to dreams one step at a time.
4. Continue Learning
Knowledge is vital, so continue to learn. Active learning is essential for anyone, no matter what business or field they are pursuing. Leaders are willing to learn, understanding that things change. Every Enneagram Type that wants to become an entrepreneur must be willing to be adaptable and humble enough to grow.
5. Maintain a Support System
Many entrepreneurs can attest to the value of having a great support system. Having people that help or encourage them along the way. Every Enneagram Type needs feedback, reassurance, and positive input to help them thrive, especially those who choose to become entrepreneurs.
6. Maintain and Actively Practice a Work-Life Balance
Maintain and actively practice a work-life balance. Each Enneagram Type has specific triggers and responses in times of stress and growth. Everyone has a limit to how much they can do and take before it becomes overwhelming.
Maintaining a work-life balance, prioritizing health, and establishing healthy practices can prevent burnout from creeping into your life and sabotaging your entrepreneurial dreams.
Establishing work-life balance early in your journey will help you develop healthy rhythms and practices.
Final Reminder For Using The Enneagram As Entrepeneurs
Utilizing the Enneagram can help each type thrive as an entrepreneur. Understanding your motives, recognizing your responses to stress, capitalizing on your strengths, and supporting your weaknesses are essential for every person that embarks on an entrepreneurial journey. With greater self-awareness, you can better serve others and enjoy the ride as an entrepreneur.
Enneagram Entrepreneur Sources:
