Understanding the interplay between your Enneagram type and The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership can be a game-changer in your journey towards becoming a more effective and conscious leader. Each Enneagram type tends to find certain commitments more challenging than others.
What is Ennegram?
The Enneagram is a powerful and nuanced tool for self-awareness and transformation. It categorizes personalities into nine types, offering insights into our core motivations and fears. These in turn impact how we lead and collaborate.
Understanding your Enneagram type can help you navigate The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. This guide sheds light on the commitments that might be more challenging for each type and offers targeted resources for overcoming these hurdles. Focus on your type’s these commitments to support you in living and leading above the line.
Quick Links
Type 1 - The Reformer
The Type One is on a journey to move from judgment to acceptance. Commitments that may be particularly challenging include:
Commitment 2: Be curious when you want to be right
- Commitment #2 Meditation – This meditation supports you in letting go of being right, and embracing the idea of curiosity.
- Read: What could possibly be better than being right?
Commitment 3: Feel feelings (especially anger)
Commitment 7: Appreciate the way things are now before reforming
4A Meditation: Acknowledge, Allow, Accept, and Appreciate – Our co-founder Jim Dethmer leads a meditation to help you come all the way to appreciating a difficult situation
Commitment 9: Rest and play more!
Play a quick game about taking things seriously.
Type 2 - The Giver
The Type Two is on a journey from pride (I don’t have needs) to humility. Key commitments include:
Commitment 1: Take only 100% responsibility
Read: Going Deeper with The 15 Commitments: Conscious Leaders Embrace Discomfort to learn more about where your tendencies to jump in and save might be coming from (and what to do instead)
Commitment 4: Reveal your needs and wants
Practice speaking unarguably (revealing physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts) to make this simpler and smoother
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside
- Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 14: Creating a win-for-all means there must be a win-for-you
Read: 5 Steps to Create Win-For-All Solutions (step one: be radically selfish!)
Use The Art of Whole Body Visioning to get clear on what a win-for-you looks like (there’s a guided audio included also)
Type 3 - The Achiever
The Type Three is on a journey from vanity (image) to authenticity. Essential commitments involve:
Commitment 3: Feel your feelings, especially your sadness
Commitment 4: Reveal your authentic thoughts and feelings versus concealing them
Get the basics, fast by watching: Candor: Are You Revealing or Concealing?
Deepen with a short meditation about candor. “I commit to saying what is true for me.”
Commitment 9: Value rest and play as you achieve
Play a quick game about taking things seriously.
Read: The Art of Stop: A Lesson in Conscious Leadership from one of San Francisco’s Finest
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside
- Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Type 4 - The Individualist
The Type Four is on a journey from envy (longing for what’s missing) to equanimity (knowing what is here is sufficient and being balanced with emotions). Commitments that may be particularly challenging include:
Commitment 1: Take 100% responsibility for your circumstances without blaming yourself or others
Use this handout to learn how you are the creator of your experience (in a playful way).
Commitment 8: Work in your Zone of Genius
Commitment 9: Value not taking things too seriously
Play a quick game about taking things seriously.
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside
- Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Type 5 - The Observer
The Type Five is moving from avarice (beliefs in scarcity) to non-attachment. Key commitments include:
Commitment 3: Feel your feelings
Listen to this guided meditation to be more aware of your feelings in the moment and feel them to completion.
- Read: The Cognitive Emotive Loop: What it is, Why it Keeps you Stuck, and How to Break Free
Commitment 4: Reveal yourself and let others know what you think and feel personally
Get the basics, fast by watching: Candor: Are You Revealing or Concealing?
Practice speaking unarguably (revealing physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts) to make this simpler and smoother
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside
- Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 12: Experience that you have enough of everything
- Listen to this meditation for a path to a direct experience that you have enough of everything.
Type 6 - The Loyal Skeptic
The Type Six is on a journey from anxiety to courage. Important commitments for them may be:
Commitment 9: When things seem serious, find a way to play with it
Play a quick game about taking things seriously.
Commitment 10: When skeptical, see how the opposite of your story is at least as true
This meditation guides you through the work of Byron Katie and supports you in releasing your judgments as true.
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside
- Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 13: Practice seeing everyone and everything as an ally
In this meditation our co-founder Jim Dethmer guides you to see how all of life is an ally and for you.
Watch an example of how to discover how something “negative” can be an ally.
Type 7 - The Enthusiast
The Type Seven is on a journey from seeking endless new experiences to finding fulfillment in the present moment. For Sevens, crucial commitments likely involve:
Commitment 3: Feel your feelings, especially fear and other uncomfortable ones
Commitment 6: Only make agreements that you have a Whole Body Yes to
Listen to this Whole Body Yes meditation and/or visualization
Learn to make impeccable agreements.
Commitment 8: Work in your Zone of Genius
Read: Living in Your Genius: The First Question You Need to Ask
Committing to your zone of genius is a courageous act. Watch this video to learn why, and what it takes to make the commitment.
Commitment 12: Experience that you have enough of everything, now
- Listen to this meditation for a path to a direct experience that you have enough of everything.
Type 8 - The Challenger
The Type Eight is on a journey from a need for control and intensity to embracing vulnerability and gentleness. Important commitments for them may be:
Commitment 3 Feel your feelings, especially the vulnerable ones like hurt and fear
Commitment 10: See how the opposite of your story is at least as true
This meditation guides you through the work of Byron Katie and supports you in releasing your judgments as true.
Commitment 11: Seek approval, control and security from the inside
- Use this meditation to redirect where you source your sense of approval, control, and security from.
Commitment 13: See that all people and circumstance are your allies
In this meditation our co-founder Jim Dethmer guides you to see how all of life is an ally and for you.
Watch an example of how to discover how something “negative” can be an ally.
Type 9 - The Mediator
The Type Nine are on a journey from avoiding conflict to asserting their own voice. Key commitments for Nines include:
Commitment 3: Commit to feeling your feelings, especially your anger.
Commitment 4: Reveal your needs and wants, even if it might cause conflict
Get the basics, fast by watching: Candor: Are You Revealing or Concealing?
Commitment 8: Express your full magnificence
Commitment 9: Remember to play with what seems serious
Play a quick game about taking things seriously.
Ready to Grow?
In exploring these potential blind spots, remember to approach yourself with acceptance and curiosity. Start small, choose one commitment to focus on over the coming weeks, and use the linked resources to help you practice.
If you’re looking for more support, we’re here for you.
If you’re just getting started with The 15 Commitments, join an Conscious Leadership Foundations course.
Don’t know your Enneagram type? We recommend professional typing with our sister organization, The Enneagram Group.
Want more personalized support? Our 1:1 coaches are all trained to use the Enneagram interwoven with the 15 Commitments.
We also offer Enneagram workshops for organizations.
