Mar 16
/
Aleta Maxwell
How the Enneagram Transforms Team Dynamics (And Why It's the Most Practical Assessment I've Ever Used)
I've been using personality assessments with teams for over a decade.
DISC. Myers-Briggs. Clifton StrengthsFinder. Hogan.
I've used them all. But there's one assessment that stands out above the rest. One that I've never seen fail to create a breakthrough moment for teams.
The Enneagram.
I was recently interviewed and was asked about the work I do with executive teams to raise emotional intelligence and improve collaboration.
My answer? The Enneagram.
Because here's what I've learned after years of facilitating this work:
The Enneagram doesn't just help people understand themselves. It gives teams a shared language for navigating stress, conflict, and communication in real time.
And that's what makes it so powerful.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you've ever taken a personality assessment and thought, "That's interesting, but what do I actually do with this?"—you're not alone.
Most assessments give you insight. But they don't always give you application.
The Enneagram is different.
It's not just about labeling your personality type.
It's about understanding:
And here's the kicker:
I've never had a client take the Enneagram assessment and not say, "This is 100% me."
That level of accuracy is rare. And it's what makes the Enneagram so immediately useful.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
The real magic of the Enneagram happens at the team level.
✓ Teams experiencing conflict or communication breakdowns
✓ High-performing teams who want to collaborate even more effectively
✓ Any team that wants to raise emotional intelligence, strengthen collaboration, and work together with more empathy and awareness
_____________________________________________
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Enneagram doesn't label people.
It builds understanding.
And when teams truly understand each other—when they see the "why" behind how people show up—judgment turns into curiosity. Conflict turns into collaboration. And differences become strategic advantages.
That's the foundation of high-performing teams.
Not just working together. But working better.
_____________________________________________
READY TO BRING THE ENNEAGRAM TO YOUR TEAM?If you're ready to transform how your team communicates, collaborates, and shows up for each other, I'd love to talk.
Our Enneagram Workshop for Teams is designed to create lasting awareness and real behavior change—not just a one-time conversation.
📩 Book a free consultation to explore how this workshop can support your team's growth.
This isn't a sales call. It's a coaching conversation to see if we're the right fit.
DISC. Myers-Briggs. Clifton StrengthsFinder. Hogan.
I've used them all. But there's one assessment that stands out above the rest. One that I've never seen fail to create a breakthrough moment for teams.
The Enneagram.
I was recently interviewed and was asked about the work I do with executive teams to raise emotional intelligence and improve collaboration.
My answer? The Enneagram.
Because here's what I've learned after years of facilitating this work:
The Enneagram doesn't just help people understand themselves. It gives teams a shared language for navigating stress, conflict, and communication in real time.
And that's what makes it so powerful.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHY THE ENNEAGRAM IS DIFFERENT
If you've ever taken a personality assessment and thought, "That's interesting, but what do I actually do with this?"—you're not alone.
Most assessments give you insight. But they don't always give you application.
The Enneagram is different.
It's not just about labeling your personality type.
It's about understanding:
- What drives you — Your core motivations and needs
- What stresses you — How you show up when you're unhealthy or under pressure
- Your superpowers — What you bring to the table when you're operating in your healthiest state
- Your blind spots — The patterns and behaviors that hold you back (or create friction with others)
And here's the kicker:
I've never had a client take the Enneagram assessment and not say, "This is 100% me."
That level of accuracy is rare. And it's what makes the Enneagram so immediately useful.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TEAMS DO THIS WORK TOGETHER
The real magic of the Enneagram happens at the team level.
Because when everyone on a team understands their own type and each other's types, the entire dynamic shifts.
Here's what I see happen again and again:
1. Self-Awareness Increases in Real Time
Once you know your Enneagram type, you start recognizing your patterns as they happen.
Let me give you a personal example.
I'm an Enneagram Type 1. When I'm healthy, I'm focused, disciplined, and driven by doing things well.
But when I'm stressed or unhealthy, I become rigid, black-and-white, and tunnel-visioned on "the right way" to do things.
Before I understood this about myself, I didn't see it happening. I just reacted.
But now?
When I feel myself getting rigid or overly critical, I recognize it. And I can pause and ask myself: "Do I want to keep acting this way, or do I want to choose something different?"
That's the power of self-awareness.
You gain choice.
And choice is what allows you to lead—and live—more intentionally.
2. Judgment Turns Into Empathy
Here's what happens on most teams:
Someone shows up in a way that frustrates you.
You make an assumption about why they're acting that way. And that assumption usually isn't generous.
"They're being difficult."
"They don't respect my time."
"They're trying to undermine me."
But when you understand the Enneagram, you realize:
Most conflict at work isn't personal. It's unconscious.
People aren't showing up that way because they're trying to frustrate you.
They're showing up that way because they're stressed, operating from their unhealthy patterns, or driven by motivations you don't share.
Once you understand why someone shows up the way they do, judgment turns into curiosity.
Frustration turns into empathy.
And instead of leaning back and avoiding them, you lean in—because you see it's not about you.
It's about them navigating their own stress.
That shift changes everything.
3. Teams Get "Call-Up" Moments Instead of Big Sit-DownsOne of my favorite parts of doing Enneagram work with teams is creating what I call "call-up" moments.
Here's how it works:
Once a team understands each other's types, they agree on code words or phrases they can use to gently call each other up when someone's operating from their unhealthy patterns.
Instead of letting frustration build or scheduling yet another "we need to talk" meeting, teams can address things in the moment - quickly, kindly, and without drama.
For example:
These moments don't require long explanations or repeated sit-downs.
The shared language makes it fast, clear, and safe.
And that's what allows teams to actually get work done—instead of getting stuck in unresolved tension.
4. Collaboration Becomes Strategic, Not AccidentalWhen teams understand each other's Enneagram types, they stop seeing differences as obstacles.
They start seeing them as strategic advantages.
You learn:
Instead of everyone trying to work the same way, teams leverage each person's strengths—and support each other's growth areas.
That's when collaboration becomes intentional.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
A REAL EXAMPLE: TWO TEAM MEMBERS IN CONSTANT CONFLICT
Let me share a story from my corporate days as Chief Human Resource Officer.
I had two team members who were constantly in conflict. They couldn't get on the same page for anything. Every meeting turned into tension. Every project became a battleground.
I brought in the Enneagram, and we did the work together.
Here's what we discovered:
One of them was a Type 1 (like me)—driven by doing things "the right way," focused on standards and accuracy, and frustrated when things felt sloppy or inconsistent.
The other was a Type 7—driven by possibility, quick to move on to the next idea, and frustrated by what felt like unnecessary rigidity.
Neither of them was wrong.
But they were operating from completely different motivations. And they were both taking the other person's behavior personally.
Once they understood each other's types, everything shifted.
The Type 1 realized: "She's not being careless. She just processes differently than I do."
The Type 7 realized: "He's not trying to slow me down. He just needs more structure to feel confident."
Judgment turned into grace.
Conflict turned into collaboration.
And instead of being each other's obstacle, they became each other's support system.
That's the power of the Enneagram.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT OUR ENNEAGRAM WORKSHOP INCLUDES
If you're thinking, "This sounds amazing, but how do we actually make it happen?" - here's how we structure our Enneagram workshops for teams.
This isn't a one-and-done training. It's designed to create lasting awareness that teams can use every single day.
Here's what's included:
✓ Comprehensive Enneagram Assessment
Each team member completes an in-depth assessment through the Cloverleaf Platform—going beyond surface-level personality typing to understand core motivations, stress patterns, communication styles, and leadership tendencies.
✓ 1:1 Coaching Session
Before the team workshop, I meet individually with each participant to review their results in a confidential setting. This allows people to gain clarity, ask questions, and intentionally choose what they want to share with the group—creating psychological safety and buy-in.
✓ Guided Team Workshop
We bring the team together for a facilitated conversation around:
✓ 30 Days of Ongoing Insight All participants receive full access to the Cloverleaf Platform, which delivers daily, personalized awareness reminders for 30 days. These insights help team members better understand each other—reinforcing empathy, communication, and real-time application long after the workshop ends.
The result?A shared language. Deeper trust. And a more conscious, collaborative team culture—where differences are no longer friction points, but strategic advantages.
____________________________________________
WHO THIS IS FOR
Our Enneagram workshop is ideal for:
✓ Newly formed leadership teams who need to build trust and psychological safety quickly
✓ Executive teams navigating change, growth, or restructuring
Here's what I see happen again and again:
1. Self-Awareness Increases in Real Time
Once you know your Enneagram type, you start recognizing your patterns as they happen.
Let me give you a personal example.
I'm an Enneagram Type 1. When I'm healthy, I'm focused, disciplined, and driven by doing things well.
But when I'm stressed or unhealthy, I become rigid, black-and-white, and tunnel-visioned on "the right way" to do things.
Before I understood this about myself, I didn't see it happening. I just reacted.
But now?
When I feel myself getting rigid or overly critical, I recognize it. And I can pause and ask myself: "Do I want to keep acting this way, or do I want to choose something different?"
That's the power of self-awareness.
You gain choice.
And choice is what allows you to lead—and live—more intentionally.
2. Judgment Turns Into Empathy
Here's what happens on most teams:
Someone shows up in a way that frustrates you.
You make an assumption about why they're acting that way. And that assumption usually isn't generous.
"They're being difficult."
"They don't respect my time."
"They're trying to undermine me."
But when you understand the Enneagram, you realize:
Most conflict at work isn't personal. It's unconscious.
People aren't showing up that way because they're trying to frustrate you.
They're showing up that way because they're stressed, operating from their unhealthy patterns, or driven by motivations you don't share.
Once you understand why someone shows up the way they do, judgment turns into curiosity.
Frustration turns into empathy.
And instead of leaning back and avoiding them, you lean in—because you see it's not about you.
It's about them navigating their own stress.
That shift changes everything.
3. Teams Get "Call-Up" Moments Instead of Big Sit-DownsOne of my favorite parts of doing Enneagram work with teams is creating what I call "call-up" moments.
Here's how it works:
Once a team understands each other's types, they agree on code words or phrases they can use to gently call each other up when someone's operating from their unhealthy patterns.
Instead of letting frustration build or scheduling yet another "we need to talk" meeting, teams can address things in the moment - quickly, kindly, and without drama.
For example:
- A Type 8 (The Challenger) might say to a Type 9 (The Peacemaker):
"I need you to push back on me here. I know you're conflict-avoidant, but I need your honest opinion."
- A Type 3 (The Achiever) might recognize they're steamrolling the conversation and pause to ask:
"Am I doing that thing where I'm moving too fast? Let me slow down."
These moments don't require long explanations or repeated sit-downs.
The shared language makes it fast, clear, and safe.
And that's what allows teams to actually get work done—instead of getting stuck in unresolved tension.
4. Collaboration Becomes Strategic, Not AccidentalWhen teams understand each other's Enneagram types, they stop seeing differences as obstacles.
They start seeing them as strategic advantages.
You learn:
- Who needs time to process before making a decision (and who prefers to decide quickly)
- Who thrives in structure (and who needs flexibility to do their best work)
- Who brings visionary thinking (and who keeps the team grounded in execution)
- Who naturally builds relationships (and who drives results)
Instead of everyone trying to work the same way, teams leverage each person's strengths—and support each other's growth areas.
That's when collaboration becomes intentional.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
A REAL EXAMPLE: TWO TEAM MEMBERS IN CONSTANT CONFLICT
Let me share a story from my corporate days as Chief Human Resource Officer.
I had two team members who were constantly in conflict. They couldn't get on the same page for anything. Every meeting turned into tension. Every project became a battleground.
I brought in the Enneagram, and we did the work together.
Here's what we discovered:
One of them was a Type 1 (like me)—driven by doing things "the right way," focused on standards and accuracy, and frustrated when things felt sloppy or inconsistent.
The other was a Type 7—driven by possibility, quick to move on to the next idea, and frustrated by what felt like unnecessary rigidity.
Neither of them was wrong.
But they were operating from completely different motivations. And they were both taking the other person's behavior personally.
Once they understood each other's types, everything shifted.
The Type 1 realized: "She's not being careless. She just processes differently than I do."
The Type 7 realized: "He's not trying to slow me down. He just needs more structure to feel confident."
Judgment turned into grace.
Conflict turned into collaboration.
And instead of being each other's obstacle, they became each other's support system.
That's the power of the Enneagram.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT OUR ENNEAGRAM WORKSHOP INCLUDES
If you're thinking, "This sounds amazing, but how do we actually make it happen?" - here's how we structure our Enneagram workshops for teams.
This isn't a one-and-done training. It's designed to create lasting awareness that teams can use every single day.
Here's what's included:
✓ Comprehensive Enneagram Assessment
Each team member completes an in-depth assessment through the Cloverleaf Platform—going beyond surface-level personality typing to understand core motivations, stress patterns, communication styles, and leadership tendencies.
✓ 1:1 Coaching Session
Before the team workshop, I meet individually with each participant to review their results in a confidential setting. This allows people to gain clarity, ask questions, and intentionally choose what they want to share with the group—creating psychological safety and buy-in.
✓ Guided Team Workshop
We bring the team together for a facilitated conversation around:
- Accountability and ownership
- Unhealthy patterns and stress behaviors
- Communication breakdowns and blind spots
- How to intentionally use each person's "superpowers" to strengthen the team
✓ 30 Days of Ongoing Insight All participants receive full access to the Cloverleaf Platform, which delivers daily, personalized awareness reminders for 30 days. These insights help team members better understand each other—reinforcing empathy, communication, and real-time application long after the workshop ends.
The result?A shared language. Deeper trust. And a more conscious, collaborative team culture—where differences are no longer friction points, but strategic advantages.
____________________________________________
WHO THIS IS FOR
Our Enneagram workshop is ideal for:
✓ Newly formed leadership teams who need to build trust and psychological safety quickly
✓ Executive teams navigating change, growth, or restructuring
✓ Teams experiencing conflict or communication breakdowns
✓ High-performing teams who want to collaborate even more effectively
✓ Any team that wants to raise emotional intelligence, strengthen collaboration, and work together with more empathy and awareness
_____________________________________________
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Enneagram doesn't label people.
It builds understanding.
And when teams truly understand each other—when they see the "why" behind how people show up—judgment turns into curiosity. Conflict turns into collaboration. And differences become strategic advantages.
That's the foundation of high-performing teams.
Not just working together. But working better.
_____________________________________________
READY TO BRING THE ENNEAGRAM TO YOUR TEAM?If you're ready to transform how your team communicates, collaborates, and shows up for each other, I'd love to talk.
Our Enneagram Workshop for Teams is designed to create lasting awareness and real behavior change—not just a one-time conversation.
📩 Book a free consultation to explore how this workshop can support your team's growth.
This isn't a sales call. It's a coaching conversation to see if we're the right fit.
Aleta Maxwell
I've spent years studying and developing communication skills specifically for leadership and the workplace. Conflict prevention and resolution is fundamental in leadership development and I coach leaders to develop key skills and tools to help their team excel.
If you'd like to develop these skills, there's several ways I can help!
> Read my book "Uplifting Leaders! How to have difficult conversations that motivate and inspire". This is a great first step as this book is packed with real life examples from my years of experience along with key tips and tricks to navigating difficult conversations in the workplace.
> Schedule some one-on-one coaching with me to develop a specific plan for you to reach your maximum potential.
> Bring me into your team to assist with team communication strategies. This looks like group coaching with individual coaching as needed.
> Sign up for one of my online development courses. These courses are designed for employees and leaders to develop key skills at their own pace.
> Schedule a one day or multi-day workshop for your company to present key ideas that will help the leadership team grow in their skills!
Uplifting Leadership
We are committed to developing emerging leaders in the workplace. We have a passion to see all employees, from entry level to executive level, maximize their potential and we believe in everyone's ability to master the soft skills needed to move up in their careers.
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