In a recent Conscious InSights episode, I sat down with Claire Williams and Pastor Stephanie Williams O’Brien to explore one of the most powerful frameworks I’ve used with leaders—the Enneagram. What followed was a rich, unscripted conversation about growth, identity, and what it takes to lead from a deeper place.
From Personality to Possibility: The Power of the Enneagram
At first glance, the Enneagram looks like another personality tool. But it’s not about labeling people or sorting them into types—it’s about waking up. As Claire shared, “Personality is the mask we put on to survive. The Enneagram helps us see that mask clearly so we can choose something more true.”
Stephanie called it a way of seeing the whole person—one that’s deeply aligned with spiritual and emotional integration. It’s not about boxing you in. It’s about freedom.
The Nine Types: Patterns with a Purpose
We walked through all nine types—the strategies we develop early in life to stay safe, get love, and find our place. Each has its own strengths, blind spots, and growth edge.
Claire explained how the types cluster into three “centers”:
- Head (5, 6, 7) — driven by thinking and fear
- Heart (2, 3, 4) — driven by emotion and image
- Body (8, 9, 1) — driven by instinct and control
Understanding your type is the doorway. It gives language to your internal patterns and shows where you tend to go under stress or in security. More importantly, it points to the real work ahead: unlearning what no longer serves you and reclaiming the parts of yourself you’ve disconnected from.
You Are Not Your Type
This came up again and again: the goal is not to become a “better seven” or “nail being a three.” It’s to grow beyond those survival strategies.
In Claire’s words:
“We all have a Lamborghini inside us, but most of us are stuck in first gear because our personality won’t let us drive any faster.”
Each type has paths of growth. You reclaim parts of yourself you left behind. You begin to operate from freedom instead of fear. And you learn how to lead from your whole self—not just the reactive parts that once helped you succeed.
Leadership, Wholeness, and the Inner Work
Stephanie reminded us that leading others starts with leading ourselves. “The best leaders I know,” she said, “do the work to be integrated. To know what’s going on inside them. That’s how you show up in a grounded, real way for the people you lead.”
We talked about using the Enneagram with teams—not as a gimmick or shorthand for behavior—but as a tool for empathy, trust, and deeper conversations. When people understand their own patterns—and each other’s—they work together differently. They communicate better. They soften. They see one another.
From Personality to Essence
The most beautiful part of the conversation came when we talked about essence. Beneath every type is something whole, creative, and deeply human. The Enneagram doesn’t give you something new—it helps you return to what’s always been true.
As I shared in the episode:
“The Enneagram doesn’t show you who to become—it helps you remember who you’ve always been.”
That’s the work: not fixing yourself, but coming home to who you really are—and leading from that place.
It’s like a flower that’s always been there, buried just beneath the surface. The petals don’t need to be forced open—they need the right conditions to bloom. The Enneagram helps create those conditions. It’s a reminder that your growth isn’t about striving—it’s about unfolding.
Further Exploration
If you’re ready to go deeper into your own Enneagram journey—whether for personal insight or leadership development—here are a few resources:
➤ Books: The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up by Beatrice Chestnut and The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
➤ Assessments: While there are many tools available, I most often recommend the RHETI (Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator) as a starting point. Other options include IEQ9 and the CPS Enneagram Compass.
If you’re curious how this applies to your leadership, your team, or your growth—reach out. I’d love to explore it with you.
Watch or Listen to the whole Conscious InSights episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts