The Instincts Issue: Understanding People #016

🎙️When Quitting is Powerful🎙️

"Winners never quit."

Or do they?...

What if quitting didn't mean you were giving up, but rather shifting your attention on something more important?

In this week's Enneagram MBA podcast interview you'll hear from former Creative Director turned Business Coach for Creative Entrepreneurs, Tiffany Napper, Type 4, on her own story to becoming more powerful and successful by quitting. A few years ago, she closed the doors on all 5 of her businesses in order to make space for the work she's doing, and thriving in, now.

If you're faced with the quitting question yourself, I hope hearing Tiffany's story helps you make a decision either way.

When you tune in, you'll also hear about:

• finding joy in your business or career journey again
• when it might be time to quit
• being a successful multi-passionate entrepreneur
• the secret to starting more than one business
• deciding what to focus on next
• why you shouldn't turn every hobby into a business
• the importance of self-awareness as a business owner
• why curiosity is key in leader

🍨 How Your Instinctual Bias Flavors Your Enneagram Type 🍦

Did you know that there are three different types of “flavors” for each Enneagram type?

Last week, we took things back to Enneagram 101 and looked at what the core driver is for each type 

Today, we’re going in deeper and looking at the three Enneagram Instincts that can impact how your dominant type behaves in order to get that core desire met.

These three instincts have been one of the most eye-opening parts of the Enneagram in my own journey, so I’m excited to introduce them to you (or dig in a bit deeper with you if you’re already familiar).

The Enneagram Instincts come from our fundamental needs as humans and our evolution - surviving as an individual (basic needs met), surviving as a species (mating, pushing life forward), and surviving as a herd (social intelligence).

Inside the Enneagram framework, these pieces are used to help us identify what matters most to us - and other people in our lives. Like the nine Types, we have all three Instincts inside of us too, but there will be specific stacking for each of us:

Dominate Instinct

Supporting or Neutral Instinct

Neglected Instinct

The way they’re stacked impacts our work and personal lives and influences:

• what interests us
• what we see as important
• what we spend our time on
• what skills we develop
• skills we tend to neglect
• and who we get along with (or don't!)

I'll share at the end inside the P.S. which one I most identify with, but first, which one resonates most with you?

Sources: Instinctual Leadership, Mario Sikora; Art of Growth podcast, Instincts and Subtypes episode, December 30, 2019; The Complete Enneagram, Beatrice Chestnut

💰 The Preserving Instinct

If your dominant Instinct is Preserving, it's likely you tend to be focused on getting your physical needs met and preserving resources. If this is your neglected strategy, it doesn't mean you can't do these things, it just doesn't come as easy or natural.

Your key priorities revolve around well-being, security, and the maintenance of both of those.

See below for a few common Preserving behaviors you might notice show up at work.

🍁NEW FALL OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER 🍂

🔨 Bring the Enneagram to a team retreat or company holiday party with a Dream Team or Selling with Personality workshop here.

📖 Dedicate time to study yourself and learn how to leverage your personality to make a change in your life or at work inside Next Chapter sessions here.

🎤 Host an Enneagram topic at your fall conference or 2023 event with topics like The Ways We Lead here.

🎁 Give a gift with personality. Share an "Enn Focus" Enneagram session gift card with a co-worker, friend, or family member here.

🚀 The Pioneering/1:1 Instinct

If your dominant Instinct is Pioneering, it's likely you tend to be focused on leaving a legacy and will be more open to risk-taking. If this is your neglected strategy, it doesn't mean you can't do these things, it most likely just won't come as easy or natural.

Your key priorities revolve around attracting/broadcasting, risk-taking, and emersion/fusion.

See below for a few common Pioneering behaviors you might notice show up at work.

🤝The Teaming/Social Instinct

If your dominant Instinct is Teaming, it's likely your focus goes to group dynamics and your status in it first. If this is your neglected strategy, it doesn't mean you can't do these things, it most likely just won't come as easy or natural.

Your key priorities revolve around reading people/interpreting, bonding/affiliating, and a contribution to others.

See below for a few common Teaming behaviors you might notice show up at work.

Where did you land?

Did one Instinct stand out to you more than the others? Remember, just like with Types, there is no "best" Instinct.

With these different focuses it makes sense why at work or in relationships miscommunication can happen so easily.

But, the more we understand where we're coming from as well as the person in front of us, navigating conflict can be less intense or long-lasting.

If you're new to Understanding People - Welcome! I'm glad to have you and be connected over here. You can catch up on past issues here.

If you're a returning Ennsider - I'm glad you're back! Thanks for being here.

If you know of anyone else that would be helped by this week's issue, please share this one with them.

Enjoy your weekend! See you next week, 

Sarah - Enneagram MBA

P.S. I identify as a Social/Teaming Type 7, which is the counterype. It's explained SO much more about my personality and why I don't always resonate with the stereotypical Seven behaviors. The insight has also helped me (once I finally listened) make some pretty big changes in my work to be able to use more of the qualities that came natural, making my business more fun and successful.

P.S.S. If know your Type, but still aren't sure which Instinct is the dominant one for you, this is one of the things we can dive into inside an Enn Focus session.

When you book, you'll get access to the Enneagram Institute's Instinctual Variant Assessment and then have 50-minutes for me and you to dig into what the results mean for you and how to apply it to your personal growth and professional development journey. And remember, this is the final weekend to get an Enneagram mug of your choice included when you book your spot!