Type 1 Leadership Style: Integrity and Excellence in Action

Leadership comes in various forms.

The Enneagram Type 1 leadership style can be referred to as the "Good to Great Leader" and brings an important blend of high standards, precision, and a commitment to doing what is right, always on the lookout for how to make themselves and their team better. 

In this article, you'll learn more about the strengths, potential challenges, growth opportunities, and the impact of Type 1 leaders on team members who may not share the same personality type. By understanding the dynamics of the Type 1 leadership style, you can foster a balanced and inclusive work environment that inspires collaboration and personal growth.

Read on to learn more about the anatomy of a Type 1 Leader.

Strengths of Type 1 Leaders: 

• Ethical and Responsible: Type 1 leaders excel in upholding high ethical standards. They are driven by a sense of responsibility and demonstrate unwavering integrity, inspiring their team members to follow suit.
• Attention to Detail: These leaders pay meticulous attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and precision in their work. Their commitment to excellence sets a high standard for quality and professionalism within the team.
• A Clear Vision and Structure: A Type 1 leader can create clarity and structure for their team. They articulate a clear vision, establish well-defined goals, and provide a framework for their team members to navigate projects efficiently.

Potential Challenges and Blind Spots:

• Struggle with Perfectionism: Type 1 leaders can become overly critical of themselves and others, striving for an unattainable level of perfection. This can lead to micromanagement and stunt the development of team members.
• Difficulty Embracing Change: These leaders may struggle with embracing change and adapting to new circumstances. Their adherence to rules and established systems can sometimes slow innovation and hinder flexibility.
• A Tendency toward Rigidity: A Type 1 leader typically has a strong desire for order and structure, which can result in a rigid approach. They may have difficulty embracing alternative viewpoints or accommodating unexpected changes.

Growth Opportunities for Type 1 Leaders

To continue to enhance their leadership effectiveness, Type 1 leaders can focus on the following growth areas:

Embracing Flexibility: Type 1 leaders can benefit from embracing flexibility and being open to alternative approaches. Cultivating adaptability allows them to navigate change more effectively and foster a culture of innovation.

Balancing High Standards with Empathy: A Type 1 leader can work on balancing their pursuit of excellence with empathy for themselves and their team members. Recognizing and appreciating effort and progress, rather than solely focusing on outcomes, promotes a positive work environment.

Delegating and Trusting Others: These will need to learn to delegate tasks and trust their team members' abilities. Empowering others fosters growth, encourages autonomy, and enables the leader to focus on strategic initiatives.

For additional opportunities, study Type 1s resource points, Type 4 and Type 7, to see what behaviors and qualities they can pull in to enhance their leadership style. 

Potential impact on their team:

Positive impacts

1. High standards and accountability: Type 1 leaders have a strong sense of personal integrity and uphold high standards of excellence. They set clear expectations and hold themselves and their team members accountable for meeting those standards, fostering a culture of responsibility and quality.
2. Attention to detail and precision: A Type 1 leader pay meticulous attention to detail and emphasize accuracy in their work. This level of precision can contribute to error reduction, quality improvement, and a focus on delivering high-quality outcomes.
3. Ethical decision-making: These leaders typically prioritize ethical considerations and adhere to a strong moral compass. They make decisions based on principles and fairness, fostering a sense of trust and integrity within the team.
4. Continuous improvement: They have a natural inclination for identifying areas of improvement and implementing changes. They strive for ongoing learning, seek innovative solutions, and encourage the team to pursue continuous improvement.

Negative impacts

1. Perfectionism and rigidity: The strong desire for perfection and adherence to rules can sometimes lead Type 1 leaders to be overly rigid and inflexible. This may hinder creativity, adaptability, and the ability to explore alternative approaches.
2. Tendency to micromanage: Type 1 leaders' attention to detail and desire for perfection can manifest as a tendency to micromanage. This level of control can undermine trust, hinder autonomy, and limit opportunities for team members to take ownership of their work.
3. Harsh self-criticism and criticism of others: Type 1 leaders may exhibit a strong self-critical nature, which can extend to others on the team. Their focus on identifying mistakes and flaws may create a culture of excessive criticism that can be demotivating and hinder psychological safety.
4. Resistance to change: Due to their preference for established rules and procedures, Type 1 leaders may be resistant to change or new ideas. This resistance can hinder innovation, adaptability, and the exploration of alternative approaches.

It's important to remember that the impact of a leadership style can vary depending on the specific context, the composition of the team, and the project at hand. A balanced approach that combines the natural gifts and strengths of the Type 1 leadership style with an awareness of potential challenges and blindspots can help maximize their positive impact and lessen the negative impacts. 

Every person is unique. Factors like childhood experiences, race, culture, birth order, socioeconomic status, education level, religion/spirituality, family dynamics, and more, all impact how a person's personality and strategies for navigating life show up in the real world. Understanding yourself, or someone else, through the lens of the Enneagram simply gives you a starting point to begin to better understand and support yourself and others. 

Sarah Wallace is the owner and lead trainer at Enneagram MBA, the host of the Enneagram MBA podcast, an Enneagram Certified coach, and a workshop facilitator for teams and groups. Learn more about Sarah and her approach with the Enneagram here. 

(Pictured above is from the Navigating Change and Stress Using the Enneagram presentation and breakout experience with the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center team. This was a follow-up training following their initial Enneagram overview retreat day earlier in the year).

WHAT'S NEXT?

If you lead a team or plan to host an event where you'd like the Enneagram to be shared through the lens of leadership and team building, learn more about the presentation and workshop options below:

https://www.enneagrammba.com/enneagram-team-workshops