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How to Find Your Enneagram Type

Sep 14, 2021

Don’t know where to start with understanding and using the Enneagram? Start here! :)

This video was inspired by a question/comment I received over on Instagram. If you’re new to the Enneagram too, you might also be thinking the same thing.

You’ll learn 3 ways to start to uncover your dominant Enneagram type, plus a bonus tip if you want to find it more quickly and more accurately.

1) One way to start finding your type: Take an Enneagram test.

Not all tests and quizzes are created equal or will give you 100% accurate results so don't get married to whatever it tells you. Instead, use the information as clues to start to narrow down your top types. 

A free-version you can try out is the Truity quiz. I use this with my large group presentations. It's short and sweet and you'll get a fun visual of the test results at the end.

https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test

A paid test I use with my 1:1 clients is the Enneagram Institute RHETI Test. It's a 144 questions and takes around 30 minutes to complete so it is thorough :) Which means, your results are that much more accurate, but you will still most likely need to keep exploring your top 2-4 to finally land on your type:

https://tests.enneagraminstitute.com/ 

2) Another way: Read a book about the Enneagram

Only you can find your type. Even if you take a quiz, there's still going to be some additional research needed to accurately find and confirm your dominant type. 

There is no shortage of Enneagram books out there, so I would recommend looking around your local bookstore and pulling up Amazon to see all the options and picking the one that calls to you. 

There's two I'll recommend below for getting started:

What’s Your Enneatype? by Liz Carver and Josh Green 

This is a great beginner guide with lots of colors and images to help explain concepts, and easy to understand explanations. Some of this Enneagram theory can get heavy, but the authors keep it simple and speak like they're talking to you over coffee. 

The 9 Leadership Styles: by Beatrice Chesnut

There's a ton of great information in here about how to apply the Enneagram at the workplace. It goes through each type's leadership characteristics, strengths, blindspots and ideas for growth. There's also a section for how to thrive on a team - both how to contribute best based on your type and what to keep in mind about others who have different values and personalities. 

3) And another way: Listen to Podcasts 

There's no shortage of content on social media and blogs for helpful descriptions of the types that will help you increase your knowledge about the different ones. You're probably already following a few accounts, (if we're not connected let's be! find me on Instagram or Linkedin), so I'm going to share a few podcasts that you may not yet be aware of to add to your Enneagram education. 

The Art of Growth The Art of Growth (formerly the Enneagram Panels Podcast) is dedicated to seeing people end patterns of self sabotage and fulfill their potential. We see the world differently and to get there we need a better understanding of ourselves and those around us. We work to develop wellness patterns for individuals and teams.

Enneagram and Coffee - Enneagram and Coffee is the podcast dedicated to discussing the beautiful and hard parts of working with the enneagram. We focus on understanding the enneagram and using it as a tool for self-compassion.

Typology  - Typology features interviews with thought leaders from every sphere of life, including renowned Enneagram authors and teachers, psychologists, theologians, artists, business leaders, neuroscientists, philosophers, and more. In other words, we’ll be talking with people who are trying to become the best version of themselves in the world.

The Road Back to You - This weekly podcast, hosted by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile, looks at life through the lens Enneagram, an ancient personality type system that describes how human beings are wired. 

Enneagram MBA - (of course I have to put my own in here :)) - For aspiring and growing entrepreneurs and high achievers who know they are capable of playing bigger. If you're wanting to identify your strengths, find your purpose, do work that matters, and create a ripple effect that goes beyond yourself - you're in the right place! Each week, you'll hear about tips, strategies, tools to help you get to know yourself, get to know more people with your gifts and purpose.

If you're just getting started in your Enneagram journey, I'd recommend listening to this one first:  Crash Course on the 9 Types episode 

 Bonus ways for uncovering your Enneagram type:

2-Question Quiz: This comes from The Wisdom of the Enneagram book by Riso and Hudson 

Download the Find Your Enneagram Type Workbook that outlines each type, so you can rank each one and start to uncover which one most resonates with you

Book a Know Your Number Session where we’ll review your assessment results and talk about how to use the information moving forward. Working with a Certified Enneagram Coach (hi, there!) can help you more quickly and accurately nail down your type and start understanding ways to put it to work in your business and life. 

 

Unlike, so many of the other "personality tests" out there, the typing process is an important part of the journey. So much growth can happen from asking yourself new questions and reflecting on what feels most true for you. 

 

Happy typing! 

 

Interested in bringing an Enneagram Coach into your organization for a workshop or presentation? Find more examples of topics here to get a better feel for my style and potential topic ideas:

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

 

 

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