The Enneagram personality framework has had the biggest impact on my business, family and personal development.

I recognize from the outset of any conversation I have with people about the Enneagram that I may come across as selling in a multi-level marketing scheme. I’m ok with that. 

What works for me doesn’t necessarily work for you. I get it. 

But after eight years of exploring the Enneagram and introducing dozens of people to it, I’m convinced that it’s the most robust of all personal development frameworks.

My wife and I have read books, taken courses and worked with an Enneagram coach to learn how to apply the framework to our family and our business. It has helped both of my sons understand themselves and has given them more confidence to live into their personalities. It has also made us better parents and provided us with tools to support and nurture our boys’ growth.

It’s changed the way that our business partnership works and given us much more freedom, and less confrontation, within the roles that each of us play in the business we own together.

This is why I like the Enneagram:

• It leaves space for the reality that we’re all a blend of personality types.
• It provides clear examples of how we operate when we’re at our best and when we’re not operating at our best. 
• It addresses how each personality type interacts with the others and provides best practices for dealing with each of them.
• The more you learn about the framework the more empathy you have for the people in your life.

The final point is the big one for me. Relationships simultaneously create the most joy and the most stress in our lives. Growing in empathy for those we are close with improves the relationship and tips the scales in favour of joy.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Enneagram there are a ton of resources online. The best concise overview and resource I’ve found is this Reddit post. If you want to dig into a book on the Enneagram, The Wisdom of the Enneagram is a good place to start.