Welcome to the Enneagram MBA Podcast, a show for aspiring and growing entrepreneurs and unfulfilled employees who know they are capable of playing bigger. If you are wanting to identify your gifts, 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 get resources, strategies, and support to help you get to know yourself, to get to know and understand others like your future clients, and help you get known so that you can reach more people with your gifts and purpose. So grab your notebook or open up your notes app, and I will see you in class. Today we are getting into a grouping. So we have covered our conflict. At this point, we have covered um the energy that we bring to going after what we want. There's a grouping with that. And then today we're getting into what you might have heard um as subtypes or instinctual variants in the Enneagram world. But really, what we're talking about is our natural instincts. So what are those our CEO, if you will, our natural leadership instincts? And how do we use lean into our dominant one? And then how do we incorporate the other three? And if you've listened to the other episodes on this, um, you you will have noticed there is a theme of identifying which one we are, and then looking for ways to lean into that for sure, and then also to bring in the other two energies to also help us. We have them inside of us anyway, so we might as well find them and start to use them and help kind of balance out maybe that dominant type to become a more um integrated, kind of fuller um leader individual, um, show up for fuller in our relationships. And so today we are getting into those natural instincts. And the three instincts that we're going to go over, I'm gonna break them down for you. Um, I'm gonna give you what the Enneagram terminology is, and then I'm also going to share um maybe a business title to put on it, not title, I don't know, a business label to put on it and a I know maybe an easier way to help you remember what they are, although um one of them is sexual. So we everyone always remembers that one. But um the three types, and they kind of relate to our um instincts as like a human being. So here's what I mean by that. So the first one is this self-preservation energy. And in the business world, this is you can think of this as preserving energy, and where you're kind of thinking, how can we preserve our energy, our resources, um, to get to where we want to go? And if you think about how humankind started out, um, we very much are focused on preserving the self, ensuring that we have enough food, water, shelter in order to for us as an individual to survive. The next group is what they call sexual. Um, sometimes they won't say that in the corporate or business world. So they'll call it kind of one-on-one, one-to-one energy. Um, I love, I listen to the Art of Growth podcast as well. It's another resource I very much recommend. I love those hosts. Um, and they have referred to this energy as the pioneering energy. It's a little bit more, it's it's it's more aggressive, more future focused, more um risk, willing to take a risk. And we're gonna talk more about what each of these means. But as it relates to the life of humankind, this is where we're thinking, okay, we're taking care of ourselves as an individual. Now, in order to keep the species going, we have to mate, right? We're gonna come together with that, with that intense one-on-one, um, looking for intimacy, connection type of energy as a species to procreate and continue the species. And then the last one is called social. Um, and this is can also be called um teaming energy. Um, and this is where we have our, we've preserved ourselves, we are procreating, and now we have kind of up-leveled and are looking at ways to be a part and survive, not just as an individual and not just as a species, but survive as part of the tribe. Um, and so those in this category are it comes more natural for them to kind of think of the world through this social energy lens. And we're gonna get more into what each of those are. Um, but that's the general overview of it. And I have found that even if you don't understand what your Enneagram type is, or you are looking for ways to use the Enneagram with someone or people who don't yet know their dominant type, that sometimes is a process. We have talked about that multiple times, just about that that typing process is very much part of the journey. And sometimes it's much more than just taking a quiz and getting your results. You definitely don't want to get married to those results, especially those like five-minute free quizzes, but they do offer clues. What I have found though is that um even if you don't want to, you know, get into the typing or somebody doesn't know yet what their type is, these um natural instincts types can really spur some interesting questions, especially in your relationships, with your friendships, um you know, with anybody, um, because there's only three. And then um there's so much understanding that can come from understanding which lens somebody is seeing the world through predominantly based on these three types, because if you have somebody who has this self-preservation energy and they're really focused on, you know, their body, maintaining their home. Um, and then you have somebody who's more social, seeing the world through the social lens and want to be outside and um, you know, maybe more extroverted and not to say that it's it's based on introverted or extroverted, but just kind of had to think about that. It's like you can see then it's like they're okay with maybe spending more money on going out to dinner or going to an event because that social aspect is so important where that self-preservation is going to be more preserving of the resources. And so you can see in a romantic relationship with a roommate, um, even just your spending habits is very much going to be influenced by this. So this could be a really interesting episode to have a conversation with your partner about, with um a with a teammate, with a business bestie or a peer in the industry, just to kind of see, you know, oh, I understand why you sometimes will say that or why we may have the same conflict or the same issue is because you're viewing at it this way, and I'm looking at it this way. So without further ado, let's get into exactly what these mean. So, um, and I will say, I always like to give credit where credit is due. The um the resources that I have used are the Art of Growth podcast. Um, they had an amazing season. They had an entire season on these natural instincts and subtypes, and they went, they had panels that were coming in that was like type six with a social subtype. Um, so you really they really hoed in and they went through all the types and all the subtypes. So if you're into this, um, that would be um a great series to go back to. And then also there is the book called The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut. And um, I pulled some things from this. Oh my god, I could pull so many more. This is all about subtypes. So depending on where you are on your Enneagram journey, um, how how much you want to nerd out, this might be a great resource too. Um, our self-preservation is focused on the self. They are kind of, I'm gonna go through three key things for each of our um subtypes here. So um the first one for the self-preservation, they're gonna be focused on their well-being. They're gonna be very tuned in to what their body needs and able to give it a healthy balance of activity and movement, and they're gonna be thinking about getting enough rest and getting enough sleep each night. They're gonna be on the cutting edge of self-care practices, and they're gonna be focused on creating balance even in a busy life. Um, they're very good at practical know-how. They're gonna be good at um knowing how not to waste time, not to waste energy, not to waste resources. Um, they these folks are going to be more prone to establishing predictable routines and structure in order to deal with chaos and just to create that order. And then the third piece that will make up this self-preservation energy is this domestic nesting energy, um, where they're gonna really attend and focus on creating a cozy home, build a strong foundation of the body and environment for safety, stability, and security in order to have, you know, enough rest and recovery. And again, taking care of their body, taking care of their shelter, their home is all very much what this type is focused on or what this um subtype is focused on. And when you're thinking about your dominant, this can change. It's called stacking and and we'll have a dominant energy, we'll have kind of a neutral energy, and then we will have one that um is maybe lacking a little bit that we need to bring up to bring into the mix to help kind of balance us out. Um and so they will be stacked, but where you are in your life, you know, five years ago, they might have been stacked very differently, or they might be stacked differently six months from now, just depending on what's going on in the world. And somebody I was listening to brought up a great point that it also does depend on what is going on in the world. You know, last year having um going through COVID and just lots of uncertainty with, you know, shutdowns and that sort of thing, um, a lot of us were very much probably moving into self-preservation energy. We were probably stepping into that, um, even that if that's not typically our dominant one, that wasn't our dominant one, that might have become our dominant one for that for that season. So the world around us can also impact this energy. Um, the second one we had talked about was that sexual um subtype or that pioneering energy. And this that it's made up of one, this immersion or fusion, where those that have this dominant type, it will come when by dominant type, I mean this just kind of tends to be the thing that you're looking at that you're focused on that might come more natural to you. So they have this ability to fuse in depth with others or fuse with a project, a passion or a cause. Um, this is intimacy energy that allows them to experience ecstasy and focus attention on the person or thing that has their attention. The second piece of this is risk taking. So in the evolution process, there absolutely had to be this push energy in what helped us keep the species going, right? And now that same push energy gives the ability to go beyond current boundaries. Um, it will, this energy will break habits and routines in order to move forward. So, just right there, hearing that, and then hearing how our self-preservation energy really loves to create routines and structure and stay within those lines, you can see if you have two people who are in any type of relationship, how that might cause some conflict or at a minimum some misunderstanding. Um, but by understanding kind of where that person is coming from, you can have more productive conversations and not feel so triggered, maybe, or not feel so attacked, or oh my gosh, they're crazy. Why are they doing this? Right. Just by understanding even just that little that little fact. Um, and then the last piece of this sexual pioneering energy is the ability to um to broadcast or to attract others. And so those in this subtype do have this ability to pull others towards them with their charisma um and really any tool that that will draw others in. And they tend to radiate out and they will find others who are um broadcasting um their own energy and and pull themselves towards that. So at a party, you can kind of think about um our self-preservation type, that that preserving energy will be looking around the room thinking, oh, love these decorations, um, love the vibe, great food choice. And then those with this sexual or pioneering energy are going to be looking around the room for who's the most interesting person to talk to, or who am I feeling pulled to have a conversation with and get really deep with, right? And then our last type is this um is the social or the teaming energy. And the three pieces of this energy is the ability to read or interpret others. So um reading body language, facial expressions, or just the energy in general of others, kind of that in intuitiveness. Um, this allows them to find allies and be able to care for the herd or in modern day times our group. Um, they're able to read and interpret intentions and really care for the network of relationships. So differently than the sexual type, the pioneering type that we just talked about, where it was they were very much focused on the actual relationship. This type is more focused on the network of relationships. Um, the second piece of this is this bonding or affiliating where they're able to co-create with others. Um, they make others feel like partners, they establish mutual support, they're able to create win-win situations, they come with an us, not me mentality, and they have a natural curiosity for meeting new people. And then lastly, um, and the last part that makes up this subtype is this contribution to others. So they get value from contributing to the group or the community. They're gonna lean into serving others for the greater good with a mission to help others using their gifts. And so at a party, they they might come in with the lens of looking around the room, getting a read for the energy of the room, you know, instead of looking for one person to have this deep conversation with, they may be looking for who makes the most sense for me, like what people make the most sense for me to connect with tonight. Who do I need to leave to expand my network? Um, you know, what are my goals? Who who can help me get there? Um, and it doesn't have to be um malicious or, you know, it's just they're very focused on um kind of they kind of have some type three energy, right? Where they're reading the room and they know um who they need to be in that room and in order to kind of fit in with the with the the social circle at that point or uh in that group. So those are the three energies. And um I had created um a, let's see, where did I where did I put my notes for this? I had created kind of a just something to think about, a guideline, a trying to think even what to call this, just um, yeah, I guess a way to use, I don't know why I'm getting getting tongue-tied and blinking out here, but a way to use these energies in the business offerings that you have. And these are just ideas. If it resonates, great. If it doesn't, don't. But this is just one of many examples for how I think that these energies that we talked about today are extremely valuable in relationships. But I also want to share how to think about them and use them in um your business or thinking about taking action on your idea. And so, based on the focus of well-being, of practical know-how, being able to provide resources, that creating a cozy home with that self-preservation energy. Um, I had thought, oh my gosh, you could use your strengths of routine and structure and know-how and appreciation for staying up with the latest trends and helpful resources to create a membership. Um, you'll excel in creating a virtual home base for your members that'll that they'll look forward to coming back to each day, week, and month. And so with that energy, I thought, gosh, somebody who's focused on these things and able to create a cozy virtual home could totally rock out a membership. And with this energy, if you've been doing something else and have found it very um hard or heavy or tiring and draining, like maybe you're doing a lot of one-on-ones and really your time, maybe your energy and the lens that you see the world could could actually be shifted a bit and give you more energy instead of drain you in a one-to-one if you switched up the way that you, you know, share your value in a membership or a group or a course of some sort. So that's just again something to know about yourself, know who you are, know who you want to be, where you want to go, and then create aligned services based on that. So um I kind of gave it away already, but based on the ability to um fuse and connect with others deeply and intimately, the ability to take risks and the ability to attract others, pull others in with your charisma. I had I had put that an aligned offer would be some sort of one-to-one coaching or one-to-one consulting package. So not only do you have the ability to go deep with somebody one-on-one and form that intimate relationship, which does not, I'm not saying that it has to be sexual at all, um, but you enjoy it and you get energy from doing so. So that willingness to take risk will help push your clients out of their comfort zones. And then with your charisma, others will be drawn to learning more about you and working with you. And then lastly, is our social subtype where um you have this ability to read a room, interpret body language, facial expressions, the energy. You have this gift to co-create with others and make others feel like um partners and make them feel supported, creating win-win solutions. And you do have this desire to contribute to others. The aligned offer that I had for you was some sort of group, some sort of group coaching, some sort of cohort, cohort, um, where you're connecting inside of a group. Um, it comes natural for you to exist and lead in a group setting. Your ability to read a room, whether it is in real life or virtual, ensures that everyone is having a great experience and that and you'll know what to do if it gets off balance. Part of your superpower includes helping others. Um part of your superpower includes helping others find and use their own superpower. Um, and then I did put a bonus idea for this subtype, and it was becoming an affiliate for your favorite course or teacher or expert out there who might be selling a book or their own program. And um I had shared this because of this ability to co-create and create win-win-win solutions. So in this case, it would be a win for um the person that you're affiliating for. It would be a win for your audience and it would be a win for you. Um, so that might be also just another fun way to add revenue and and um and meaning also and and you know to your to your business, to your offerings that doesn't necessarily have to rely on you creating the group, but something that's already there because you do have that ability to be a great partner and to network and to know um you know who's who and who's the best person um in your network for certain situations. So um, you know, it it is important to understand the basics of this Enneagram knowledge so that you know kind of, you know, you know you don't know what you don't know. So it's important to know. But then it is very important to start to think about, okay, I have all this Enneagram knowledge, but how do I use it? So that is one way to think about it, just looking at your current offerings. Those are examples by all means, not hard and fast rules that you should, you know, change up your whole business for, but something to consider um as you reflect on what your dominant type is. Um, and so your homework tonight, or um, I don't know why I said tonight, your homework today, whenever you're listening to this, um, is to reflect on your dominant type out of those three, which one resonates the most with you? Which one might be your neutral one? And then which one do you feel like is totally lacking? And so how can you lean in more and use that dominant energy right now that you have inside of your business, inside of pursuing your passion, inside of you know, moving into the leader that you want to be? And then how can you look at maybe your you're looking at your lowest one? Um, what's one thing that you can do to maybe grow into that, to pull that in? And so um, if you're not great at being, you know, social is maybe your lowest one, is there a group that you enjoy? And by all means, you know, don't have to force it or or um be something that's completely miserable and you dread. But there are some amazing groups out there. So is there a group, whether it's local or online, that you can jump into and start networking and growing your connections um that way? If it's self-preservation, um, you know, is it getting better at looking at your resources? Maybe the the um financial part of your business isn't always a focus. How can you, you know, put structure into um making that more important and and and bringing that in? And then if it's sexual or one-on-one or pioneering, it might be, okay, what type of what feels risky that maybe I've been holding back on, but I know is in my best interest to be able to get my idea off the ground, to be able to grow my business to the next level, to be able to start my business. Um, and how can I channel some of that pioneering energy and be able to take a leap, take a take a risk and pull that in if that happens to be the lowest one. So um these are really fun. Like I said, so many uses when when you start to understand what yours are, and then great conversation starters for starting to understand where others are. And uh I just I love the Enneagram for so many reasons. It just tells so many different things. There's so many layers, so many angles to go at it. And it, you know, it can be confusing, it can be overwhelming if you let it be, or it can be um really just complex rather than complicated because we are complex human beings, right? Where there's so much depth to us outside of just a single number, right? So with that, um I hope that you enjoy kind of digging into what your natural instinct is right now and thinking about how you can use it. And I look forward to seeing you back here next week for our last group that we're gonna cover on how we make decisions.