Mediator, giver, thinker or loyalist?
Our political leaders belong to distinct
personality types. The Enneagram tool helped us to deconstruct leadership traits
of some of the most important politicians who will shape the next government
MAPPING
Netagiri Decoded
THEIR
LEADERSHIP
STYLE
T
he election season is on. Amidst the din of the
campaign rallies and party manifestos, don’t you
sometimes wish you could get to know the men
and women who matter in politics a little better?
SundayET in association with ODA consultancy
has mapped out the personalities of 15 political
leaders using the Enneagram tool – a globally
accepted personality profiling method.
The scope of this study includes personality
profiling and leadership styles of 10 upcoming
politicians who are from major political parties
including Congress, BJP, CPI-M, DMK and
Samajwadi Party. The Enneagram study, which
was carried out using a survey consisting of 36
questions, was also done for five top political
bigwigs —ss Congress president Sonia Gandhi,
Congress and BJPP’s Prime Ministerial candi-
dates, Manmohan Singh and L K Advani, and
emerging regional satraps and chief ministers of
UP and Gujarat Mayawati of BSP and Narendra
Modi of BJP.
Barring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, all
other upcoming leaders who are profiled here,
responded to our long questionnaire. The
Enneagram study of Mr Gandhi and the other
five top leaders was done on the basis of
perception as they didn’t respond. For instance,
Sonia Gandhi’s office called us and told us that
due to time constraints she would not be able to
participate in the study this time.
For all nine upcoming leaders, the data was
collected from the survey responses which were
either completed personally by the politicians
online or on a phone call. These responses were
then cross-checked with them once again for
accuracy.
Though our list of upcoming leaders initially
included Jyotiraditya Scindia of the Congress,
Supriya Sule of the NCP and Jammu & Kashmir
chief minister Omar Abdullah, they were dropped
later as they did not participate in the exercise.
Enneagram is a set of nine distinct personality
types, with each number denoting a type. The
theory suggests that everyone emerges from
childhood with one of the nine types dominating
their personality, with inborn temperament and
other pre-natal factors being the main determi-
nants. The is one area where most of the major
Enneagram authors agree is that human beings
are born with a dominant type.
Its origins are not clear, but Enneagram was
mentioned in the teachings of esoteric guru
George Gurdjieff of the last century. The modern
version of the Enneagram emerged from Oscar
Ichazo who was a student of Gurdjieff. The
Enneagram system stands apart in its ability to
study ‘why people actually behave in the way
that they do’.
To identify the Enneagram personality, one
could use a questionnaire though chances of
people projecting a desired type rather than their
real type is common. So usually, type identifica-
tion is done with multiple inputs where the
questionnaire is just one among them.
Significantly, people do not change from one
basic personality type to another. The descrip-
tions of the personality types are universal and
apply equally to male and female, since no type
is inherently masculine or feminine. Also, the
numerical ranking of the types is not significant. A
larger number is no better than a smaller
number. It is not better to be a Nine than a Two
because nine is a bigger number. In fact, no type
is inherently better or worse than any other.
While all the personality types have unique
assets and liabilities, some types are often more
desirable than others in any given culture or
group. Globally too, several MNCs have been
using this particular psychometric instrument for
leadership development, team building and
executive coaching.
In our study of politicians, several Netas have
showed the signs of Type 2 which is of a helper
and giver.
Team SundayET
6
5 Calm under
PRESSURE
H
E’S a soft-spoken economist and
also the Prime Minister. Manmo
han Singh belongs to Type 5 —
Loyalty PERSONIFIED
people who observe life from a distance,
guard their privacy and avoid being engulfed
by others. They are individualistic and not
A
S time and events have proved, Congress Party president influenced by social pressure or material
Sonia Gandhi is highly loyal and responsible. The bold steps possessions. Their biggest strength is their
objectivity, dispassion and calmness under
she took to pull the sinking ship of the Congress out from
troubled waters to restore its glory, without any temptation for the Prime extreme pressure, which is typically seen in
Manmohan Singh when handling any issue. A
Minister’s chair showed her loyalty towards the party and responsibility
typical Type 5, he is known for his intellect
towards the Gandhi family. As is typical of Type 6, suspicion and and speaks very few words. He shares
scepticism are a part of her personality and are evident in her interactions thoughts with limited emotional content.
with people. As a leader, she is adept at sensing potential problems and As a leader, Singh is a blend of a strategist,
addressing them very boldly and assertively. In fact, it’s her sharp and integrator and a visionary. Though a quiet and
incisive mind and commitment which got her the coveted post. She has unassuming personality, he is highly
often made it to lists of most powerful women in the world. Sonia analytical and he understands a situation
Gandhi is very determined and guided by her head. This, by itself, makes completely before taking strategic action. As
her a natural leader, someone others always look up to. an economic reformer during Narasimha
Rao’s government, he proved himself to be an
excellent crisis handler too.
SONIA GANDHI UPA chairperson and Congress MP from Rae Bareli
MANMOHAN SINGH Prime minister and Rajya Sabha MP
8
Straight FORWARD
3
S
ELF-confident and strong with a straightforward approach towards
life — that’s how leader of Opposition and prime ministerial
candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party L K Advani is seen. He’s known for
his assertiveness and straight talking, something that’s typical of Type 8s. Such
people also feel that they must control the environment, especially people,
sometimes becoming confrontational and intimidating. They use their strength to
improve others' lives, becoming heroic, magnanimous and inspiring. This only
reminds one of the assertive account of Advani’s fight for democracy during the
Emergency, his Ram Rath Yatra for the reconstruction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya
that resulted in the biggest mass movement in India since Independence and
catalysed a nationwide debate on the true meaning of secularism. He is always
seen as a courageous man, willing to put himself in serious jeopardy to achieve
his vision. He is unwilling to be controlled —by others or by circumstances. He’s
strong willed, decisive, practical, tough minded and energetic. As a leader, he is
seen as an ‘advocate’ who can shoulder huge responsibilities. Commanding and
demanding, he leads by example and expects others to follow suit.
PM candidate & BJP MP from Gandhinagar
Ambition DRIVEN
G
UJARAT CM Narendra Modi is Type
In total CONTROL 3 + 8
3 — a star among personality types
with tremendous drive, ambition, and belief
in themselves. They want to excel, to be the best at
whatever they do, and they are willing to put in the
U
TTAR Pradesh chief minister and BSP effort it takes to do so. The persona that Narendra
supremo Mayawati is a Type 8 — someone Modi projects shows the attention that he gives to
being presentable and appropriate, which is an
who wants to be in control of her life and
important trait of Type 3. They know how to put their
destiny. Such people feel a need to dominate and are
confrontational — no surprises there. People of this best foot forward and present themselves in a way
personality type are unwilling to be controlled, either that highlights their energy and confidence.
by people or by circumstances and hence the need to He is, also, known for his excellent organisational
remain in control themselves. Mayawati is known for capability, high energy and focus which reinforces
being strong willed, decisive, practical, tough minded his being a Type 3. To achieve their goals, Type 3s
and energetic. She is also a protector and champion learn to be highly adaptable, which is a differentiat-
for the Dalits in UP and has brought them upfront in ing factor for Modi. They may try different
approaches to problems until they find a formula that
the political landscape of the state. Type 8s want a lot
out of life and like to be financially independent. And seems the most effective. Similarly, this type quickly
adapts to different social settings, always wanting to
even though they may be in harmony socially, they are
uneasy in hierarchical relationships be appropriate and to exemplify the values of
whatever group they are in.
MAYAWATI UP CM & BSP supremo NARENDRA MODI BJP leader & Gujarat CM
Almost all the young leaders featured below took time off to respond to our 36
Alert and
INTELLIGENT
5
questions despite hectic electioneering. And that gave us indepth insights
T he articulate deputy leader of the CPI(M) in the
Lok Sabha Mohammed Salim is Type 5.
Typically, the 5s are alert, insightful and
curious and intelligent. They are motivated by the

Warm & FRIENDLY Getting it RIGHT need to know and understand and don’t like to be
caught looking foolish. Even as they don’t flinch from
anything that life has in store, they like to observe and

I H
e didn’t go wrong when he captained his think over all the issues at hand. In fact, life is about
t is the mould of the mentor, a caring leader who participating fully rather than withholding. Knowl-
derives satisfaction from seeing and encouraging college shooting team. He got it right
again when at 26, he became the edge and insight are highly valued by the 5s and their
the development of others, that Akhilesh life is built around ideas. Salim’s hard hitting
Yadav,young scion of the Samajwadi Party and son of youngest Member of Parliament in the country.
Many a time, the underlying motivation of Type questions to the government on the nuclear deal were
party chief Mulayalam Singh Yadav, fits into. As a a hallmark of his style of leadership.
Type 2, he works hard to develop good relationships 1 personalities is to be right. And Sachin Pilot’s
and is a people pleaser while being sensitive to the exploits exemplify this maxim.

6
needs of others. A warm hearted, friendly and This young Congressman is a Type 1, a
generous person, love is his highest ideal. As a result, reformer. The son of the late Rajesh Pilot, he is
he is extremely involved with his family and friends said to have a leadership style of a self-observing
and is willing to go the extra mile to help those in idealist — the one who is wise, tolerant, balanced
need. and focused on excellence. Their inner critic —
Apart from being socially aware, he is intrinsically an inner set of standards that tend to be quite
aware of his own needs and capable of maintaining a rigorous, and independent of what other people
balance in life. He is able to give freely, without say — drives most Type 1s. 1s like to confront
expecting anything in return. Characteristic of his problems head on, but this proactive energy may
type, pride is his driving force and he is always in the not always be immediately apparent to others.
middle of things, unconditionally offering his help Introverted 1s may be extremely prim and
and advice to all and sundry. So much so, that
proper, even rigid, because they turn their
Akhilesh is often viewed as a person who must be
taught how to say “No” so that he doesn’t overex- energies inward against their own impulses and
spontaneity. Sachin Pilot is an introverted Type 1.

2
tend himself. He also needs to clarify his own values
to establish equilibrium of heart and mind. He is hardworking and disciplined.

AKHILESH YADAV Samajwadi Party MP from Kannauj SACHIN PILOT Congress MP from Dausa 1 +2
Creative& INTUITIVE
4 +3 Solution-ORIENTED
A
MOHAMMED SALIM CPM MP, Kolkata North
VERSATILE and individualistic person who is deeply
creative and intuitive. That's what DMK supremo and

T
Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi
brings to the table. In technical terms, she is a Type 4 with a wing
of Type 5. As a leader, she is subtle, original, artistic, independent
he sitting Congress MP from South Mumbai —
Milind Deora — is Type 6 with an influence on Type
7. That makes him a loyalist and a questioner. While
Change MANAGER
H
and private — someone who has a personal touch in everything he will secure the well being of his people, be it friends,
she does even while maintaining a connection with the larger e’s a master of adapting his persona to the situation,
family or his country, he is also an optimistic and solution-
world. She is the type who enjoys public attention even as she is be it as the Under-Secretary General of the United
oriented person. As a Type 6, he speaks up boldly and
committed to private self-exploration. She is an innovator, who is Nations, a grassroots refugee worker or as a
confidently, and can discuss diverse topics. People of this
highly introspective but not bound by tradition. On one hand is Congress politician reaching out to the people of Kerala in
type are also very loyal. The young politician’s courage and
her love for arts, culture and Tamil literature while on the other their native tongue. In fact, Shashi Tharoor’s ability to
maturity was evident after the Mumbai terror attacks, when
she has always stood up and spoken out about her views on gauge the perspective of the other side and to modify his
he suggested that people and parties should put aside their
causes such as the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, women's issues dress and behaviour accordingly has helped him gain
differences and unite to ensure the safety of the country. He’s
and the Sethu project — typically Type 4, aesthetic, artistic and widespread respect. As a Type 3 with a wing of Type 4, he
a friendly person who could pass off as an young executive
individualistic. Before taking the plunge into mainstream politics, boasts of high levels of energy and confidence and seeks to
at airports but is also a serious politician, who keenly listens
she was a journalist and writer. A profession that made her a create an image and identity while retaining his profes-
to every speaker and makes good use of the time allotted to
thinker and investigator by nature — a Type 5 who delves deep sional integrity. His leadership style is that of a go-getter
him to raise issues or participate in debates. As leaders, this
into anything of her interest.le of leadership. and as a role model for others. While his Type 3 inheritance
type is usually loyal and responsible; can anticipate problems
gives him the capacity to straddle several worlds of
and work towards solutions.
experience, the individualistic and aesthetic side of Tharoor
is a manifestation of the Type 4 aspects of his personality.
MILIND DEORA Congress MP from South Mumbai In addition to having been an editor by profession and an
award-winning author, his repertoire includes nine books
including nonfiction, novels, short stories and articles.ons.

Sense of BALANCE
H 3 +4
E somewhat reflects the traits of the place he is in
charge of. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who is looking after
Goa for the BJP, brings to the table a sense of peace,
harmony and balance. And as a member of Enneagram Type
9, is likely to avoid conflict and disruption — in short, as a
leader he has all the qualities of a natural diplomat. No
wonder BJP used him as its poster boy in Lalu Yadav’s
backyard.
Rudy’s Enneagram Type 9 comes with a Wing of T
ype 8 that means that he would seek both peace and
power. People of this Type tend to see themselves as
naturally dignified, comfortable, aloof, strong and kind.

4 +5
Since Rudy also has an influence of Type 8, he is likely
to possess individual dynamism, modesty and a strong
KANIMOZHI DMK Rajya Sabha MP internal sense of optimism and direction. He is a person
who can take control of a situation — that makes him a
good leader and a good spokesperson. As a Type 8, he
believes himself to be a person who can stand up for
Emotional QUOTIENT what is just and fair. Some aspects of this Type have been
witnessed in the way he handled the wide scale violence

2
during the polling in Chappra constituency

H E is self-aware, sensitive and painfully intuitive at times during the 2004 parliamentary elections.
RAJIV PRATAP RUDI BJP spokesperson
— but journalist-turned BJP MP from Barmer, Manven
dra Singh, chooses to wield his emotional awareness as a SHASHI THAROOR Cong candidate, Thiruvananthapuram
double edged sword. While he can show kindness to those caught

4 +3 Exuding
in crises, he is also capable of riling up a crowd by playing on

9
their emotions. As a Type 4, Singh has an acute need to
understand himself and is on a constant journey
Entrepreneurial
to plumb the depths of his emotions
and find authenticity of f CONFIDENCE
eeling and expression. As
ENERGY
C
a leader too, Singh feels
ongress general secretary and future

I
the need to introspect
prime ministerial material for many,
and to get to the core f he weren’t in politics, this young
Rahul Gandhi fits into a Type 4 slot
of the situation and tries Congressman would have been a
with a Type 3 wing. No surprises that he has an
to find meaning good entrepreneur. That’s what this
individualistic personality and sees himself as
through interpersonal study found. Type 3 people with a
fundamentally different from others — as
warmth. Even his dominant Type 2 wing are usually good
someone who stands out in a crowd. The Type
entry into politics was the at starting something on their own. No
3 influence gives him an aristocratic aura of a
result of an in-depth wonder, he could initiate work on the
successful, confident and inspired individual.
discussion with BJP conventional steel processing unit in UP
There are equal doses of sophistication,
leader L K Advani. — for the first time. Jitin Prasada, who is
flamboyance, ambition and energy to leave his
However, the priority currently a Union Minister of State for
signature in all he does, even while keeping a
that Singh accords Steel representing Shahjahanpur Lok Sabha
connect with the larger macro world. Here,
to his inner feelings Constituency, is a charmer, who is helpful and
public attention goes hand in hand with
had also led him to kind. But look beneath the skin and you might
private introspection. The Type 4 and
become a highly just catch a hint of steely determination lurking in
Type 3 combine makes him an aesthetic
original and individualistic person with a deep interest in the background of diplomacy and poise. Type 3
being who doesn’t flinch from starting
emotional and spiritual growth and a deep disdain for people with a dominant Type 2, are strongly
new things — no wonder then that the
those who are content with living an ordinary and shallow focussed on personal achievement. Jitin Prasada
former management consultant with
life. His desire for authentic means of selfexpression also seems to be one of them.People such as Prasada
little interest in politics is today ready to
makes him capable of taking to conventional art forms such who belong to this group want to be close to
don the mantle of his family’s political
as writing and music or even unconventional forms like people. They are often highly gregarious and
aspirations. He also seems to be the
tattoos and body piercingnfiction, novels, short stories and have a strong role-playing tendency. At their best
hub from where many young
articles.ons. they behave as role models who inspire others.
political leaders are drawing

4
inspiration.

MANVENDRA SINGH BJP MP from Barmer RAHUL GANDHI Congress MP from Amethi JITIN PRASADA Minister of State for Steel and Congress MP from Shahjahanpur