Leadership and the Enneagram,

using ancient insights to develop

21st century leadership

Type 7 - The Enthusiast Please note before

continuing:
Website -Pending T: 07828092888 The descriptor is a mirror and
like all reflections it may not
be absolutely true.
Introduction:
The information is not
The Enneagram has origins, which are hundreds of intended to define you.
years old. It has been used to support people on Some of it may confirm your
their personal journeys. More recently, it has been understanding of yourself
re-evaluated and developed using insights drawn and some may provide new
from contemporary psychology. insights and challenges.

It is usually presented as the diagram shown on You will have predispositions

the right, as a circle with the nine personalities however we are always more
arranged around the circumference. This of course than a profile.
means that the personality types are equal and
without any implied hierarchy.
An initial glance at the diagram might give the
impression that it is somehow ‘occult’ in nature.
Please be assured, that this id definitely not the
case. The connecting lines between the personality
types are used to work with the model in a dynamic
way, e.g. the models shows what is likely to
happen if an individual is put under stress or
pressure.
The Enneagram can be explored in considerable
depth, certainly much more deeply than is being
undertaken here. If you wish to read more the
following book is a useful guide

Type 7 – The Enthusiast Page 1 of 8

 Russo, D. and Hudson R. (1999) The Wisdom of
the Enneagram. New York, Bantam Books.

I have explored many diagnostics and inventories

around personality, learning and motivation. These
have included; Insights, Myers – Briggs and
McClelland. I have coached extensively and
studied a range of approaches including Neuro -
Linguistic Programming, Gestalt models and
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Many advocates of
particular approaches are both passionate and
also blinkered about their chosen approach. In
some cases this can become obsessional and
even unhealthy. The Enneagram is only one way
of exploring who we are and how we operate. It
should never be used to contain us. Rather it offers
a large space in which we can choose options “One who has conquered
from our repertoire of behaviours. It is about himself is a far greater hero
possibility and not limitation. than one who has defeated a
thousand times a thousand
I was talking to John West – Burnham several men.”
years ago and he came out with one of his ― Simon Parke, The
insightful comments. “All leadership development Enneagram: A Private
is personal development”. Many of John’s Session With the Worlds
comments have a deceptive depth and this one Greatest Psychologist
has generated a great deal of personal reflection.
The Enneagram is part of this dialogue and
supports that essential process of guided reflection
that underpins effective leadership

An overview of Type 7 – The Enthusiast

This personality type is often called The Enthusiast because Sevens are enthusiastic
about almost everything that catches their attention. They approach life with curiosity,
optimism, and a sense of adventure, like “children in a sweet shop”. They look at the
world in wide-eyed, rapt anticipation of all the good things they are about to experience.
They are bold and vivacious, pursuing what they want in life with a cheerful determination.

Type 7 – The Enthusiast Page 2 of 8

 The Seven is very much a thinker. On the face of things they appear to be extremely
practical and engaged in a multitude of projects at any given time. Their thinking
is anticipatory: they foresee events and generate ideas, often ‘winging it’. Whatever they
are doing must stimulate their minds. In turn this fills up their personal agenda often to a
point of overload. Sevens are not necessarily intellectual or studious by any standard
definition, although they are often intelligent and can be widely read and highly verbal.
Their minds move rapidly from one idea to the next, making Sevens gifted at
brainstorming and synthesizing information. Sevens are exhilarated by the rush of ideas
and by the pleasure of being spontaneous, preferring broad overviews and the
excitement of the initial stages of the creative process to probing a single topic in depth.
Sevens are frequently endowed with quick, agile minds, and can be exceptionally fast
learners. This is true both of their ability to absorb information (language, facts, and
procedures) and their ability to learn new manual skills—they tend to have excellent
mind-body coordination, and manual dexterity (typewriting, piano playing, tennis). All of
this can combine to make a Seven into the quintessential "Renaissance person."
Ironically, Sevens' wide-ranging curiosity and ability to learn quickly can also create
problems for them. Because they are able to pick up many different skills with relative
ease, it becomes more difficult for them to decide what to do with themselves. As a
result, they also do not always value their abilities as they would if they had to struggle to
gain them. When Sevens are more balanced however, their versatility, curiosity, and
ability to learn can lead them to extraordinary achievement.
The multiplicity of activities causes uncertainty, there are too many options to choose
from. This can create a deep anxiety in Sevens. They do not feel that they know what to
do or how to make choices that will be beneficial to themselves and others. Sevens cope
with this anxiety in two ways. First, they try to keep their minds busy all of the time. As
long as Sevens can keep their minds occupied, especially with projects and positive
ideas for the future, they can, to some extent, keep anxiety and negative feelings out of
conscious awareness. Likewise, since their thinking is stimulated by activity, Sevens are
compelled to stay on the go, moving from one experience to the next, searching for more
stimulation. They are quintessential ‘plate spinners’.
Second, Sevens cope with the loss of personal certainty by using the “trial and error”
method: they try everything to make sure they know what is best. On a very deep
level, Sevens do not feel that they can find what they really want in life. They therefore
tend to try everything—and ultimately may even resort to anything as a substitute for
what they are really looking for. (“If I can’t have what will really satisfy me, I’ll enjoy myself
anyway. I’ll have all kinds of experiences—that way I will not feel bad about not getting
what I really want.”)
This can be seen in action even in the most trivial areas of their daily lives. Unable to
decide whether he / she wants vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream, a Seven will
want all three flavours—just to be sure that he does not miss out on the “right” choice.
Furthermore, as Sevens speed up their pursuit of whatever seems to offer freedom and
satisfaction, they tend to make worse choices, and they are less able to be satisfied
because everything is experienced indirectly, through the dense filter of their fast-paced

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 mental activity. The result is that Sevens end up anxious, frustrated, and enraged, with
fewer resources available to them physically, emotionally, or financially. They may end up
ruining their health, their relationships, and their finances in their search for happiness.
On the positive side, however, Sevens are extremely optimistic people—exuberant and
upbeat. They are endowed with abundant vitality and a desire to fully participate in their
lives each day. They are naturally cheerful and good humoured, not taking themselves
too seriously, or anything else for that matter. As we have seen, the basic desire of
Sevens is to be satisfied, happy, and fulfilled, and when they are balanced within
themselves, their joy and enthusiasm for life naturally affect everyone around them. They
remind us of the pure pleasure of existence—the greatest gift of all.

Motivation

Underlying the actions of a Seven is a desire to avoid pain, however conceived. This is
often manifested in a desire to work at a phrenetic rate. A man was driving behind a
Transit van. Every quarter of a mile the van driver stopped and banged on the side of the
van with a length of wood. After witnessing this a number of times the driver was
overcome with curiosity and asked the van driver what was going on. The van driver
replied “ I have got a van with a half ton payload and three quarters of ton of canaries in
the back. If they all settle it will break the axle”. It is poor physics but a near perfect
metaphor for the Seven.
The Seven is rooted in their head and dominated by the novel. They have a low boredom
threshold and need to keep moving on. Creativity is a major motivator. Constraint or
engagement with the routine will definitely demotivate. It is important that creativity is
understood as a motivator and not an accomplishment. The latter will take repetition and
practice.

Strategic Thinking
In leadership situations strategic thinking is germane to the role. The Seven will appear to
be strategic, possibly to an illusory extent. The Seven is dominated by ideas but it is where
the source and anchoring of these ideas comes from that may present a difficulty. It has
been said that the Seven has a ‘mind like monkeys swinging through the trees’. However in
many instances the thinking of the Seven may be tangential to the required agenda.
Leaning and teaching are central to the business of schools. The Seven may well respond
to seeking a solution to the issue by introducing something different and away from routine
lesson observations. Ideas are likely to go along the line of hydration, brain gym, late starts
for sixth formers, pupil massage, complex ICT programmes and ill conceived coaching
programmes.
The Seven will be fascinated with ideas but faces the challenge of taking these ideas
through to completion. The Seven’s approach to strategic thinking can echo the verse
from Dedicated Follower of Fashion by the Kinks;

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 They seek him here, they seek him there,
His clothes are loud, but never square.
It will make or break him so he's got to buy the best,
'Cause he's a dedicated follower of fashion

Team Working

There is a paradox here. The Seven is an enthusiast and can bring optimism and energy to
the team. At the same time the team can readily become a forum for his / her ideas. This
can derail the team by changing the required agenda or engender hostility from team
members who are more comfortable with detail.

My view is that Belbin does not always work well for school-based teams because of their
constitution and operation there are some insights to be gained. The Seven is definitely not
a completer finisher. Their major contribution is likely to be that of a Plant, the originator of
solutions and original ideas.
There are three ways that the Seven is likely to undermine the team’s function:

1. They can be intolerant of those they see as pedantic. Those that are perceived as
being less than enthusiastic for the current big idea.
2. Their communication style can be very persuasive and if they have a position of
authority they can carry a decision by force of rhetoric.
3. If thwarted or placed under pressure they can become negative and even
destructive within the team.

Conflict
It is important that we remember that a prime motivation for the Seven is the avoidance of
pain. Every day must be sunshine. In general conflict will be avoided by using a variety of
strategies.
One is to keep up a barrage of ideas. It is harder to hit a moving target. Secondly the Seven
declines to handle a conflict by ignoring it and hoping that it will go away. If the issue
cannot be sidestepped and the pressure mounts the Seven is likely to move into breakdown
and can become caustic and judgmental and the repertoire of behaviour suddenly becomes
inappropriate.
The leader who is a Seven is surprisingly likely to get hurt when they are required to
challenge difficult situations or have a ‘fierce conversation’.

Communication
Although they can be excellent communicators, they are less concerned with image and
other people’s approval than other Enneagram types. It is more important to get on and
have fun (or do one’s own ‘thing’).They are enthusiastic consumers and peddlers of new
ideas, new technology and pleasurable experiences. However, too much of a good thing
can be a problem for them as their attention shifts so quickly. . It is challenging for a Seven

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 to go into things in depth and to stay the course in work and relationships.. Slowing down,
being in the moment and connecting with their own pain and that of others can bring needed
balance.
Many Sevens are good orators and can sway opinion on the basis of their passion rather
than on the basis of fact or evidence. They are supreme rationalisers which when allied to
their storytelling ability will mean that they are very adept at reframing to their own
advantage.

Time Management

At the heart of the issues around time management for the Seven is their preoccupation with
the new. In effect they are beset by a torrent of new thinking that displaces older ideas as a
consequence projects tend to remain as theoretical constructs. If you are familiar with Kolb’s
work the Seven is permanently locked in the position of Abstract Conceptualisation.
David Allen’s Getting Things Done offers a range of helpful strategies. Of particular help is
his two step process of visualizing what the task would look like upon completing and
deciding what would be the first concrete step to take. It is important for the Seven to realize
that effective time management is a journey and not a destination. They will fail, we all do,
but with their predisposition to avoid pain, a failure could easily become the basis of not
going again with the time management process with a commensurate increase in their
stress as their lives become increasingly disordered.

Behaviour under pressure.

Sevens attempt to control their level of anxiety by keeping their attention occupied with ideas
and possibilities that excite them. They keep their mind full of activities that they can look
forward to, positive experiences that they know they will enjoy. Every time anxiety rears its
head, Sevens are ready with a new adventure, a new book, a workshop they pan to attend, or
an exciting new relationship. As long as they can keep their attention occupied with positive
expectations, Sevens can hold their pain and anxiety at bay. They do not want to deal with
their anxiety or examine its causes in their lives because doing so draws them inward, making
them more anxious. while extroversion pulls them outward, toward the environment,
repressing anxiety, at least temporarily. They discover that the distractions, which their
activities provide repress anxiety whenever it threatens to erupt into consciousness, but that
they need to keep searching for exciting activities to keep themselves safe from their inner
distress. They therefore throw themselves into more and more experiences to avoid having to
face anxiety or any feeling of unhappiness.
The problem is that the more Sevens fill up their minds anticipating the fun they will have in
the future, the less they are in touch with whatever experience they are having in the present.
Consequently, the experience they are currently having cannot really affect them, cannot
really satisfy them. This is like the person who has always wanted to see the pyramids in
Egypt, and after much anticipation, finally embarks on a trip to see them. However, on arriving
at the pyramids, the person is anticipating an exciting dinner in Cairo that night, or perhaps
thinking about showing friends back home their pictures of the trip, and so "misses" seeing
the pyramids. The person’s attention is elsewhere, no on the experience that they are having.

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 Naturally, this decreases the enjoyment of the experience, leaving the Seven hungry for
more.
As enjoyment decreases, average Sevens feel anxious and insecure, leading them to overdo
their activities all the more. But as they become hyperactive, average to unhealthy Sevens
not only do not enjoy what they do, they become even more anxious and insecure, and are
tempted to dissipate themselves even further. They do not realize that it will become
increasingly difficult for them to break out of this vicious circle once they become addicted to
staying in motion.
Furthermore, the more anxious Sevens are, and the more pain they are repressing, the more
their minds will be "revved up" and the less they will be able to be satisfied by the
experiences they are going to great trouble to have. It is as if their minds are walking two or
three steps ahead of them. The more anxious they get, the more they distract themselves by
anticipating the future, and the less their experiences serve to quell their anxiety. Sevens
keep fleeing outward into the world of experience as they try to outrun the fear and hurt inside
them. But the more they flee, the bigger the thrills they will need, and the harder they will be
to sustain.
The flaw with this is that the more average to unhealthy Sevens do, and the more they are
distracting themselves to avoid their pain, the less satisfaction their experiences are able to
provide. They do not see that their happiness is precarious and easy to lose, because they
neither interiorize their experiences, nor control their appetites. Ultimately, if they invest little
of themselves in their experiences, Sevens cannot be satisfied by what they do. To their
mounting panic, they discover that nothing makes them happy. They then become enraged
and terrified because it seems that life has cruelly deprived them of happiness. At this point
their tendency to rationalise starts to generate a judgemental approach towards others and
organisations. They take refuge in an External Locus of Control.
Sevens usually have a high opinion of themselves and their talents; they tend to focus on
their strengths and virtues and to downplay their flaws and vices. They are often a bit self-
centred which manifests in an unfounded feeling of entitlement. As Sevens do not want to
confront their own darker emotions, they also have difficulty acknowledging the pain that
others experience, so that they sometimes have a hard time seeing the reality of other
people.
The extent of the Seven's flight from negative emotions is really a measure of the Seven's
mental health; the more that the Seven flees from them, the more their strength grows and
the more likely they are to erupt into consciousness in the form of an anxiety disorder or a
severe depressive episode.

Strategy for Personal Growth

1. Recognize your impulsiveness, and get in the habit of observing your impulses
rather than giving in to them. This means letting most of your impulses pass and
becoming a better judge of which ones are worth acting on. The more you can resist
acting out your impulses, the more you will be able to focus on what is really good for
you.

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 2. Learn to listen to other people. They are often interesting, and you may learn things
that will open new doors for you. Also learn to appreciate silence and solitude: you do
not have to distract yourself (and protect yourself from anxiety) with constant noise
from the television or the stereo. By learning to live with less external stimulation, you
will learn to trust yourself. You will be happier than you expect because you will be
satisfied with whatever you do, even if it is less than you have been doing.
3. You do not have to have everything this very moment. That tempting new
acquisition will most likely still be available tomorrow (this is certainly true of food,
alcohol, and other common gratifications—that ice cream cone, for instance). Most
good opportunities will come back again—and you will be in a better position to discern
which opportunities really are best for you.
4. Always choose quality over quantity, especially in your experiences. The ability to
have experiences of quality can be learned only by giving your full attention to the
experience you are having now. If you keep anticipating future experiences, you will
keep missing the present one and undermine the possibility of ever being satisfied.
5. Make sure that what you want will really be good for you in the long run. As the
saying goes, watch what you pray for since your prayers may be answered. In the
same vein, think about the long-term consequences of what you want since you may
get it only to find that it becomes another disappointment—or even a source of
unhappiness.
Two other strategies that will certainly help:

 Find a good coach that will support realistic but positive self – reflection. Exploring
exemplar situations is useful however a psychodynamic approach that fosters
rumination could well be disastrous. Seven’s do not come with a rear view mirror, they
do, however, respond well to solution focused approaches.
 Investigate mindfulness. They key for regeneration for the Seven is to slow down
and engage more with the moment and stop trying to star in Back to the Future 1V.

© Turning Heads (2014) The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Clarence Thompson and The
Enneagram Institute. The positives are appreciated whilst any misrepresentations are not theirs to own.

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