Working with leadership paradigms
Have you identified your Leadership Paradigm? In this post I show you how you can work with your default paradigm to become a more effective leader.
A great leader’s unique achievement is a human and social one which stems from his understanding of his fellow workers.
“Effective leaders take a personal interest in the long-term development of their employees, and they use tact and other social skills to encourage employees to achieve their best. It isn’t about being “nice” or “understanding”—it’s about tapping into individual motivations in the interest of furthering an organization-wide goal.”
What are the leadership paradigms?
In her book, What Type of Leader are You?, Ginger Lapid-Bogda introduces the idea of a leadership paradigm that is consistent with your Enneagram personality style.
Leadership paradigms are our implicit belief systems about the role of leadership. They influence what we pay attention to and what we ignore. While we tend to develop skills and strengths in areas we deem important, skills that do not fit our view of leadership tend to be less developed.
How to work with the paradigms
🔥 TIP: Expand your current leadership repertoire by incorporating one or more additional leadership paradigms into your exiting one, adding one paradigm at a time. Start with one of the styles connected to your dominant Enneagram type via the lines or wings, since you are likely to be more familiar wit these four types, you will find them easier to assimilate.
Don’t try to incorporate several styles at once, you want to integrate each new paradigm fully with your current leadership paradigm before adding another.
Once you add a new paradigm to your existing one, you will begin to pay attention to more aspects of your organization, and your behavior and skills will expand and improve accordingly.
An example using Enneagram Style 9
By default, Type 9 leaders normally seek harmony and comfort and tend to avoid conflict. But when that is no longer working for them or they know something else is needed, they can integrate a style from a type connected via their wings (types 8 or 1) or the lines (type 3 or 6). I’ve highlighted the connected types to style 9 in this image:
When a 9 integrates the leadership paradigm of a Enneagram style 8, they are more solid and grounded. They tend to take-charge more and can even be forceful.
When a 9 integrates the leadership paradigm of an Enneagram style 1, they are more punctual and precise. There is a new layer of clarity of thinking and action, a sharpness to their perception.
When a 9 integrates the leadership paradigm of an Enneagram style 3, they focus more on the goals, establish timelines, and generally focus more on the results.
When a 9 integrates the leadership paradigm of an Enneagram style 6, they are more insightful and deliberate. They express themselves verbally and ask questions that are more challenging than they normally would, risking the peace in order to make sure everything is covered.
But how do you know where to start?
To select the best leadership paradigm to add to your current one, consider these questions:
Which leadership paradigm would add the greatest value for your employees? Why?
Which would add the greatest value to the organization? Why?
Which would make you feel both more effective and less stressed? Why?
Looking for more guidance?
I have another post that explains how to work with the Leadership Paradigms and common mistakes leaders make that will be helpful as well.
You can also check out my TikTok videos explaining how this works.
If you want to learn more about how to lean into the strengths of each of the Enneagram styles, my free ebook fleshes this out in more detail. It’ll help you see your style more clearly and the ways you might be getting in your own way. Once you can see that more clearly, you are ready to work with your connected styles to help you find more flexibility and relieve some stress.
However, if you are new to the Enneagram and feel like you need to start at the beginning, I created an Enneagram 101 page for you to help you get started.
Feel free to reach out with questions.