When your "insides" match with your "outsides", you have authentic living. The first step to move toward real and respected leadership is to know what you value. What is important to you? What are your non-negotiables? What makes you come alive and energizes you? Each Enneagram has core values that align with their path to authenticity. Take a look at your type and identify your core values and make adjustments that bring you toward more effective leadership as you lead yourself with integrity.
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Their path to authenticity involves awakening their inner anger, frustration, and authentically expressing their feelings and needs.
TYPE 1
While 1's place a very high value on integrity and truthfulness, they also judge and filter their responses in an effort to be good, polite, or correct.
This self-judgment poses the most significant single barrier to the 1s' authenticity, as it makes it difficult for them to accept their anger and feelings internally, let alone express them truthfully to others.
Until 1s' can embrace the part of themselves that gets angry and is imperfect, genuine authenticity will remain out of reach. Others often reflect that they pick this up from the 1, sensing frustration behind the polite smile.
TYPE 2
Many 2s compromise their authenticity in their efforts to please and support others. How?
By suppressing the parts of themselves that they consider unacceptable or unlovable and shaping themselves according to the desires of those they are with.
2s may pride themselves on their authenticity even as they flatter others because they prefer not to look truthfully at what they personally need.
2s’ desire to be caring can lead them to conceal the truth from others to protect them, as a further barrier to authenticity. A truly authentic 2 can be direct and offer ‘tough love’ when needed.
TYPE 3
Enneagram 3s have a challenging relationship with authenticity, reflected by their vice of ‘deceit.’3s emphasize a successful appearance, having it ‘together’ above all.
As a result, they tend to shape themselves into their ideal image. In doing so, denying, or altering their true feelings whenever those feelings do not match the image they feel they need to project.
3s need to connect to the idea of an authentic self that has value in its own right beyond all the doing and achieving
TYPE 4
Authenticity is one of the 4s’ values and qualities that they strive for personally. Many 4s express their own unique, personal style and encourage personal authenticity in others around them as well.
However, 4s’ intensity may mask an even more profound truth, that they feel ordinary and not unique, making this appearance of authenticity not authentic itself.
4s grow by owning their true motives rather than fantasizing and developing a more realistic acceptance of themselves even with their flaws.
TYPE 5
5s are often very private people, preferring to keep their inner world to themselves and not easily sharing with others.
However, it does not mean that they are not authentic! There are many ways of being authentic without over-sharing. By trying to compartmentalize and control the impact others have on them,
5s close off parts of their authentic self and deny some real feelings and needs. By working to connect to their feelings in real-time, 5s may be more able to express themselves truthfully and openly.
TYPE 6
One of the 6s’ key characteristics is that they can be disconnected from their own inner voice and guidance. Many 6s say they often do not know what they think, or how they feel — often seeing multiple perspectives and unable to distinguish their ‘real’ inner voice.
6s mistrust themselves and second-guess themselves often and can also find it difficult to trust others, creating a further barrier to true authenticity.
The 6s’ path to authenticity lies in discovering their unique inner authority and sense of ‘ knowing.’
TYPE 7
7s are passionate about living an authentic life, often resisting attempts to make them conform to the rules or norms.
However, some 7s are often only comfortable with the positive, and in avoiding the negative, they reject parts of themselves and hide their true selves from the world.
Many 7s need to begin their authenticity journey by becoming more honest with themselves and confronting what fears are under this pattern. Genuine authenticity requires embracing all of yourself, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
TYPE 8
We often hear that 8s pride themselves on being truthful and not pulling any punches. ‘Telling it like it is,’ hoping that others will do the same rather than beating around the bush.
8s often think that this truth-telling makes them authentic, but the truth they tell is only a small part of the whole. 8s deny their more vulnerable, needy selves and present an image of certainty, knowledge, and confidence.
Truly authentic 8s are those who have learned to open up and admit that they need help and support.
TYPE 9
9s tend to focus on not disrupting themselves or others, which raises a high barrier to authenticity when they are operating in challenging circumstances.
9s prefer to maintain a calm exterior even when they may have strong feelings internally – good intentions that may potentially lead to problems and misunderstandings. 9s’ most significant challenge is their self-forgetting.
Their path to authenticity involves awakening their inner anger, and frustration, and authentically expressing their feelings and needs.
This is just the beginning of honing your leadership skills and building a trusting culture. Whan you can lead yourself with integrity, your team, workplace, and personal life are built with trust and strength. If you want to go deeper, schedule a consultation to see if coaching is right for you.