In this article we consider one aspect of the TE - Transactional Enneagram (a new developing approach, integrating ideas from TA - Transactional Analysis and the Enneagram typology) - Ennea-transactional leadership. Here we consider application of TA Drivers Theory and Enneagram ideas to inspire and motivate clients to achieve better results. This article covers some basics of this integration.
Understanding the TA drivers theory
TA driver theory developed by Taibi Kahler [1 ,2, 3] highlights five main drivers affecting behavior. Person that possesses the driver:
- Be Perfect - strives to be flawless and to set higher standards.
- Be Strong – strives to suppress emotions and show resilience.
- Please Others – strives to seek approval and avoid conflicts.
- Hurry Up – strives to finish things fast and is always in a hurry.
- Try Hard – strives to put in more effort and show perseverance.
Each person can have all drivers, of which one or two (primary and secondary) are usually the main ones. Drivers can be a source of motivation, but they can also lead to stress and burnout if not managed properly. Understanding these drivers allows leaders to adapt their approach to meet the individual requirements of every team member.
Understanding the Enneagram typology
Enneagram typology describes nine different personality types, each of which has its own main motivations, fears and behavioral patterns. Very shortly each type can be explained as following [4]:
Type 1: Principled, purposeful, and perfectionistic.
Type 2: Generous, people-pleasing, and possessive.
Type 3: Adaptable, excelling, and driven.
Type 4: Expressive, dramatic, and temperamental.
Type 5: Perceptive, innovative, and isolated.
Type 6: Engaging, responsible, and anxious.
Type 7: Spontaneous, versatile, and scattered.
Type 8: Self-confident, decisive, and confrontational.
Type 9: Receptive, reassuring, and complacent.
By understanding these types, leaders can better understand the main motivations and behaviors of the members of their team.
Integrating the TA driver theory and Enneagram
By combining the TA driver theory with enneagram, leaders can even better understand the underlying motivations behind each personality type. That integration allows developing more customized and effective leadership strategies.
The main leading drivers (primary and secondary) for each Enneagram type are:
- Type 1
- Primary Driver: Be Perfect
- Secondary Driver: Be Strong
Superego message: "I am OK if I am perfect and strong."
Explanation: Type 1s are driven by a need for high standards and correctness. They strive for perfection and adhere to strict moral principles. The secondary driver, Be Strong, complements their need for self-sufficiency and control over their environment. Leaders can support Type 1s by providing clear guidelines and constructive feedback, helping them balance their perfectionism to avoid burnout.
- Type 2 - The Helper
- Primary Driver: Please Others
- Secondary Driver: Be Perfect
Superego message: "I am OK if I please others and am perfect in my help."
Explanation: Type 2s seek approval and appreciation by being helpful and caring. They are motivated by the desire to feel loved and valued through their relationships. The secondary driver, Be Perfect, aligns with their wish to provide flawless assistance. Leaders can acknowledge their contributions and offer opportunities for meaningful connections while encouraging them to practice self-care to prevent overextending themselves.
- Type 3 - The Achiever
- Primary Driver: Hurry Up
- Secondary Driver: Be Perfect
Superego message: "I am OK if I achieve quickly and efficiently, and perfectly."
Explanation: Type 3s are success-oriented and driven to achieve their goals quickly and efficiently. They value productivity and efficiency, aiming to maintain their image of competence and success. The secondary driver, Be Perfect, supports their drive for excellence and high standards. Leaders can set clear goals and provide recognition for their achievements, helping them focus on long-term success rather than just quick wins.
- Type 4 - The Individualist
- Primary Driver: Try Hard
- Secondary Driver: Be Perfect
Superego message: "I am OK if I try hard and express my uniqueness perfectly."
Explanation: Type 4s seek to express their unique identity and emotional depth. They are motivated by the desire to be authentic and to stand out. The primary driver, Try Hard, aligns with their effort to delve deeply into their emotions and creativity. The secondary driver, Be Perfect, complements their strive for authenticity and personal significance. Leaders can value their creativity and allow them space for self-expression, offering support to help them navigate their emotional intensity.
- Type 5 - The Investigator
- Primary Driver: Be Strong
- Secondary Driver: Be Perfect
Superego message: "I am OK if I am independent and knowledgeable, and perfectly informed."
Explanation: Type 5s seek knowledge and understanding while maintaining independence and self-sufficiency. They are motivated by the desire to be competent and to protect their personal resources. The secondary driver, Be Perfect, aligns with their pursuit of in-depth knowledge and accuracy. Leaders can respect their need for independence and provide them with autonomy, encouraging collaboration to integrate their insights with team goals.
- Type 6 - The Loyalist
- Primary Driver: Be Strong
- Secondary Driver: Please Others
Superego message: "I am OK if I am secure and supported, and please others to maintain harmony."
Explanation: Type 6s desire security and support, often preparing for potential threats. They are motivated by the need for safety and reliability. The secondary driver, Please Others, aligns with their need to maintain harmonious relationships for added security. Leaders can provide clear structure and reassurance, fostering a safe environment where they can voice concerns and feel supported.
- Type 7 - The Enthusiast
- Primary Driver: Hurry Up
- Secondary Driver: Try Hard
Superego message: "I am OK if I experience excitement and variety quickly, and try hard to keep it going."
Explanation: Type 7s seek pleasure and new experiences to avoid pain and boredom. They are motivated by the desire for excitement and adventure. The secondary driver, Try Hard, supports their continuous search for new and stimulating experiences. Leaders can keep them engaged with variety and new challenges, helping them focus on completing projects to balance their enthusiasm for new ideas.
- Type 8 - The Challenger
- Primary Driver: Be Strong
- Secondary Driver: Hurry Up
Superego message: "I am OK if I am in control and powerful, and act quickly and decisively."
Explanation: Type 8s are driven by a need for control and self-reliance. They are motivated by the desire to assert their power and protect themselves and their loved ones. The secondary driver, Hurry Up, complements their decisive and action-oriented nature. Leaders can give them opportunities to take charge and demonstrate their strength, balancing their assertiveness with collaboration and empathy.
- Type 9 - The Peacemaker
- Primary Driver: Please Others
- Secondary Driver: Be Strong
Superego message: "I am OK if I maintain peace and harmony, and stay strong to keep it that way."
Explanation: Type 9s seek peace and harmony, often avoiding conflict to maintain a calm and stable environment. They are motivated by the desire to avoid disruption and to ensure inner and outer peace. The secondary driver, Be Strong, aligns with their need for stability and resilience. Leaders can create a harmonious work environment and involve them in team-building activities, encouraging them to assert their own opinions and take initiative.
Below are the ways to apply the knowledge about enneagram types and their primary TA drivers in the workplace.
Improving communication and collaboration
Leaders who understand the drivers and Enneagram types of their team members can communicate more effectively. For example, Type 1, which has the primary driver "Be Perfect", appreciates detailed, properly structured communication that meets his need for precision. On the other hand, Type 7 has the primary driver "Hurry Up" and may prefer a brief and energetic exchange that keeps them engaged and moving.
Motivating and inspiring the teams
Ennea-transactional leaders can utilize these ideas to inspire their teams. Type 3 has a primary driver "Hurry Up", strives to reach their goals fast and effectively, and a secondary driver "Be Perfect", that reflects their ambition to appear the best and to avoid failures. Leaders that know of these drivers can set clear goals for Type 3 and ensure the appreciation of their achievements to help them focus on long-term success and not just a quick one.
At the same time, Type 2, while having the same secondary driver "Be Perfect", because of their primary driver "Please Others" strives to receive approval and acknowledgement from others and therefore wants to be useful and caring, placing others’ needs above their own. Therefore, this secondary driver is caused by the desire to be an ideal friend, partner and caretaker, to be irreplaceable and loved. This is why Type 2 would be motivated by the opportunities of partnership and being able to make a contribution to the team's success.
Stress Management and burnout prevention
Understanding drivers and Enneagram types also helps leaders handle stress in their teams. For example, Type 6 with the leading primary driver "Be Strong" can suppress their anxieties that could lead to burnout. By realizing this, leaders can provide confidence and create a supportive environment that encourages safe and open communication. Likewise, leaders can support Type 1 with leading primary driver "Be Perfect", helping them to balance their perfectionism and avoid burnout by offering clear guidelines and constructive feedback, for example.
Supporting personal and professional growth
Leaders can help these models support the personal and professional growth of their team members. Types 5 and 8 both have the same primary driver "Be Strong", but different secondary drivers - "Try Hard" for Type 5 and "Hurry Up" for Type 8. Therefore, Type 5 looks for knowledge and understanding, keeping their independence and self-sufficiency in the process, often pulling away to protect their internal resources and to avoid suppression and invasion, so driver "Be Strong" resonates with their need for autonomy and independence. And in their pursuit of knowledge, Type 5 often put in considerable efforts to control the spheres of their interest; therefore, "Try Hard" driver completes their devotion to obtaining and understanding complicated information and concepts.
Type 8 is driven by a need for control and independence to affirm their power and authority. They can be harsh and decisive to avoid vulnerability and to keep the feeling of power and influence, therefore in this case, the "Be Strong" driver matches their desire to keep their dominance. Meanwhile, Type 8 demonstrates a sense of urgency with their decisive and action-oriented approach. "Hurry Up" driver completes their desire to take control and make decisions.
Knowing about Type 5's drivers, leaders can ensure a defined, predictable structure and confidence that help to create a safer environment, in which they can raise their concerns and feel support. Meanwhile, Type 5's "Try Hard" driver helps to gain benefit from their efforts to dive deeply into research and innovations. Meanwhile, Type 8 with the "Be Strong" driver can succeed in leading roles that allow them to affirm their influence and make changes, and leaders that keep in mind their secondary driver "Hurry Up" can provide an opportunity for them to take responsibility and display their power to balance their assertiveness with partnership and empathy.
Finally, we would like to hope, that Ennea-Transactional leadership will help leaders and managers to better understand their team members and to develop of each member unique potentials. By applying the TA drivers theory and Enneagram ideas, leaders can improve their abilities to communicate, motivate, and inspire their teams to create a more dynamic, productive and balanced work environment.
Sources:
[1] Kahler, T. (1975). Drivers: The Key to the Process of Scripts, Transactional Analysis Journal, 5:3, 280-284: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1177/036215377500500318
[2] Kahler, T. (1979). Process Therapy in Brief. Human Development Publication.
[3] Mackie, M. (2019). The Perils of Perfectionism and other life stealers: https://www.moyramackie.com/drivers-and-perfectionism/
[4] Enneagram Institute, https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions/
