Who's at the Helm?

Having identified myself as a Seven, I'm curious to see what you mean by the statement "Taking Charge To Align With Vision."

This reader refers to a phrase from the Seven subtype descriptions ("taking charge to align with vision"). First, let's take a look at three overall categories:

"Aggressive" Enneagram Styles (Moving Against People)
Three - Taking charge to meet goals
Seven - Taking charge to align with vision
Eight - Taking charge to ensure action

"Compliant" Enneagram Styles (Moving Toward People)
One - Influencing to do it "right"
Two  - Influencing to develop others, provide service
Six - Influencing to satisfy common needs

"Withdrawing" Enneagram Styles (Moving Away From People)
Four - Stepping back to look for new possibilities
Five - Stepping back to analyze alternatives
Nine - Stepping back to define direction

The "aggressive," "compliant," and "withdrawing" dimensions are drawn from the work of Dr. Karen Horney (Our Inner Conflicts). I don't know who originally adapted Horney's scheme to the Enneagram, but it's a distinction made among many Enneagram teachers.  

The themes above (taking charge, influencing, stepping back) are based on my own observations of how these three categories play out in business settings, particularly in their most positive form:       

• About the aggressive type, Horney suggests "life is a struggle of all against all (hence the notion of 'moving against' people)...often...covered over with a veneer of suave politeness, fair-mindedness and good fellowship...a certain amount of actual benevolence as long as there is no question (who) is in command." Threes take charge differently (to reap the benefits of accomplishing goals) than Sevens (to carry others along into the exciting future) or  Eights (to ensure that things get done the way the Eight wants them done). When I was first learning these distinctions it was easy to see Threes and Eights as aggressive but I didn't really "get" the Seven's aggressiveness until I talked to Clarence Thomson. Sevens, when operating from their fixation, are aggressively upbeat, talkative, and future-oriented; they tend to dominate a relationship in a charming way. In organizations their peers may wish they could get a word in edgewise but their team members typically love working for Sevens and are highly motivated to achieve their vision.

• Horney describes the compliant type as manifesting "a need for affection and approval...a desire for 'belonging'...(who) tries automatically to live up to the expectations of others...often to the extent of losing sight of (one's) own feelings." So behind my notion of "influencing" (or attempting to influence) is the sense of trying to do things in such a way that one will belong, be loved and/or approved of. This is expressed for Ones in its most positive aspect as inspiring others in the organization to fulfill high standards of performance (doing it "right"). The Two's influence (while indirect in less-developed Twos) focuses on providing service through developing internal talent and ensuring customer satisfaction. The influence of well-developed and self-aware Sixes shows up in a commendable team orientation with both peers and subordinates ("satisfying common needs").

• Finally, Horney refers to the withdrawing type as needing "detachment ... not the mere fact of wanting occasional solitude. Everyone who takes ... life seriously wants to be alone at times" but where "solitude becomes primarily a means of avoiding (associating with people)." In healthy Fours, Fives, and Nines this manifests as a capacity to step back and observe things objectively. In often innovative Fours this allows a view of new possibilities. Fives can be great synthesizers of alternative approaches to solving problems. And healthy Nines, while not usually one to take strong positions, can often figure out how to help a group define their direction through consensus.

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