The Enneagram's Nine Types and Why They Matter for Physician Team Dynamics
A Tool That Goes Deeper Than Most
I've used a lot of personality assessments with physicians over the years. The DISC, CliftonStrengths, the MBTI -- they all have their place. But when a physician tells me they keep having the same interpersonal friction with the same kinds of colleagues, the Enneagram is where I usually turn.
The reason is simple. The Enneagram doesn't just describe what you do. It explains the core motivation underneath it. And once you see your own motivation clearly, you start to understand why certain colleagues drive you up the wall -- and why you might be doing the same to them.
What the Enneagram Actually Measures
The Enneagram framework, which has roots in the work of Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo and was later developed by authors like Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, identifies nine interconnected personality types. Each type is defined by a core motivation, a core fear, and a habitual pattern of attention.
The types range from the principled perfectionist (Type One) to the peacemaking mediator (Type Nine), each with its own lens on the world. Every physician I've worked with can see themselves in at least two or three of these descriptions. The real work is figuring out which one sits at the center of your operating system -- the one running in the background even when you think you're being perfectly rational.
Where This Shows Up in Academic Medicine
Let me give you a concrete example. I once coached two physicians on the same leadership team who could not stop clashing. One was a clear Type One -- principled, detail-oriented, and quietly furious when colleagues cut corners. The other was a Type Seven -- energetic, full of ideas, and allergic to anything that felt like bureaucratic slowdown.
Neither one was wrong. The One's standards were genuinely important for patient safety. The Seven's ability to generate momentum was exactly what the department needed to move forward. But they were each reading the other's core strength as a character flaw. The One saw recklessness. The Seven saw rigidity.
Once they understood each other's Enneagram type, something shifted. They didn't become best friends. But they stopped interpreting every disagreement as evidence that the other person didn't care. That's a meaningful change in a department where those two had to make decisions together every week.
It's Not a Parlor Game
I want to be upfront about something. The Enneagram has less empirical validation than some other assessments. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology by Hook and colleagues noted that while the Enneagram shows promising internal consistency, the research base is still catching up to its popularity. I tell my clients this because I think honesty about a tool's limitations is part of using it responsibly.
That said, the clinical utility I've seen with physicians has been significant. It's not a diagnostic instrument. It's a framework for self-observation. Think of it like game film in basketball. The Enneagram doesn't tell you whether you're a good player. It shows you patterns you can't see in real time -- the habitual moves you make under pressure, the shots you always take even when they're not the best option.
The Nine Types on a Physician Team
When I introduce the Enneagram to an academic medicine team, I'm not trying to put people in boxes. I'm trying to give the team a shared language for differences that already exist but nobody is talking about.
The Type Five on your team who seems disengaged in meetings isn't checked out. They're processing internally and need time before they share. The Type Two who keeps volunteering for extra work isn't just being generous. They may be struggling to say no because their sense of worth is tied to being indispensable. The Type Eight who dominates the room isn't trying to be a bully. They value directness and may not realize how much space they're taking up.
These distinctions matter. Without them, teams default to judging each other by their own type's standards, and that's where resentment builds.
Getting Started
If you're curious, I'd recommend starting with "The Wisdom of the Enneagram" by Riso and Hudson. The Enneagram Institute also offers a validated assessment called the RHETI that gives you a solid starting point for identifying your type.
But here's my honest advice: don't try to type yourself in isolation. The Enneagram is most powerful when explored in conversation with someone who can help you distinguish between what you do and why you do it. Physicians -- trained to be analytical about everything except themselves -- often need a thinking partner for that distinction.
If you'd like to learn more, contact us to schedule a time to chat.
