Adam Grant Doesn't Believe in the Enneagram. Does He Have a Point?

Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, bestselling author, and longtime skeptic of the Enneagram, has agreed to take an Enneagram assessment. During a recent episode of The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown, the two discussed revisiting the Enneagram on Adam's ReThinking podcast. And as someone who uses the Enneagram professionally, I couldn't resist digging into the conversation. Does Adam Grant have a point about the Enneagram? I think he does. But I also think there's more to the conversation. In this episode, we're looking at what the research actually says about the Enneagram, where some of the criticism is warranted, and why the way we teach and apply the framework matters. I'll also share a personal experience that changed how I teach the Enneagram, why I've moved away from certain traditional theories, and how I think we can approach personality frameworks with more curiosity and less certainty. In this episode, we explore: Why Adam Grant is skeptical of the Enneagram and other personality assessments. What a systematic review of 104 research samples found about the Enneagram's reliability and validity. How Dr. Daniel Siegel's more recent work explores nine personality patterns through interpersonal neurobiology. Why I question traditional Enneagram teachings like Centers of Intelligence, wings, and childhood origin stories. The experience that made me realize I was spending more time defending the model than understanding the person. What we're actually trying to accomplish when we bring the Enneagram into workplace relationships. Why scientific scrutiny and practical experience both deserve a place in the conversation. And one of my biggest takeaways...The model should serve the person. The person shouldn't have to serve the model. Whether you're an Enneagram enthusiast, a skeptic, or someone considering bringing personality development into your workplace, I hope this episode encourages you to stay curious, question what you've been taught, and remain open to learning something new. And stay tuned for the next episode, where I'll revisit Adam Grant and explore why Enneagram Types 1, 5, and 6 might question the exact same thing for three very different reasons. The original conversation: Adam Grant and Brené Brown on The Curiosity Shop:    • The Four Kinds of Connections We Need | Th...   Research and books The Enneagram: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research - Hook et al., Journal of Clinical Psychology (2021): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33332... Personality and Wholeness in Therapy: Integrating 9 Patterns of Developmental Pathways in Clinical Practice - Daniel J. Siegel and the PDP Group (2024): https://wwnorton.co.uk/books/97813240... Awareness to Action - The Enneagram approach used at Enneagram MBA: https://awarenesstoaction.com/ Bring the Enneagram to your workplace Explore facilitated team workshops, leadership retreats, and development programs at Enneagram MBA. https://www.enneagrammba.com/ Or explore our free Workshop Planning Kit, with sample agendas, room setup ideas, discussion questions, and resources to help you plan your own team experience. https://www.enneagrammba.com/resources Have a different perspective? I'd love to hear it. Whether you agree with Adam's skepticism, have research to share, or have experienced the Enneagram differently, join the conversation at enneagrammba.com/contact.