Enneagram Type 9 Leader
The Type Nine Leader is often referred to as the Peacemaker or Mediator. They are motivated by a desire to maintain peace and harmony.
Nines can be accommodating, adaptable, accepting, attentive, calm, caring, conflict-avoidant, diplomatic, easygoing, empathetic, genuine, giving, grounded, humble, inclusive, indecisive, kind, patient, peaceful, steady, supportive, and warm. However, they can also be complacent, indecisive, passive-aggressive, self-forgetting, stubborn, withdrawn, and overly-accommodating.
Strengths & Challenges
Inclusive Leadership
✔️ Nines make people feel accepted, included, and heard. As natural mediators, they see multiple perspectives and seek common ground. At their best, they incorporate diverse viewpoints into thoughtful, balanced decisions.
❌ However, they can be slow to assert themselves. In their desire to consider everyone’s views, Nines may delay decisions or struggle to voice their own. They often need time to process before they express their perspective.
Empathetic Attunement
❌ However, they tend to neglect their own needs. Nines are “self-forgetting” and often prioritize others’ needs, priorities and agendas, over their own. They can struggle with setting boundaries, and may say “yes” when they mean “no” which can lead to passive-aggressive behavior.
✔️ Nines care deeply. They’re attuned to others’ needs and emotions, and they offer genuine, unwavering support. Their calm presence helps people feel seen, safe, and valued.
Adaptive to Change
✔️ Nines are highly adaptable, and able to go with the flow and adjust to changing circumstances. Their grounded, composed demeanor can help teams stay calm and steady through uncertainty.
❌ However, to protect their sense of peace, Nines may resist action or disengage when faced with challenge, change, or conflict, which can result in stalled momentum.
Conflict Resolution
❌ While Nines are skilled at resolving others’ conflict, they dislike it when it’s directed at them. They may withdraw, sidestep difficult conversations or suppress their true feelings to avoid tension. This can leave issues unresolved and eventually create deeper disconnect or frustration, both for themselves and others. Nines fear losing connection with others and will “go along to get along” in order to keep the peace.
✔️ With their diplomatic approach and skilled listening, Nines excel at resolving conflict. They often act as a bridge between differing opinions, creating a sense of harmony when things feel fractured. Their calm demeanor can help lower tension in the room. Their inner mantra: “Why can’t we all just get along?”
Grounded Presence
❌ However, they disconnect from self. With so much focus on others’ needs and agendas, Nines can lose touch with their own priorities, desires, or purpose. They often know what they don’t want more clearly than what they do, which can create a sense of inertia or lack of direction.
✔️ Nines provide a calm, stabilizing influence. Their patience and consistency help build trust, and they often nurture the growth and potential of others, creating environments where people feel supported and able to thrive.