Independent Business Owner Advice Based On Your Enneagram

For more than 25 years, MBO has led the charge to keep the independent economy moving forward. And now we are thrilled to give you advice based specifically on your enneagram type. Unsure what your number is? Take the quiz from the Enneagram Institute and discover your strengths and weaknesses.

As an Independent Business owner, your career takes up a large portion of your life. And here at MBO we want to equip you with the best career advice possible. However, when it comes to career advice, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Each of us struggle with different issues unique to us, and finding out how to overcome some of our problem areas will look differently from person to person. This is why we are now focusing in on giving advice towards particular personality types, and we want to give you targeted advice which you can use to thrive your business, we want to introduce you to your Enneagram.

Most likely you’ve seen or hear of the Enneagram personality test. It’s the favored test by young professionals at the moment and gives great insight into specific behaviors and provides self-help advice more so then some other personality tests. If you do not know your type, we encourage you to take it at the Enneagram Institute. By understanding your strengths and weaknesses we want to help you, as the Independent Professional, learn how you can boost your career, improve your productivity, and reach all of your goals.

The Rational, Idealistic Type: principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic.

One’s are set on always improving themselves. They’re known as perfectionists because they want everything around them to be done flawlessly. One’s are responsible and detail-oriented, which makes them strong candidates for jobs that require precision and accuracy. When hired they will always give quality work. 

While these qualities are strong and beneficial ones to have as an independent professional, there’s a high likelihood that if you’re a one you need to learn when good is GOOD enough. One’s place major stress on themselves to strive for excellence. However, they must know when a project is done. A good tip for Ones is understanding the difference between “perfect” and “good enough.” One’s need to take a step back and decide which tasks are worth their time. They don’t need to control everything. If they don’t they risk an energy burn out. By knowing what to prioritize and what to focus on during a project, One’s will actually be more productive and have time for themselves as well. 

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Confucius, Plato, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Martha Stewart, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Harrison Ford, and Michelle Obama.

The Caring, Interpersonal Type: demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, and possessive.

Relationship-oriented, caring, and supportive, Twos find their worth by helping others. However, this can be a problem when setting boundaries, and expectations or holding people accountable for the original client agreement. 

When you’re working with a client, make sure you set boundaries. Remember, most of the time your client is JUST your client, NOT a close friend. Keep this in mind if they ask you for more of your time, or put off payment. Stand up for yourself, or find someone (like a one or a three) to hold you accountable for HELPING YOURSELF. This will take off the stress Two’s feel if they feel like they are letting someone down. Remember it’s okay to set boundaries and keep yourself a priority too.

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, and Elizabeth Taylor.

The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: adaptive, excelling, driven, and image-conscious

Many self-employed individuals are Three’s. This is no surprise because Three’s love leadership and being the best they can possibly be. And they thrive when they are appreciated for their accomplishments. This is why Three’s are hyper-focused on evolving their career. This is critical for Independent Contractors because you MUST make sure you love what you’re doing. 

If you are an independent professional and are a Three, you have to ask yourself if you take pride in what you’re doing. Focus on building your career by finding your niche. Find out where do you fit in your company and why your company is different and needed over other companies that are similar to yours. If a Three does this, they will find full-fillment, success and have a passion to drive their company to the next level.

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Augustus Caesar, Emperor Constantine, Bill Clinton, Prince William, Condoleeza Rice, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan, O.J. Simpson, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Jon Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Cindy Crawford, and Tom Cruise.

The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental.

Another common enneagram for Independent’s is being a Four. Four’s love to stand out, they are creative, and can be very personal. As an Indpendent Business owner they know what they do works, even if it’s out of the norm of how others like them usually approach tasks. This trait can set their business stand out and rise above similar businesses in their field. Yet, it can also be a vital flaw. 

Four’s tend to be moody and self-conscious. Which causes them to withhold themselves from others because they dislike feeling vulnerable or defective. So if a Four is working with a client who questions them or wants to go about a project in a different matter, this can create confrontation and self-infliction for a Four. Which is why Four’s need to remember not to take it too personally or get swept away from their emotions. Fours need to focus their energy on their ability to create. If a client does go about a project differently then they recommend, Fours must focus on still staying true to their creative and individualist nature, but direct it towards the path the project is headed. If they do direct their creative drive, they’ll avoid falling into a void of self-pity and undproductivity.

Famous People Who Share Your Type:  Edgar Allen Poe, Rumi, Anne Frank, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Depp, Bob Dylan, Cher, Stevie Nicks, and Judy Garland.

The Intense, Cerebral Type: perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated.

When it comes to productivity for Fives, their head is in the game—sometimes too much in the game. At their core Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. If they don’t understand something, they will go to great lengths to find the answer. Five’s are able to intently focus on developing complex ideas and enhancing their own skills. As an Independent Professional, Fives are innovative, and inventive, which make them great workers for those trying to solve complex problems. However, Fives frequently retreat into their own mind, which can cause problems with good communication with their clients. 

Fives are known for becoming preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They focus on understanding solutions in their OWN head. Which means when working on a team they can become detached. Which means they must be self-aware and make an effort to be a team player. They must discuss and explain the solutions they developed or found with their client. Five’s should also only sign up for projects where they are playing a key leadership role, or consulting role if they are to feel fulfilled in the solutions they offer up. 

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Buddha, Albert Einstein, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jane Goodall.

The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious.

Sixes are the enneagram that can make one of the best employees. They are always genuine and truly engaged with those they interact with personally and professionally. They will go out on a limb to help those they care about. And as an Indepdendent Business owner they will always be committed to the projects they sign up for and work at them with fiery passion. 

Unfortunately this can become a problem. Sixes need to make sure they commit to jobs they believe in and work with companies who share similar values. Sixes find worth in staying committed and fulfilling what they signued up for. They can sometimes feel stressed if the people they are surrounding themselves become critical or angry towards them. Sixes must remember their own companies core values and place their loyalty to their company above their loyalty to the person they are working with. This will protect them from possibly be taken advantage of.

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon, Robert F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: spontaneous, versatile, distractible, and scattered.

Sevens are always energetic and ready for the next job. They bring excitement and energy to the work room and can get anyone pumped for the next project. This means as an Independent Business owner Seven’s love thinking ahead to future plans and have a drive to escalate their business. Their fast-paced mindset on achieving and setting new goals is constant and they always want to move on to the next thing. 

And while being energetic and excited about new jobs, Seven’s unfortunately can quickly get burnt out. They can just as easily become unmotivated if a job or task ends up not being as exciting as they thought it would be. Being bored and loosing drive for a task is common for them. Which is why if you’re a Seven and want to run your own business you should try to commit to only fast paced projects or projects that only last for a certain amount of time. This will allow you to take maintain your excitement to help others with your offerings, while not being stuck in a project that sucks out all your energy.

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Galileo, Mozart, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Amelia Earhart, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Miley Cyrus, and Britney Spears.

The Powerful, Dominating Type: self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational.

Eights thrive off of feeling in control. They are hands on with any of their tasks and move things along efficiently. Eights are decisive and very strong-willed. Being great problem-solvers make them unafraid of any challenge set before them. As workers they quickly find flaws or gaps in a plan and come up with a better solution. 

As Independent Professionals, Eights need to rely on these strengths in order to get their projects done and hold those they work with accountable to complete their tasks as well. However, Eights are known to act impulsively at times and to ignore the opinions of others. This is critical because when they approach an upcoming task they MUST rely on their  problem-solving lens. When working with others it’s important to step back and see the bigger picture before setting themselves on solely what they believe is the answer. Eights need to practice approaching their work by identifying a problem and brainstorming with others, and hearing others out different ways to approach it. They must learn to include others if they want to maintain healthy client relationships. 

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Lyndon Johnson, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aretha Franklin, and Queen Latifah.

The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and complacent.

From day to day Nines are accepting, trusting, and stable. They are creative, optimistic, and supportive.  As Indepdent Professionals, they can help bring teams together and heal on going conflicts. In any situation they will seek to harmonize and work with others as much as possible. Their easygoing and empathetic nature helps them understand and see everyone’s point of view when attempting to solve a problem.  

And while working together and as a team is critical for client relationships, Nine’s sometimes sacrifice actually giving their own thoughts and opinions because they’re afraid to create conflict. Nines can often get caught up in trying to keep the peace in situations that actually require productive conflict if a solution is going to be found. Nine’s need to remember and make an effort to give their true thoughts and opinions. If they do, better solutions and results can be produced in their work. They also will get more respect from those they work with, instead of being viewed as a pushover.

Famous People Who Share Your Type: Queen Elizabeth II, Claude Monet, Norman Rockwell, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Whoopie Goldberg.

We hope you found this article helpful and fun! Enneagrams can teach us a lot about ourselves and encourage self development which we know is a pivotal part to being an Independent Business owner. If you want more information about Enneagrams feel free to drop us a line. Comment below if this helped you navigate your small business.

Eager to learn more about enneagrams or advice for your specific type? Submit an idea to the MBO team .