On coaching and the Enneagram
The Enneagram is a system which identifies nine different personality types as a map for personal development. CCS grad Roland Legge reflects on using the Enneagram in his coaching practice.
Recently I took nine-months of intensive training through the Deep Coaching Institute to learn a coaching model that uses the Enneagram. It is all about learning to live with presence as much as possible in order to experience the world as it is happening at the moment. Presence is accomplished by staying open in your three energy centres – head, heart and body.
For twenty-five years I lived out Diaconal Ministry in congregations where I was the only paid accountable minister. I brought a passion for pastoral care, Christian Education, social ministry, and organizational development.
Over the past seven years, I have been learning about the Enneagram personality system through the Enneagram Institute. Learning this spiritual model has changed my life for the better. There are nine different personality types in the model. Most Enneagram teachers believe we take on one of those types early in life to help us to survive in the world, although a healthy person will have strength in all nine types.
Understanding the Enneagram can provide a map for personal development. Discovering your type shows you where you get stuck. but also help you get out of the limitations of your box. The good news is that you are much more than your personality type.
The Centre for Christian Studies is big about self-awareness. The CCS community helped me to understand myself better through self-reflection and learning in community. I could not do coaching without staying aware of my own limitations. I could not help others to ground themselves if I cannot stay grounded myself.
Learning in community helped me to discover how powerful group process can be. Finding out that we have different learning styles helped me learn how to work with the strengths and limitations each learner brings to the table. This works equally well both inside and outside the church.
Much of what I learned at CCS has been helpful in my new career as a life coach. I feel that I am following in the tradition of CCS that continues to call us into being inclusive of all people we meet whether or not they have a faith background.
During my three years at the Centre for Christian Studies, I began to grow my roots deep down into the mystery of life. This rootedness helped me to develop my leadership skills, theology, social ministry, and organizational development that did me well for leadership in the church.
This same rootedness encouraged me to go deeper into life always wanting to learn more. The hunger to go more in-depth led me to the Enneagram and Coaching. Now with the added help of the Enneagram, I found the courage to take a risk and start my own life coaching business.
You can connect to Roland’s coaching practice at relconsultants.com.
Learn more about the Enneagram through the Enneagram Institute enneagraminstitute.com.
Check out the Deep Coaching Institute at deepcoachinginstitute.com.
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