Enneagram Types for ENFJs: Best Matches and Insights

ENFJs are open, generous people who deeply desire to inspire everyone to be their best selves. They are the teachers and altruists of this world. However, not all ENFJs will behave the same. Based on the ENFJ Enneagram test, we can distinguish many different ENFJ types.

In this article, we'll take a deep dive into how typical ENFJ traits combine with each of the Enneagram types, as well as the types of personalities that emerge as a result of those combinations.

You’ll see that, though ENFJs can correlate with any Enneagram type, some combinations are more common than others. Let’s dive right in.

A Quick Overview of the ENFJ Personality Type

ENFJs are highly extroverted people, full of initiative and charisma. They have a unique ability to recognize other people’s talents and are great at inspiring them to grow and develop. Warm and affectionate, they are natural nurturers.

Moreover, because they are very structured and organized and have excellent communication skills, they also make great leaders and managers. The combination of their strong intuition and emotional sensitivity often results in amazing creative power.

They are highly motivated and ambitious, but only when they believe their efforts serve a higher purpose or benefit others. Generally, they are upbeat and optimistic types who enjoy helping people.

The Nine Enneagram Types of the ENFJ

Not all Enneagram types are as extroverted as ENFJs. There are many ways in which a certain Enneatype can affect ENFJs’ natural tendencies.

Let’s see how each of the Enneagrams combines with the ENFJ personality.

#1. ENFJ Enneagram Type 1

Enneagram Ones, the Perfectionists, have a profound capacity for self-sacrifice in the name of the greater good. Their core desire is to make the world a better place, and they are driven by their exceptionally high moral standards.

ENFJs are very similar to Type Ones in the sense that both aspire to promote altruistic values and feel called to encourage the best in other people. However, Ones tend to be more driven by their ideals, while ENFJs show more empathy toward others. Perfectionists don’t find it so easy to express how they feel, and their relationships with others are not so personal.

So, an ENFJ Type One will be less extroverted than a typical ENFJ and more idealistic in their attitude toward the world. Type One will also highlight ENFJ’s need for structure, organization, and order. These highly principled, altruistic individuals will have a very strong sense of right and wrong.

The ENFJ’s core fear of being rejected, under the influence of Type One, drives them to aspire to be morally correct, as they believe that they will experience abandonment unless they are the perfect example of humanistic values.

The desire of the ENFJ to be loved for who they are will clash with the core need of the One to be perfect, resulting in a deep need for a perfect relationship.

#2. ENFJ Enneagram Type 2

The deeply emotional and compassionate Type 2 belongs to the Enneagram heart triad, which means it will enhance all the emotional aspects of the ENFJ’s personality. These individuals are very people-oriented, warm, open-hearted, and sociable. Nothing is too hard for them when it comes to helping others.

Their intuition is very strong, and they mostly use it to read others. People around them quickly feel comfortable, as if they’ve known them for years. Hardly anyone can understand others with such depth and insight as ENFJ Enneagram 2.

Though they are genuinely and deeply motivated to help and support others, they also have a strong need to be liked and to please people, as if their lives depend on it. For that reason, they may sometimes seem too mellow, as if they don’t have a firm attitude.

But the thing is, they deeply fear they will be left alone unless they make other people happy.

What these warm individuals want the most is exactly what they so generously give to others—pure, unconstrained love and acceptance. Feeling needed brings out the best in them, though they can never stop wondering if they would be loved if they stopped being so giving.

#3. ENFJ Enneagram Type 3

ENFJ Enneagram 3 will also be highly extroverted and people-oriented but less propelled to save others. Both ENFJs and Threes depend largely on external validation, so these individuals will have a strong need to meet other people's expectations. But instead of saving others, they often feel inspired to become the best version of themselves.

ENFJ Threes have a unique gift for quickly seeing other people’s talents. They unselfishly motivate others to live up to their potential and feel deep joy when they see other people’s dreams come true. While regular ENFJs are great teachers, ENFJ Enneagram Threes are great coaches.

Threes also add charm and charisma to ENFJs and make them more assertive in expressing their needs. These people have exceptional people skills and are great at communication.

When ENFJ's fear of rejection meets the Three’s fear of failure, the result is a person who is deeply convinced they will experience rejection if they fail to succeed. For that reason, Enneagram Threes are often more ambitious than typical ENFJs.

Still, their deepest desire stays the same—they just want to be loved for who they really are, and not for what they succeed in.

#4. ENFJ Enneagram Type 4

ENFJs and Fours are not a common combination in any sense. Fours are one of the most introverted types, while ENFJs are typical extroverts. So, ENFJ Type Four will be a lot less extroverted and moodier than a typical ENFJ.

This combination is more likely to correlate with the ENFJ/T (turbulent) types than with the ENFJ/A (assertive) types. Still, what these two types have in common is their emotionality.

The Fours’ need to explore their identities meets the ENFJs’ need to connect and help other people. The result is a person who will seek to explore their identity through relationships.

Unlike typical ENFJs, who are always looking for ways to help and like to save other people, ENFJ Fours will feel the need to examine the nature of their connections.

Enneagram Fours may experience a lot of turmoil in their personal relationships. Every disappointment they experience in relationships triggers their deepest fear that they are unlovable, which builds on their fundamental belief that they are somehow flawed.

They sometimes see this area of their lives as a battlefield they need to be prepared for. However, they surely grow and develop the most through interactions with others.

#5. ENFJ Enneagram Type 5

Here’s another highly unlikely combination of two types. Fives are detached, introverted, and introspective—the total opposite of ENFJs. These ENFJs may closely resemble ENTPs because their thinking function will be a lot more pronounced than in regular ENFJs.

The ENFJ Enneagram 5 personality type won't be as reliant on other people, as eager to win others' approval, and as preoccupied with how others perceive them.

The ENFJ’s intrinsic need to be of help to others becomes highly refined and specific, so these individuals often seek a high education in helping professions or dedicate themselves to exploring humanistic sciences.

The combination of such depth of emotion and such a strong intellect often produces characters who are highly creative and prone to artistic expression. The Five’s ability to notice and analyze every detail, paired with ENFJs emotionality, often makes these people interested in psychology.

Needless to say, they will also need more time alone, and their close circles may be much smaller than those of typical ENFJs. Because Fives are very concerned with developing their competencies, these ENFJs will take more time for themselves to learn and acquire skills that will ensure their independence.

This ENFJs’ biggest fear will be that others will abandon them unless they are highly competent, and, as you may guess, their biggest desire will be to help others with their knowledge and expertise. To see a fun depiction of some typical Enneagram 5 traits, you might enjoy our collection of Enneagram 5 memes.

#6. ENFJ Enneagram Type 6

Sixes and ENFJs have a lot in common in the sense that both like to be of service to others, need external validation, and need to feel they belong. ENFJ Enneagram 6s will be very loyal, devoted, and caring friends, coworkers, and partners who never leave you when things get tough.

However, the Six will also change some typical ENFJ traits. There are generally two main directions in which Enneatype 6s change the typical character of ENFJs. The first is related to the Sixes’ fearfulness, and the second refers to their trust issues.

So, an ENFJ Enneagram 6 will be more careful, averse to risk, and insecure than a typical ENFJ. These individuals will be more inclined to carefully plan the future to avoid every possible worst-case scenario.

They will also occasionally feel the need to examine whether people around them deserve their trust and help, unlike the typical ENFJ, who offers a helping hand to anyone. Generally, they will be less optimistic than we would expect from a typical ENFJ.

This ENFJ will not be so afraid of being rejected as much as they will be afraid of being betrayed. Their biggest desire will, however, remain pretty much the same—these people dream of a stable family life.

#7. ENFJ Enneagram Type 7

The charismatic and energetic Type Seven will boost all the extraverted aspects of the ENFJ’s personality. These ENFJs will be very spontaneous, approachable, warm, and even more optimistic than a typical ENFJ.

They’ll also be less serious and self-sacrificing. These are the people who are capable of making friends with anyone in literally a couple of minutes.

ENFJ Enneagram 7s will also have a very pronounced hedonistic streak, but they will always make sure not to hurt anyone while having fun. While they may be slightly less accountable and hardworking than typical ENFJs, they will have a stronger sense of personal boundaries and are therefore less prone to burnout.

The Seven’s fear of being in pain, coupled with the ENFJ's fear of abandonment, makes these individuals deeply dread complicated relationships. Therefore, they may invest too much effort in keeping things light and avoiding real intimacy while at the same time behaving like a universal friend.

So cheerful and joyous on the outside, they are way more complex on the inside. It takes time for them to become really close with someone, despite the fact that they are so open, communicative, and friendly.

Explore the detailed facets of your personality with the Cattell Personality Factors test and uncover your unique 16PF profile.

#8. ENFJ enneagram Type 8

Though it may not be obvious at first, Eights and ENFJs do have many things in common. The tough and strong Challengers feel a deep need to protect and help those in need, just like ENFJs, but their motivation is totally different.

ENFJ Enneagram 8s will be more protective and domineering in their attitude toward others and even more willing to bear the biggest burden on their backs. ENFJs have a lot of leadership potential, which is strongly supported by the Enneagram Eight.

Therefore, ENFJ Enneagram 8s will be less entrepreneurial than typical Eights while being more ambitious and driven than typical ENFJs.

These individuals often play important roles in their communities and act as pillars of society. They may also be passionate activists, politicians, and humanists. Since Eights are a lot more assertive in expressing their needs, this ENFJ will also be better at establishing personal boundaries and meeting their own needs.

Since both Eights and ENFJs have trouble showing their vulnerability, the ENFJ Enneagram 8’s biggest fear will be that they will be rejected if they ever show their weaknesses to other people. What these individuals desire the most is to be strong enough to provide for and protect their loved ones.

#9. ENFJ enneagram Type 9

ENFJs and Nines are pretty compatible. Nines enhance all the recognizable traits of ENFJs, making them even more agreeable and easygoing. These people create harmony wherever they show up in such a natural way that it almost seems like magic. An Enneagram 9 male often enhances these traits even further, bringing a unique blend of calmness and assertiveness to their interactions.

These ENFJs may not be so ambitious, but they will be far more skilled when it comes to negotiating, mediating, and compromising. On the outside, they will seem calm and mellow, but this is just an illusion—they have the strength of a volcano. They will have the same need to be in control as a typical ENFJ, but they will hide it better.

On the one hand, they may be more adaptable than regular ENFJs, and on the other, they may display incredible stubbornness in specific areas of their lives. The thing is, they will firmly refuse anything that threatens to disrupt their peace and harmony.

The ENFJ's typical fear of rejection transforms into a fear of abandonment. ENFJ Enneagram 9 will go to great lengths to make everyone happy just to ensure they don’t get abandoned. As for their core desire, it will mainly revolve around living a peaceful, stable life surrounded by family and friends.

The Most and Least Common ENFJ Enneagram Types

Though an ENFJ Enneagram test can result in any combination of ENFJ and Enneagram types, it is more likely that ENFJs will identify with extraverted Enneagram types. And, following the same logic, ENFJs who identify with the more introverted Enneatypes will be fairly rare.

Most Common ENFJ Enneagram Types

The most common ENFJ Enneagram Types are Two, Three and Nine.

Of those, ENFJ Enneagram 2s will be the most typical ENFJs, with their compassionate nature and the need to be loved. Three's need for social approval and validation of others correlates well with ENFJ’s essence, and Nine’s amiable and selfless nature is also a natural fit for ENFJ.

Least Common ENFJ Enneagram Types

The rarest ENFJ Enneagram types are Four, Seven, and Six. Fours are deeply introspective, insecure, and introverted and have very little in common with a typical ENFJ. Sevens seem to be the polar opposite with their egocentrism and childish need to escape unpleasant feelings and just have fun in life.

Finally, Sixes are also very rare in spite of the fact that they have some overlaps with ENFJ’s typical traits, but their distrust toward other people makes them more concerned with security than with love.

Conclusion

The loving and generous ENFJs often center their lives around taking care of other people and ensuring peace and stability in their environment. They are deeply afraid of being rejected by others and therefore feel compelled to meet everyone’s needs. For these reasons, they most often identify as Enneatypes Two, Three, and Nine.

However, every ENFJ is unique and can choose to develop their character in different directions. Therefore, it is possible for any Enneatype to identify as an ENFJ, regardless of how opposite their core traits may be.