Enneagram and Public Speaking: Tips & Insights for Each Type

Exploring Enneagram and public speaking allows us to understand the effect different personality types can have on others in public speaking situations.

While not all Enneagram types are inclined or interested in public speaking in general, each one of them can learn to harness their strengths and become an excellent public speaker if they need or want to do so.

In this article, we’ll explore how Enneagram and public speaking are connected and how each type can improve their public speaking skills by learning more about their inherent strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s dive in!

What is the Enneagram and How Does It Work?

Enneagram is a personality theory that combines ancient wisdom with modern philosophy and personality psychology. It divides people into nine personality types based on their core motivation, strengths, weaknesses, fears, and desires.

The focus of the Enneagram isn’t on observable traits but on the inner psychological factors that shape personality and its expressions. As a result, the Enneagram theory is very flexible and allows for plenty of diversity when it comes to the nine Enneagram types.

The founding concepts of the Enneagram theory include:

• Enneagram wings, which explain how each type comes in two possible variations or subtypes
• Enneagram arrows, which describe different developmental levels of each type and their healthy and unhealthy patterns
• Enneagram motivations, which provide insight into the driving forces behind each type’s behavior and explain how they construct their life strategies

Why Does Your Enneagram Matter in Public Speaking?

Your Enneagram type matters in public speaking because understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your personality type can help you create a highly effective public speaking strategy.

In addition, it can also help you overcome the obstacles that prevent you from becoming a successful public speaker or support you in dealing with common issues that public speakers face, such as stage fright, creativity blocks, and similar.

Enneagram and Public Speaking: Strengths, Weaknesses & Tips for Improvement

Every Enneagram type can be a fascinating public speaker depending on the purpose they are speaking for and their motivation. Here’s an overview of how each Enneagram type approaches public speaking and what their advantages and disadvantages are in that regard.

Enneagram Type 1—The Perfectionist

The principled, detail-oriented Enneagram Type One strives for perfection in everything they do. That’s because they believe that only by doing things the best way possible do they deserve to be loved and respected. They are driven by a desire to make the world a better place for everyone and led by altruistic ideals and a strong sense of ethics and morality.

Their key strength in public speaking is their honest motivation to do the right thing, giving them a sense of resolution and purpose in addressing the audience. Their communication style also supports their public speaking skills, as it is precise, direct, polite, and purposeful.

In addition, when public speaking is requested of Ones, they see it as their duty, and as in every other aspect of life, they will work on all the necessary competencies to perform their duty perfectly.

However, they should pay attention not to get lost in details, considering that they often can’t see the forest for the trees. As a result, they may lose their audience’s attention.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Visualize your goal and focus on what inspires you, not on details that don’t resonate with your target audience.

Enneagram Type 2—The Helper

Enneagram Type Two is warm, generous, and deeply compassionate. Driven by the need for love, Twos have mastered the art of reading other people's needs.

As a result, their biggest advantage in public speaking is their ability to connect with the audience and make their speech sound intimate and personal. Moreover, their speeches often sound as though they were tailor-made separately for each individual in the audience.

Twos are aware of the power of emotions and are experts at emotional manipulation, which can be very useful for public speaking purposes.

However, despite their competence and talent, Twos may struggle with stage fright and shy away from opportunities to convey their message in public. Another danger comes from their tendency to get too emotional, which may cause the audience not to take them as seriously as they should.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Foster self-respect—the first person you need to convince of the importance of your message is you.

Enneagram Type 3—The Achiever

The confident, goal-oriented Achiever is driven by a desire to be successful in everything they do and to impress others with their achievements. They are very energetic, ambitious, determined, and competitive.

Their charismatic presence, paired with excellent communication skills, is their key asset when it comes to public speaking. Threes are natural leaders, and they intuitively know how to charm their target audience to keep their attention and win them over for their goals.

On the flip side, their charm and focus on leaving a favorable impression may lead them away from conveying the essential message of their speech, resulting in them appearing inauthentic. Their performance may give off the impression of being too good to be true.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Focus on conveying the essence, not charming the audience. Pay attention not to over-rehearse your speech to avoid unnatural delivery.

Enneagram Type 4—The Individualist

Individualists are known for their creativity and non-conformist, free-spirited nature. Driven by the desire to understand their identity, they see life as a never-ending soul-searching quest. They are very spiritual and romantic, and they value depth and authenticity.

Fours can be exceptionally powerful public speakers despite their introverted nature because of their creativity and courage to be authentic. As a result, they deliver unique, deeply inspiring speeches that touch the souls of the listeners.

Nevertheless, their communication style may be too theatrical and artistic for the average person to connect with their message. They may get lost in poetic metaphors and figures of speech and forget what the goal of the presentation is.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Make your speech more about your audience and focus on understanding your target listeners. Structure and tone your speech according to your audience's needs, not to your personal preferences.

Enneagram Type 5—The Investigator

Enneagram Type Five is insatiably curious and eager to understand how the world works. Thirsty for knowledge and driven by the need to ensure their independence, Fives acquire many different skills and competencies throughout their lives.

Their expertise and knowledge are their strongest assets in public speaking, as they deliver exceptionally structured, well-researched, and insightful speeches. They connect different data, transforming it into strong points and winning the trust of the audience with realistic arguments.

However, they may lack the skill to establish an emotional connection with the audience as they tend to come off as reserved and detached. The audience may interpret their detachment as a lack of conviction and discount their arguments no matter how well-researched and logical they are.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Learn effective techniques for connecting emotionally with your audience, such as public speaking storytelling. Explore ways to make emotionally connecting with the audience feel comfortable.

Enneagram Type 6—The Loyalist

Enneagram Type Six is driven by the need for security. They are traditionally oriented family types who value a sense of community and strive to make their lives as predictable as possible. As a result, they develop into exceptionally stable and reliable individuals.

Six’s key strength in public speaking is their humble attitude and common sense, which allow them to connect with their audience in a very grounded way. They also easily earn their listeners’ trust because their speech is well-structured, practical, and thorough.

The biggest obstacle for Sixes to becoming great public speakers is their anxiety. They are generally one of the most fearful Enneagram types and, therefore, prone to experiencing intense stage fright. As a result of their fear of public speaking, they might obsess over details and completely lose focus while speaking.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Trust yourself, allow your intuition to prevail, feel the room, and connect with the audience. Acknowledge your fear, but don’t buy into it. Focus on the message you must convey instead of anticipating the audience’s reaction.

Enneagram Type 7—The Adventurer

Enneagram Type Seven is a passionate adventurist, ready to take all kinds of risks in life and always thirsty for new adventures. Driven by a desire to experience all the joys of life, they are full of optimism and vitality.

Their major strengths in public speaking are their spontaneity, creativity, and inherent charisma. Thanks to this combination of traits, they engage and motivate their audience naturally, and people feel deeply moved by their words.

However, their tendency to improvise can lead to a lack of preparation and superficiality in their speeches. They may give off the impression that they are not taking themselves or their audience seriously, thus failing to convey the desired message.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Balance your spontaneity with a clear structure and focus on making a point, not amusing the audience.

Enneagram Type 8—The Challenger

The assertive and charismatic Eights are natural leaders who know what they want from their earliest age. Intense, passionate, and ambitious, Eights are driven by a need to be in control of their own destinies and a desire for power and influence.

They are highly immersive public speakers, as their presence commands attention, and their resolution subtly creates an atmosphere of emergency and importance. The audience is usually captivated by their natural authority and strong leadership ability.

Nevertheless, Eights can be too aggressive in their speech, and their audience may feel attacked by their bold perspective. Their passion may be too overwhelming and interpreted as stubbornness or lack of objectivity.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Don’t go straight to the point before making sure you connect with the audience. Soften your performance by showing more compassion and warmth.

Enneagram Type 9—The Peacemaker

Nines are known for their calm, easygoing, and highly adaptable nature. Motivated by the need to find peace both within themselves and in their environment, Nines develop exceptional mediating and conflict management skills.

Their greatest advantage in public speaking is their ability to create a warm, friendly atmosphere and connect with the audience in a very spontaneous and natural way. Their presence also has a calming effect on others, allowing them to present sensitive facts or data without provoking rebellious, intense reactions from the audience.

However, Nines may lack the assertiveness and passion to effectively convey their message. They may come off as too passive and uninvolved due to their need to please others and avoid rocking the boat. The audience may feel confused by their lack of decisiveness.

Enneagram and public speaking tip: Focus on what inspires you in the message you must convey and allow yourself to be passionate about it. Public speaking isn’t so much about pleasing others as it is about drawing their attention, so bear in mind that you need to attract the audience, not comfort them.

Real-Life Examples of Impactful Public Speakers and Their Enneagram Types

Exploring Enneagram celebrities who were powerful public speakers can give us a deeper perspective on how Enneagram and public speaking are connected. With that in mind, here are a few examples of the most impactful public speakers and how their Enneagram type affected their speech style:

Oprah Winfrey—Enneagram Type 3

Oprah Winfrey, the famous TV host, producer, author, and actress, is one of the most influential public speakers of the modern age. She is known for her unique ability to connect with her audience on a deep emotional level, which reflects the strength of her Enneagram wing—

Enneagram type 2.

As an Achiever with a Two wing, the so-called 3w2 subtype, Oprah has all the key traits of Type Three and many strengths of Type Two. She is entertaining, compassionate, and uniquely assertive when communicating her emotions and message.

Martin Luther King Jr.—Enneagram Type 8

Martin Luther King Jr. is a perfect example of the Eight’s charisma and influence on other people. The well-known American Baptist minister, political philosopher, and activist for human rights was known for his passionate speeches, which have impacted the masses and changed world history.

His commanding presence, conviction, honesty, and drive to stand up against oppression are the hallmarks of Enneagram Type Eight, the Challenger. In addition to that, Martin Luther King Jr. also shows us how a mature, highly developed Eight behaves, as he demonstrated a lot of genuine compassion and raw emotion in his speeches.

Mahatma Gandhi—Enneagram Type 9

Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, is one of the most famous peacemakers in the world. Unlike the previously mentioned public speakers, Gandhi’s Enneagram speech style was calm, balanced, and purposeful. His rhetoric was rather refined, reflecting Nine’s sense of measure and emotional complexity.

Yet, just like a true Nine, Gandhi managed to connect with a wide audience as he conveyed his ideas in a compassionate, relatable, and simple manner that appealed to both the masses and the elite.

What’s Your Enneagram Type?

Take our free Enneagram test and embark on the road of self-discovery!

Key Takeaways

Public speaking is a very useful skill, regardless of your field of work, as it allows you to communicate important issues and motivate others to support you or your cause.

Therefore, learning about Enneagram and public speaking and how to use your Enneagram type's strengths to perfect your speeches can help you in many areas of your life, from managing your public image and reputation to getting promoted at work.

So, the best way to start refining or building your public speaking skills is to take an Enneagram test, explore your personality type, and maximize your natural potential.

Enneagram and Public Speaking FAQ