In this episode of the Coaching Business Spotlight Show, host Kat Knecht talks with Cai Delumpa, an Enneagram expert and leader coach from Hive Leadership. The conversation explores the Enneagram, an ancient personality system used to understand core motivations and behavior patterns. Cai shares how the Enneagram differs from other personality assessments by focusing on underlying motivations rather than behaviors. He explains how it helps individuals, particularly coaches, develop self-awareness, understand their patterns, and expand their range of capabilities.
The discussion highlights the benefits of integrating the Enneagram into coaching practices to foster personal growth and improve client relationships.
Kat and Cai talk about …
- The Enneagram’s origins from an ancient system rooted in mysticism and Sufism, later combined with psychology to create a personality model based on core motivations.
- The nine Enneagram types and how each identifies a distinct way of being, each associated with unique patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
- How the Enneagram focuses on the underlying motivations that drive behavior, offering deeper self-awareness.
- Each Enneagram type is influenced by adjacent types (wings) and connected to types representing growth and stress, allowing for a dynamic understanding of behavior.
- Cai’s personal experience as a type seven, and how his core motivation to avoid pain influences his coaching and personal life, and how awareness helps manage it.
- How the Enneagram aids coaches in understanding their patterns, leading to more intentional interactions with clients and enhanced coaching effectiveness.
- The Enneagram’s integration into coaching practices helps coaches expand their range, improve client relationships, and foster personal growth.
- Understanding Enneagram types enhances empathy and communication, especially in partnerships.
- The importance of ongoing growth and personal development for coaches, highlighting the Enneagram as a tool for expanding awareness and potential.
Cai Delumpa is an executive and team coach based in Portland, Oregon. Cai co-owns and operates Hive, a leadership coaching and training company. Cai is a Certified Enneagram Teacher, integrating the Enneagram in his coaching and leadership development engagements with clients. Cai is known for his infectious energy and enthusiasm that inspires clients to rise up, meet their challenges, and create positive and outsized impact at work, at home, and in the world.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Cai’s upcoming course will offer foundational Enneagram knowledge and practical applications for coaches, featuring video lessons, live sessions, and community engagement. While it’s still in development, you can visit Cai’s website and join the mailing list for updates on the course.
