Am I an Enneagram type 3?
3’s Core Motivation – I am striving to:
- Feel outstanding, valued, desirable and successful
I focus my attention on:
- Achieving goals, accomplishing tasks, being efficient and getting results
- Gaining the respect and esteem of others often by showing my worth and capability
I avoid:
- Circumstances where I feel like a failure
- Drama and situations that are emotionally demanding
Typical characteristics and strengths:
- Accomplished, highly-regarded
- Success-oriented
- Goal-oriented, motivated
- Driven, ambitious
- Hard-working, productive
- Efficient, competent, often well-organized
- Energetic, task-oriented
- Well-developed interpersonal skills
- Pragmatic
- Confident
Typical challenges or blindspots:
- Competitive
- Opportunistic, calculating
- Image and appearance-conscious, sometimes vain
- Workaholic, task-obsessed, over-extended
- Standoffish, inattentive to feelings and relationships
- Impatient, rushed, abrupt
- Intense
- Self-promoting, arrogant
Typical patterns and behaviors:
- I enjoy being productive. I focus a lot of my time and attention on my work.
- Whether at work or at play, I endeavor to excel at what I do. I enjoy competition and being the best.
- Some may say I am a bit of a chameleon. I am able to “read the room” and quickly adapt to fit in.
- My communication skills are an asset. I am confident talking to people. Conversation comes easily.
- My life is busy. My schedule is often packed. It is common for me to feel pressured that I have more to do than time to do it in.
- Feelings – mine and others – often interfere with productivity and efficiency so I try to keep things pragmatic and business-oriented.
- I can come off as rude or abrupt when I am stressed or feel pressed for time.
- I have a temper especially when obstacles impact or slow the achievement of goals and/or the completion of tasks.

Considering your wings and arrows may help clarify nuances of your type.
- 3’s Wings: 2 and 4. Most of us “lean” more toward one of our two wings, sharing some behaviors with that type.
- Growth Arrow: 6. 3’s “move” toward 6 adopting 6ish behaviors and patterns for growth and development.
- Stress Arrow: 9. Where 3’s may go when they are experiencing acute stress or difficulty. Here we see the 3 demonstrate “low-side” or unhealthy type 9 behaviors.
Not sure what Enneagram type you are? Please contact me to learn more about Enneagram typing.