Some tools help you manage life. Others help you understand it.
The Enneagram is one of those tools.

This is part one of our two-episode Enneagram series. We sit down with Michael Burditt Norton, certified Enneagram teacher, conscious leadership coach, and facilitator with The Conscious Leadership Group. Michael blends theater training, somatic work, and clear teaching to make a complex system simple and useful. Together we unpack what the Enneagram is, how the nine types work, and why self-awareness changes how we show up in marriage, parenting, friendship, and at work.

This isn’t about labels or boxes. It’s about attention, presence, and growth.

Takeaways & Talking Points

What It Is Nine types. Three centers of intelligence. A map for patterns of attention, not a box for who you are.

Why It Matters Self-awareness is the starting point for better conversations, fewer blowups, and healthier teams.

Patterns We Live By How our worldview filters what we notice, miss, and repeat under stress.

Using It With Care How to avoid typing kids too early. How to use the tool without using it as a weapon.

From Insight to Practice Simple ways to notice reactivity in your body, name it, and choose a better next move.
Things We’re Learning (and Unlearning)

• You can’t change what you won’t look at.
• Labels limit. Attention expands.
• Curiosity opens doors that criticism shuts.
• Compassion tends to follow understanding.
• Presence beats perfection.
  

Stats Worth Knowing

• 95% of people think they are self-aware, while only 10–15% actually are.
• Leaders with higher self-awareness often see stronger team trust and better decisions.
• Couples who can name stress patterns report higher satisfaction.

If you have wondered why you react the way you do, or how to grow beyond it, start here. Episode two continues the conversation with real-life application in home and work.

Thanks for listening,
Justin & Sarah

PS: The conversation doesn’t stop here. Visit the Running Ahrens AI Hub to explore our custom AI tools, including EnneaQuest—your guided Enneagram companion.

#RunningAhrens #Enneagram #SelfAwareness #MarriageAndParenting #Friendship #Leadership #ConsciousLeadership #PersonalGrowth #RealConversations