3 Common Leadership Blind Spots (and How the Enneagram Helps You Fix Them) 

Even top-performing leaders have blind spots. 

In fact, the more success you’ve had, the easier it is to overlook the patterns holding you back. Whether you’re leading a healthcare team through constant change, managing a fast-moving private equity firm, or scaling a tech company, blind spots can quietly derail communication, erode trust, and slow performance. 

The Enneagram is more than just an assessment tool—it’s a leadership asset. It reveals the unconscious behaviors driving your decisions, so you can lead with clarity instead of defaulting to habits that sabotage results. 

Here are three leadership blind spots you might be missing—and how the Enneagram can help you address them.

Poor Communication: Are You Assuming Your Message Is Landing?

Fast-paced environments demand quick decisions. But speed can easily come at the cost of clarity. 

When communication is rushed or vague, teams end up second-guessing priorities, duplicating efforts, or missing key deadlines. Worse, leaders often don’t realize there’s a disconnect—until frustration builds. 

The cost?
A Holmes report found that poor communication costs companies with 100,000+ employees an average of $62.4 million per year. 

Which Enneagram Types Struggle Here: 

• Type 5 (The Quiet Specialist): Keeps details minimal, may expect others to connect the dots. 
• Type 8 (The Active Controller): Prioritizes directness, but may bulldoze over input or leave others hesitant to ask questions. 
• Type 9 (The Adaptive Peacemaker): Avoids conflict, leaving conversations ambiguous to keep the peace. 

How to Strengthen Communication: 

• Create a cadence. Weekly standups, huddles, or written updates—pick a rhythm, stick to it. 
• Ask for real-time feedback. After giving direction, check in: “Can you recap how you’re approaching this?” 
• Tailor based on type: 
• Type 5s: Add context, even if it feels like “too much.” 

• Type 8s: Pause. Match your tone to your intent. 

• Type 9s: Prep key points in advance—don’t soften hard messages. 

Quick gut-check:
Is your team nodding along—or truly clear on priorities? 

Struggling to Delegate: Are You Holding Too Much?

In complex industries, leaders often rise because they deliver. But what got you here—being the go-to expert—won’t scale. Holding onto too much creates bottlenecks, breeds overwhelm, and stalls your team’s development. 

Gallup research shows that leaders who delegate well achieve 112% higher growth rates than those who don’t. 

Which Enneagram Types Resist Delegating: 

• Type 2 (The Considerate Helper): Feels indispensable and hesitant to step back. 

• Type 3 (The Competitive Achiever): Fears that mistakes will reflect poorly on their reputation or image. 

• Type 8 (The Active Controller): Doubts others will meet their standards. 

How to Delegate Without Losing Control: 

• Do a delegation audit. Look at your calendar. What can only you do? Offload the rest. 

• Assign ownership in stages: 

• Step 1: Share info but keep decisions. 

• Step 2: Let others decide within limits (e.g., budget thresholds). 

• Step 3: Full ownership—with periodic check-ins. 

• Reframe mistakes. Every misstep is a leadership development opportunity. 

Example:
A VP in tech who shifted sprint planning to team leads freed themselves to focus on strategic growth—and watched their leads step up as stronger decision-makers. 

Curious how your style impacts clarity on your team? Take our quick Enneagram quiz to start uncovering how you show up under pressure.

Micromanagement: Are You Building Trust—Or Control? 

Micromanagement often stems from wanting things done “right.” But hovering over every detail sends one loud message: I don’t trust you. 

The result? Disengagement, slowed decision-making, and stifled creativity. Studies show employees in high-trust environments are 50% more productive and 76% more engaged. 

Which Enneagram Types Fall Into This: 

• Type 1 (The Strict Perfectionist): Constantly corrects to meet their internal “right way.” 

• Type 6 (The Loyal Skeptic): Monitors closely to avoid worst-case scenarios. 

How to Step Back Without Losing Grip: 

• Set decision boundaries. Use “trust charters” so everyone knows their authority level. 

• Coach, don’t check. Shift status updates to open-ended problem-solving sessions. 

• Track outcomes, not steps. Let go of how—it’s the result that counts. 

Thought starter:
Are you fostering trust—or making people feel watched? 

How to Stay Aware: Practical Tools to Spot Blind Spots 

Blind spots don’t vanish overnight. But building self-awareness keeps them from driving your leadership. 

• Reflective journaling:
  Ask yourself daily—Did I communicate clearly? Did I trust my team today? Did I delegate enough? 

• 360-degree feedback:
  Invite peers and direct reports to candidly share where you’re holding back the team. 
• Work with an Enneagram coach:
  Get personalized strategies tied to your specific Enneagram type and growth path. 

Want to delegate without losing your edge? Get our free Delegation Guide to identify where you’re stuck and how to build team autonomy.

Closing Thought: Leadership Blind Spots Are Optional 

Blind spots aren’t weaknesses—they’re simply patterns you haven’t noticed yet. 

When you learn to recognize them (and lean into tools like the Enneagram), you move from reactive leadership to intentional, trust-building leadership. And that shift creates teams who are more engaged, more empowered, and better equipped to hit big goals. 

Ready to uncover what’s holding you back?
Explore how Meritage Leadership’s Enneagram programs can sharpen your leadership edge.