The Achiever Back to Enneagram
Type Three
The Self-Confident, Ambitious and Goal-Oriented Person
AKA: The Doer, The Motivator, The Salesperson
Typically: Threes are self-confident, ambitious, and strive to improve themselves and to achieve their goals. They are practical, productive, energetic, and success-oriented. They communicate with effectiveness, adapt well, make positive impressions, are good net-workers, and motivate people to reach their objectives. Positively competitive, they excel in most of their endeavors and inspire people to be their best.
When stressed: In their desire to be acknowledged for their accomplishments, Threes can be overly competitive and opportunistic. They lose touch with their feelings and may focus more on style than substance. They may become obsessed with status and prestige, and can be workaholics and dishonest in how they present themselves. Afraid of failure, they may exploit others to come out on top.
Point of View: "It is important to me that I am seen as successful, hard working and adding value."
Examples: Christopher Reeve, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey, George Stephanopoulis, Dick Clark, Tony Robbins, Michael Jordon, Sting.
Focus on: Approval for their accomplishments.
Important Issues: Admirability, efficiency, achievement, vanity, over-competitiveness, and need to impress.
Approach to Problem Solving: "Let’s just concentrate on getting this done."
What They Like in Others: Prestige, success, efficiency.
What They Dislike in Others: Failure, emotions, indifference to their achievements.
How They Frustrate Others: Self-centeredness, over selling themselves, cutting corners.
Chief Asset to Team: Success. Threes have a unique capacity for self-actualization and success in whatever endeavors they pursue.
Core Struggle: Threes feel disconnected from the activities and emotions of others. Their focus on accomplishments is their way of fitting in, believing that if they are seen as valuable to others they won’t be excluded. Their position in their society is secured through their accomplishments.
Unconscious Contradiction: Threes strive to embody the ideals of their environment, but fear that they do not fit in. Their constant striving for excellence is an overcompensation for their fear of being found wanting and thus excluded.
Coping Strategy: Identification. Because they feel so disconnected, Threes internalize an image of excellence that they become obsessed with adhering to. They lose sight of the distinction between their identifications and their true desires.
Vice: Deceit, which manifests itself with Threes convincing themselves that they really are who they appear to be; belief in the false self rather than the real self.
The Lie Threes Tell Themselves—"My value is based on my actions and accomplishments."
Counterproductive Trap—Efficiency. Quality is often sacrificed for the sake of quantity; substance for appearance and affect.
Area of Avoidance— Failure. Failure is unacceptable to Threes. They may reframe failure into success or project incompetence onto others.
Anti-Self Behavior—Self-Imaging. Threes create an image that is not necessarily who they really are. No success, because it is attributed to the image, ever quenches their hunger for genuine approval.
Potential Strengths as Leaders: Sets high standards and challenging goals; inspires growth and improvement in others; build great networks.
Potential Weaknesses as Leaders: Can be inauthentic, leading to lack of trust; may micromanage; may not communicate down the chain of command.
