The Enneagram in Real Life: Marriage, Parenting, and Work

 
 

Self-awareness only matters if it changes how we show up. That’s what this conversation is about.

In part two of our Enneagram series, we sit back down with Michael Burditt Norton, a certified Enneagram teacher and conscious leadership coach, to explore what happens when understanding becomes practice.

How does awareness change the way we love, lead, parent, and connect?
How do we use the Enneagram as a guide without turning it into a label or a weapon?
And what does it look like to live more awake in our relationships, our work, and ourselves?

Michael helps us take the Enneagram off the page and into real life, offering practical wisdom for couples, families, and teams who want to grow with more empathy, honesty, and presence.

Takeaways & Talking Points

Awareness in Action How understanding your patterns leads to compassion and better communication at home and work.

Love and Leadership Why the same tools that deepen marriage can strengthen teams and friendships.

Parenting with Perspective Seeing your kids’ worldviews without trying to fix them—and finding grace for your own.

Emotional Intelligence at Work How conscious leadership and the Enneagram help build trust, curiosity, and courage in teams.

Staying Human Why emotional connection is our greatest strength in an age of artificial intelligence.

Things We’re Learning (and Unlearning)

  • Awareness is only useful when it changes behavior.

  • You can’t lead others if you won’t look at yourself.

  • Curiosity is stronger than control.

  • Presence turns conflict into connection.

  • Every relationship gets better with compassion.

Stats Worth Knowing

  • Leaders with high emotional intelligence outperform others by up to 30%.

  • Self-aware teams report higher trust and collaboration.

  • Strong relationships are built on understanding differences, not eliminating them.

The Enneagram isn’t about who you are, it’s about how you see.

When you learn to see yourself clearly, you make space for everyone else to be seen too.

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 #Marriage #Parenting #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #ConsciousLeadership #RealConversations #Podcast


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Seeing Ourselves Clearly, Our Enneagram Series Begins