When Your Strengths Become Your Ceiling
A Workshop for Leaders and Organizations at an Inflection Point
There's a pattern that shows up consistently in capable leaders, and it's rarely talked about directly. The decisive leader whose bias for action is an asset in a fast-moving environment starts shutting down dissent when the stakes are high and exactly when dissent is most needed. The high-standards operator creates a team that stops bringing her anything that isn't already polished, and stops taking risks. AI is accelerating this moment for leaders across every industry, creating the kind of uncertainty and complexity that pushes even the most capable people into their most reactive patterns.
This has nothing to do with effort or ability. It's a predictable pattern — and one you can change once you see it clearly.
When Your Strengths Become Your Ceiling is a workshop experience that uses the Enneagram — one of the most sophisticated personality frameworks in executive and leadership development — to help leaders understand the deeper patterns shaping how they think, decide, and lead. Participants leave with a clearer picture of what's actually getting in their way, and a set of practical shifts to put into practice immediately.
Who This Is For
This workshop is designed for leaders who are already performing at a high level and have reached an inflection point — where something more is required, and effort alone isn't quite getting them there.
It is particularly well-suited for:
Leaders navigating the transition from technical excellence to broader influence — the associate-to-partner moment, the move from individual contributor to people leader, or an expansion in scope or complexity
High-potential cohorts ready for programming that goes beyond skills training and gets at what's actually shaping how they lead
What Participants Leave With
A clear picture of their core pattern — where it drives their effectiveness and where it creates a ceiling
A practical framework for recognizing when the pattern is activated and choosing a more intentional response
A specific intention to put into practice immediately
A clearer sense of what their pattern is costing the people around them — and what leading differently could make possible
Connection with peers navigating similar inflection points
Format Options
The workshop is designed to flex to your context. Current formats include:
Half-Day Intensive (3.5–4 hours, in-person or virtual): A concentrated experience covering the full arc of the workshop — from type exploration to applied practice. Best suited for smaller groups (up to 15) where depth of conversation is the priority.
Two-Session Series (two 2-hour sessions, two weeks apart): The first session introduces the Enneagram and core patterns; the second session focuses on application and integration, with two weeks for participants to observe their patterns in real time before returning. This format deepens learning and increases the likelihood of lasting change.
Full-Day Experience (5–6 hours, in-person): Designed for larger cohorts (up to 40) with extended breakout work, same-type and cross-type pairs, and more time for group reflection. Well-suited for leadership retreats, off-sites, and high-potential programs.
All formats include individual Enneagram assessment completed in advance, so participants arrive with their results and the workshop can move directly into insight and application.
Custom formats are available for organizations with specific program requirements.
What Participants Are Saying
“Within 24 hours of the workshop, I caught myself noticing my default patterns at play — and by putting my intention into practice, I had the most productive day I’ve had in a long time.”
“What I valued most was focusing on a specific situation tied to my Enneagram type and working through how to shift the pattern. The framework is simple and powerful.”
“Hearing about others’ types, strengths, and challenges helped me feel less alone. There’s something so valuable about recognizing that these patterns aren’t just yours.”
About the Facilitator
Laura Bunch is a certified executive leadership and career coach with more than two decades of experience supporting leaders at pivotal moments. She spent 15 years at Stanford Graduate School of Business working closely with senior leaders, executives, and founders navigating leadership and career transitions. She is certified in the iEQ9 Enneagram assessment and holds additional certifications in the Leadership Circle Profile and CliftonStrengths.