What's Happening?
Kara Nortman, a prominent owner in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), highlights the significant role of personality assessment tools, particularly the Enneagram, in her career and personal life.
Nortman, who co-founded Angel City Football Club and Monarch Collective, an investment firm focused on women's sports, credits the Enneagram with helping her understand her motivations and build effective teams. She identifies as a Type Seven, characterized by discovery, creation, and adventure, which informed her decision to pivot into women's sports. Nortman has utilized the Enneagram with co-founders and team members to improve communication and decision-making, emphasizing that understanding individual motivations beyond observed behavior is crucial for success. She notes that while other tests like DiSC, Hogan, and Myers-Briggs were used, the Enneagram provided a deeper insight into core motivations, whether they be power, creativity, safety, or rules.
Why It's Important?
Nortman's advocacy for personality tests in professional sports and business underscores a growing trend in leadership development and team dynamics within U.S. industries. Her approach suggests that a deeper understanding of individual and team motivations can lead to more empathetic leadership, improved collaboration, and ultimately, greater success. For the burgeoning women's sports industry, this focus on psychological insights could be a differentiator, fostering environments where athletes and staff can thrive. By emphasizing that not everyone needs to be good at everything, but rather understand how to contribute effectively within a team, Nortman's philosophy could influence how sports franchises and other businesses approach talent management and organizational culture. This could lead to more resilient and high-performing teams, impacting competitive outcomes and financial success in these sectors.
What's Next?
The continued success of teams and ventures led by Kara Nortman, such as Angel City FC and the Cleveland Sirens, could further popularize the use of personality assessment tools like the Enneagram in professional sports and business. Other team owners and corporate leaders may adopt similar strategies to enhance team cohesion and individual performance. As the women's sports industry expands, the emphasis on holistic team building, including psychological profiling, could become a standard practice. This trend might also lead to increased demand for certified Enneagram practitioners and other personality assessment experts within corporate and sports organizations, potentially creating new professional opportunities in these fields. The broader impact could be a shift towards more introspective and empathetic leadership styles across various U.S. industries.
Beyond the Headlines
The integration of personality tests like the Enneagram into high-stakes environments such as professional sports raises deeper questions about the balance between individual authenticity and team conformity. While Nortman emphasizes understanding 'what makes you tick,' there's a subtle implication about how these insights are used to 'train' individuals, as suggested by Shopify's CEO Tobi Lütke. This could lead to discussions about the ethical implications of using such tools for talent selection and development, ensuring they promote growth mindset rather than pigeonholing individuals. Furthermore, the success of women's sports, often built on community and shared values, might be particularly receptive to approaches that prioritize understanding and empathy, potentially setting a new standard for organizational culture beyond traditional corporate structures.
