Growing Together: Team Transformation Through the Enneagram

Leather can be shaped with tools and technique. People are shaped with understanding. At Lazarus Artisan Goods, we are not creating leather goods simply to sell bags. We are forming leaders. We use craftsmanship as a sustainable way to disciple young men and women, helping them grow in character, confidence, and purpose. So when four of our artisans joined an Enneagram training sponsored by Thistle Farms and led by instructor Ernesto Izaguirre, they were not just attending a workshop. They were stepping into another part of their formation, another chance to understand themselves and one another more deeply.

What they discovered went far beyond personality types. It sparked honest conversations, new levels of trust, and a renewed sense of unity in the workshop.

What They Learned About Themselves and One Another

Humility Creates Space for Others to Grow

Kilmer realized that influence does not require attention. By choosing humility, he learned to teach, encourage, and lift up his teammates in ways that strengthen the entire workshop.

Confidence Grows One Step at a Time

David discovered that change feels less intimidating when you understand your own responses to it. He learned to trust his abilities, face new responsibilities with courage, and support others who are learning alongside him.

Ambition Becomes Powerful When It Serves the Team

Identifying as an Achiever helped Yofran understand his natural drive. Even more importantly, he recognized that his motivation carries the greatest impact when it inspires collaboration rather than competition.

Support Is a Strength, Not a Weakness

For Elisson, the Enneagram helped him see that relying on others is not a sign of inability. It is a sign of wisdom. Working together transformed challenges that once felt heavy into shared victories.

A Culture Strengthened Through Understanding

With Ernesto’s guidance, the training did more than build self awareness. It deepened the bonds within the team. The workshop now feels more open, more patient, and more rooted in trust. Humility is more natural. Confidence is easier to practice. Motivation spreads quickly. Encouragement has become part of the daily rhythm.

They are crafting more than leather goods. They are crafting a culture shaped by purpose, discipleship, and shared growth.

Their journey reminds us that meaningful transformation rarely happens in a single moment. It forms slowly through everyday choices to listen, to learn, and to lift one another up. When a team embraces that way of working, both the quality of their craft and the pride they take in it grow deeper and stronger.