By M. Nuri Shakoor | Guest Contributor, IOSI Global
Security Analyst & Counter-Malign Influence Strategist
Information moves faster than ethics can catch up. As a result, the battlefield of influence is no longer limited to political campaigns or digital psyops—it’s psychological, internal, and deeply strategic. As the tools of behavioral control evolve, so too must our frameworks for understanding and ethically deploying them.
Two seemingly divergent systems—the ancient, spiritually rooted Enneagram of Personality, and the data-driven, tactical Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence (NCI) developed by military behavioralist Chase Hughes—are now forming an unexpected but powerful alliance. The synthesis of these frameworks, as argued in a recent paper titled “Harnessing the Enneagram and Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence (NCI)”, presents a revolutionary model for ethical influence, leadership, negotiation, and national security operations.
The Enneagram provides a spiritual-psychological map of the human psyche: nine distinct types that reveal an individual’s core fears, desires, defense mechanisms, and potential for growth. It's introspective, diagnostic, and deeply human. NCI, on the other hand, was engineered for operatives—agents trained to assess, influence, and steer human behavior through rapid rapport, micro-observation, and high-stakes persuasion. It’s surgical in its application, yet tactical and primal in its triggers.
Together, they offer a full-spectrum behavioral strategy—from decoding inner motivations (Enneagram) to executing real-world behavioral influence (NCI). This dual-lens approach doesn’t just enhance our ability to influence others—it transforms how we do it, with empathy, precision, and ethical clarity.
For intelligence professionals and global security operators, the integration couldn’t be timelier. NCI's structured frameworks—like the FATE Model (Focus, Authority, Tribe, Emotion) and the Six-Axis Influence Matrix—are effective but limited when divorced from personality context. The Enneagram fills that gap.
A Type 8 ("The Challenger"), for example, resists overt authority unless it is earned through strength and fairness. Enneagram insights signal this—NCI methods can then be recalibrated to respect autonomy while establishing trust. A Type 2 ("The Helper"), by contrast, thrives on connection and being needed—requiring influence strategies centered on belonging and purpose.
This isn’t manipulation—it’s adaptive communication with a deep respect for individual wiring.
In conflict resolution, mediators can use Enneagram profiling to identify the root fears driving confrontation, while NCI provides tools to neutralize escalation and guide participants toward shared outcomes. In therapeutic settings, the Enneagram offers insight into emotional wounds; NCI contributes structured techniques for establishing rapport and behavioral change. And in leadership, integrating both systems equips decision-makers to motivate teams with clarity, avoid miscommunication, and design high-functioning groups based on cognitive diversity.
The most promising (and sensitive) application of this integration is in intelligence and counter-malign influence operations. NCI, already used by military and law enforcement to profile and influence targets, becomes far more nuanced and humane when layered with Enneagram insights.
Knowing how someone is likely to behave under stress is valuable. Knowing why—and how to ethically redirect that behavior without coercion—is a paradigm shift. It moves influence beyond raw manipulation into the realm of constructive guidance. The implication: smarter operations, better outcomes, and fewer unintended psychological consequences.
Of course, with great insight comes great responsibility. The document is unflinching in addressing ethical concerns: the potential for abuse, the dangers of subconscious manipulation, and the erosion of autonomy if used irresponsibly. Hughes himself urges practitioners to prioritize transparency, mutual respect, and consent.
This integrated model encourages influence as a form of service—not exploitation. It enables governments, NGOs, and private-sector actors to build trust, not just compliance. In an era of surveillance capitalism and weaponized media, it is refreshing—revolutionary even—to advocate influence that uplifts rather than undermines.
As threats to global stability grow more psychological—ranging from algorithmic radicalization to malign information warfare—tools like the Enneagram and NCI will be indispensable. Not only for influencing others, but for defending populations from coercive influence.
True cognitive security isn't just about shielding citizens from disinformation. It's about teaching people to understand themselves and others so well that they cannot be easily swayed, misled, or divided. By combining introspective insight with operational intelligence, we are not just shaping behavior—we are shaping the future of ethical influence.
The think tanks of tomorrow must invest in this fusion. Behavioral operations are no longer the exclusive domain of covert units—they are the scaffolding of modern diplomacy, development, and domestic tranquility. And the best way to win the influence war may be to play a different game altogether: one that honors the mind, the self, and the enduring human need to be seen, understood, and respected.