About Us
Unlocking Human Potential
At Five Lens People Development, we believe in expanding what’s possible — for individuals, teams, and organisations.
Our mission is to help people understand themselves more deeply, lead more effectively, and collaborate more meaningfully.
Our Story
The Five Lens Enneagram journey began in 2010, but its roots stretch back much further. Colin Adam, a pioneer in South Africa’s psychometric landscape, launched the country’s first online Enneagram assessment in the 1990s. Years later, he met Hymie Gordon at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, where Colin served on the faculty and Hymie was completing his coaching certification. What began as a coaching conversation became a five-hour meeting of minds — and the start of a new venture.
Together, they co-founded Five Lens People Development with a shared vision: to evolve the traditional Enneagram into a multidimensional, scientifically grounded, and coaching-driven framework. Their aim? To support real human growth — not just by classifying personality, but by empowering change.
The Five Lenses: A Coaching-Oriented Revolution
The Five Lens model blends deep behavioural insight with practical tools for real change – both for individuals and teams. Designed for transformation rather than surface-level profiling, it equips professionals to move from insight to action with clarity and confidence.
Whether you’re a coach working one-on-one or an HR, L&D, or OD professional driving organisational growth, Five Lens provides a structured, scalable framework for personal development, leadership growth, and team effectiveness – all grounded in self-awareness and measurable outcomes.
Colin leading Five Lens training at Capitec Head Office
Colin giving a talk to senior leadership at PEP
Colin speaking at the HR Directors’ Conference
Meet the Founders
Colin Adam
Colin is a seasoned executive coach and psychometric innovator with over 30 years in people development. An International Enneagram Association (IEA) Accredited Professional and ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) since 2005, Colin has coached thousands of professionals — from CEOs of South Africa’s largest corporations to organizational development specialists. In addition to the Enneagram, his expertise spans psychology, NLP, Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, non-attachment therapy and adult education. He is also the co-creator of LearnSmartly, a learning preferences tool integrating neuroscience and personal mastery principles.
Hymie Gordon
With a background in executive search, leadership development, and team facilitation, Hymie brings deep business acumen and a passion for elevating human potential. He co-developed the Five Lens Enneagram to bridge personal insight with organizational impact, and continues to shape the platform’s reach through strategic partnerships and certification programs. Hymie is a certified PCC Executive Coach and a champion of long-term, values-driven people development.
Meet the team
Still have questions?
We’d love to connect with you personally to learn more about your needs and to answer any questions that you may have. Get in touch now to book a complimentary call with our co-founder Hymie Gordon.
