Ever feel like your team is full of talented people, but somehow things just don’t click the way they should? It takes all kinds to make the world go round - but they have to fit together juuuuuust so... and Patrick Lencioni’s The Six Types of Working Genius might be the key you’ve been looking for. It’s all about understanding what makes each person on your team tick—and how you can use that to your advantage.

What’s Your Working Genius?

For those who haven't read the book, Lencioni breaks it down into six types of working geniuses:

1. Wonder - The big-picture thinkers who are always asking, “What if…?”
2. Discernment - The folks with sharp instincts who just seem to know what will work.
3. Enablement - The team players who are ready to help and make things happen.
4. Galvanizing - The motivators who can rally everyone around a cause or idea.
5. Tenacity - The finishers who see things through to the very end.
6. Invention - The creative minds who come up with new ideas and solutions.

Each person usually has two of these that come naturally—those are their working geniuses. The rest? They might be decent at two and struggle with the other two. Knowing where you and your team fall on this spectrum can change the game.

Why It’s a Game Changer

Think about it: when everyone’s working in their genius, things flow smoothly. But when people are stuck doing tasks that aren’t in their wheelhouse, frustration builds, and productivity drops.

For you as a leader, understanding this model means you can start playing to everyone’s strengths. Got a team member who’s great at Wonder but low on Tenacity? Let them brainstorm and explore, but don’t expect them to manage the project through to the end. That’s where your Tenacity genius can shine.

Putting It to Work

Here’s how you can start using the Working Genius model with your team:

1. Identify Everyone’s Genius: Start by having your team take the Working Genius assessment. It’s quick, and the insights are worth their weight in gold.

2. Reassign Roles Based on Strengths: Once you know everyone’s geniuses, look at how tasks are currently divided. Is your Galvanizer stuck doing detailed project plans? Maybe that’s why things aren’t moving as fast as you’d like.

3. Build Complementary Teams: Pair up people whose geniuses complement each other. For example, someone strong in Invention might work well with someone high in Tenacity. One can generate ideas, and the other can make sure those ideas actually get implemented.

4. Fill in the Gaps: If you find your team is missing a particular genius, consider how you can fill that gap. Maybe it’s hiring someone new, or maybe it’s just being more intentional about the way you structure your projects.

Practical Tips to Make It Stick

Here are a few more ideas to keep the Working Genius model alive in your daily work:

• Regular Check-ins: Set aside time in your team meetings to talk about how everyone’s feeling about their work. Are they energized, or are they feeling drained? This can be a good indicator of whether they’re working in their genius.

• Rotate Responsibilities: Not everyone gets to work in their genius all the time, but by rotating responsibilities, you can keep things fresh and give people a chance to stretch their skills without burning out.

• Celebrate Wins: When a project goes well, take a moment to recognize the specific contributions each genius made. This reinforces the value of each role and keeps everyone engaged.

Final Thoughts

The Working Genius model isn’t just a tool for getting more done—it’s about making work more enjoyable and fulfilling for everyone on your team. When people are working in their zone of genius, they’re happier, more productive, and more likely to stick around.

So, if you’re looking to boost your team’s performance and morale, give the Working Genius model a try. It might just be the missing piece you’ve been searching for.

This post was inspired by a months-long deep dive our peer teams are taking into The Six Types of Working Genius. Interested in learning that sharpens, challenges, and inspires further? Check out how we can support you.