Leveraging Your Working Genius

By: Ashlyn Rochester, Communications Specialist 

Sourced from Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast.

Craig Groeschel, the host of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, recently hosted an episode about discerning which types of work bring you joy and energy with author and organizational leadership expert Pat Lencioni.  Lencioni launched the Working Genius assessment in 2021 as a leadership tool to help companies and employees transform their work.  He’s also known for his books like The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business.  Here are some high points of the podcast:

What is Working Genius?

Pat Lencioni and his team developed the working genius model to outline six types of work for any project to get done. They surveyed hundreds of thousands of people to find each person has two strong types of work, two neutral, and two weak types of work.

The Six Types of Working Genius

1. Wonder

Wonder working geniuses are usually never recognized as a genius and are often criticized for asking too many questions. The Wonder type always takes the first step toward a great idea.

2. Invention

Invention working genius welcomes new ideas every day. They thrive in an environment where there’s a problem and they can create a solution.

3. Discernment

Where Wonder and Invention geniuses are great for creating ideas, Discernment are the geniuses evaluate what ideas are good. These people usually have a great gut instinct.

4. Galvanizing

Once an idea is approved, Galvanizing geniuses can create a team around the ideas. They create a team who can focus on the common goal.

5. Enablement

Linked with Galvanizing, Enablement geniuses help other people accomplish their goals. They love to help others and it’s a compliment to ask them for their help.

6. Tenacity

To finish a project on time, you need a Tenacity working genius. They are motivated to keep the project on time.

Ideally, as you move through a project, you become a little of each genius to reach your end goal. Or if you have a weakness in a genius type in yourself, then you have a team to support you.

Take Pat’s assessment to learn what Working Genius you are. Let us know which one you are below!