Six personalities that will help you build your business.
6 Types of Working Genius
Is Patrick Lencioni correct with the six working genius model?
One business owner told his best employee, "You are excellent at organizing people, so I want you to learn marketing." Then, a few months later, his best team leader failed at marketing, and his team fell apart.
This team leader is the only person who can inspire and galvanize the team in this organization. Unfortunately, he was asked to abandon his strength zone and focus on learning a new skill, so he failed. He failed at both because he did not have the energy to learn this new skill or the time needed to lead his team. This latest assignment drained his intellectual and emotional energy, and he quit soon after.
This team leader lost his confidence in his work, and his home life suffered. But, unfortunately, his story is not special or unique to this person or this specific company.
Patrick Lencioni acknowledges that these incidents happen in many organizations every day, "Far too many people in the world suffer needlessly because they don't understand their areas of working genius. As a result, they don't do the kind of work that gives them joy and energy, and they end up in jobs and projects that are draining and demoralizing."
This article is for you if you want to avoid these mistakes and help your company deliver better results.
Get the right people in the right seats.
Most organizations fail to reach their potential because of their inability to place the right people in the right seats. So the million-dollar question is, "How can we avoid these situations?"
Patrick Lencioni discovered a model to help organizations place the right person in the right seat by assessing six genius types. Once these types are identified, it becomes easier for organizations to reach their goals and help their team members achieve their potential.
These six types of working genius are required to get things done in any company. But, of course, none of us are good at every kind, and everyone is good in the least two areas. So, in this article, I will introduce you to the Six Working Genius Tool.
Lencioni used the acronym WIDGET to make it easier for people to remember them: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. The first two help you develop new ideas, the second two help you activate your thoughts, and the last two help you implement your ideas, so when you build your team, pay attention to these qualities.
1. The Genius of Wonder
“The natural gift of pondering the possibility of greater potential and opportunity in a given situation.” — Patrick Lencioni
People with this type of genius ponder about solving problems. They are always looking to improve things and help people reach their potential. So they raise questions, but they don't have any idea about how to solve them.
They are obsessed with untapped potential. They often ask, "Why?" and "Why not?". They are driven by the idea that something is not right.
Their motto: Let's think about it.
2. The Genius of Invention
“The natural gift of creating original and novel ideas and solutions.” — Patrick Lencioni
This type of working genius is all about creativity. They take ideas from the first group and come up with workable solutions. They get energy by looking at an empty whiteboard, and they figure things out. They love coming up with new ideas and new solutions. This statement drives them, "I have an idea."
Their motto: Let's figure it out.
3. The Genius of Discernment
“The natural gift of intuitively and instinctively evaluating ideas and situations.” — Patrick Lencioni
This type of genius understands how to listen to their guts. They evaluate their ideas and situations by using their intuition. They are good at translating their intuition into decisions. They have a natural ability to evaluate solutions with limited information.
They provide inventors with insight and knowledge. They are feedback machines. They are curators of data without using a spreadsheet. They often say, "What about this?"
Their motto: Let's do this, or let's not do this.
4. The Genius of Galvanizing
“The natural gift of rallying, inspiring, and organizing others to take action.” — Patrick Lencioni
This type of genius understands how to get people together. They take a great idea and move it forward. They inspire and organize others to take action. Most people describe this kind of working genius as an initiator. They say, "If this is a good idea, let me get everyone moving in the right direction."
Their motto: Let's move forward.
5. The Genius Enablement
“The natural gift of providing encouragement and assistance for an idea or project.” — Patrick Lencioni
This type of genius knows the importance of helping people do the right thing. They know how to connect and cooperate with others. You don't have to ask them to help you. Instead, they sense that you need help and show up and do the work. They are responders. They respond to the needs of others and help them discover their genius.
Their motto: Let me help you get things done.
6. The Genius of Tenacity
“The natural gift of pushing projects or tasks to completion to achieve results.” — Patrick Lencioni
The world is full of people who start projects but fail to get things done. This group of people despises starting projects without finishing them. They get satisfaction with completed projects. Organizations that do not have this working genius struggle to finish projects. They have many to-do lists but need someone to get them completed.
Their motto: Let's complete this project.
Is Patrick Lencioni good at getting people together?
The short answer is NO. Patrick Lencioni lives in the Invention and Discernment lane. He loves coming up with new ideas and is excellent at using his intuition to evaluate his views.
He gets frustrated by his inability to enable others and stay focused until he gets things done after the initial excitement disappears. That does not mean he can not do these things. However, he does not enjoy doing them. They do not come naturally to him.
My two working geniuses are galvanizing and enabling. I love galvanizing people and bringing them together to allow them to do more and be more. My two working competencies are Wonder and Invention. I love pondering all the possibilities in the world and creating new ideas.
How do you use this assessment to help your team?
If your team does not have anyone with the genius of innovation or wondering, they can not get things done. They will struggle to come up with original ideas. So look at your team and see what kind of genius you are missing.
If you are building a new Startup, assess your team based on these six working genius models. You will be happy that you did. For example, Patrick Lencioni is a genius in developing a healthy work culture and placing the right people in the right seats.
I took the assessment, and it was a good assessment. It helped me understand my tendencies and how to serve my team better.