Book Review: Patrick Lencioni's The 6 Types of Working Genius
I Read Books So You Don’t Have To: The 6 Types of Working Genius
Patrick Lencioni’s The 6 Types of Working Genius is a compact guide to understanding team dynamics and improving organizational effectiveness. At 226 pages, the book dedicates its first 176 pages to storytelling—short essays about how teams work together in various scenarios. While engaging, these essays aren’t the book’s core value. The last 50 pages, where Lencioni breaks down the six types of working genius and their practical applications, are where the real substance lies.
In my opinion, you don’t need to rush out and buy this book. While the framework is incredibly useful—especially for leaders looking to assign projects more effectively—the book feels unnecessarily stretched. The final chapters deliver value, but much of the book feels like filler to meet a publishing page count.
Save yourself the time and money and dive into this blog instead. Below, I summarize the key insights from the final chapters and share how you can apply Lencioni’s model immediately.
What is a Working Genius?
Many of my clients have heard me talk about the importance of understanding what ignites (energizes) them and what drains them. Lencioni’s working genius model aligns closely with this approach, categorizing tasks based on how much enjoyment, fulfillment, and energy they provide:
Working Genius: Activities that energize and fulfill you—your natural strengths.
Working Competency: Tasks you can do adequately but don’t derive energy or joy from.
Working Frustration: Tasks that drain your energy and often lead to disengagement.
When leaders understand their team members’ geniuses, competencies, and frustrations, they can assign roles more effectively, improving both performance and morale.
The 6 Types of Working Genius
Each genius plays a critical role in the success of a project, and when teams align their work with their natural strengths, productivity and morale improve. Below, we break down the six types of working genius, how to identify yours, and how to apply this model to your team.
The 6 Types of Working Genius
1. Wonder (Responsive)
Definition: Pondering possibilities, asking big questions, and identifying areas for improvement.
Project Phase: Ideation—where problems are identified and opportunities are explored.
Ideal Roles: Visionary leaders, strategists, or roles focused on innovation.
Team Impact: Without wonder, teams may lack a clear purpose or fail to challenge the status quo, leading to stagnation.
How to Self-Identify: You enjoy asking "what if" questions and are energized by big-picture thinking.
2. Invention (Disruptive)
Definition: Creating solutions, building new tools, and generating innovative ideas.
Ideal Roles: Product developers, entrepreneurs, and engineers.
Project Phase: Ideation—turning big questions into actionable concepts.
Team Impact: Without invention, teams may struggle to generate fresh ideas or innovative approaches.
How to Self-Identify: You thrive on problem-solving and love bringing new ideas to life.
3. Discernment (Responsive)
Definition: Evaluating ideas, providing insightful feedback, and determining the best course of action.
Ideal Roles: Decision-makers, consultants, and advisors.
Project Phase: Activation—where ideas are assessed and refined.
Team Impact: A lack of discernment can lead to poorly vetted ideas and wasted resources on ineffective solutions.
How to Self-Identify: You instinctively know which ideas will work and provide wise counsel.
4. Galvanizing (Disruptive)
Definition: Rallying people, inspiring action, and driving momentum.
Ideal Roles: Team leaders, sales managers, and project champions.
Project Phase: Activation—energizing the team to take action.
Team Impact: Without galvanizing, teams may struggle with motivation and fail to move ideas forward.
How to Self-Identify: You get excited about mobilizing others and love building enthusiasm.
5. Enablement (Responsive)
Definition: Supporting others, providing assistance, and ensuring smooth execution.
Ideal Roles: Coaches, project coordinators, and customer service professionals.
Project Phase: Implementation—where support and collaboration are essential.
Team Impact: A lack of enablement can lead to disjointed efforts and burnout as individuals struggle without adequate support.
How to Self-Identify: You naturally step in to help and feel fulfilled by making others successful.
6. Tenacity (Disruptive)
Definition: Getting things done, meeting deadlines, and achieving goals.
Ideal Roles: Operations managers, accountants, and quality assurance specialists.
Project Phase: Implementation—delivering results and ensuring completion.
Team Impact: Without tenacity, projects may remain unfinished, leaving goals unmet and momentum stalled.
How to Self-Identify: You love checking off tasks and ensuring work is completed to a high standard.
How to Identify Your Working Genius
Lencioni offers a paid assessment to help individuals discover their working genius, but if you’re looking for a quick and free approach, try this exercise:
Step 1: Self-Ranking Exercise
Grab a piece of paper and rank each genius based on your natural preferences:
Heck Yeah! – I love doing this and feel energized by it.
Meh. – I can do this, but it doesn’t excite me.
Heck No! – I avoid these tasks whenever possible.
If you have more than two geniuses in any category, rank each genius from 1 to 6, with 1 being the most energizing and 6 being the least.
Step 2: Understanding Your Results
Top 2 (Heck Yeah! / #1 & #2): Your Working Genius—your natural strengths.
Middle 2 (Meh. / #3 & #4): Your Working Competencies—you can do these tasks, but they don’t energize you.
Bottom 2 (Heck No! / #5 & #6): Your Working Frustrations—tasks that drain your energy.
How to Apply Working Genius to Your Team
Understanding individual strengths is only the first step. The real value of Lencioni’s model comes when leaders use it to structure teams and projects for greater effectiveness.
Step 1: Map Your Project Needs
Each genius aligns with different phases of work:
Ideation: Identifying opportunities and generating solutions. (Best suited for Wonder & Invention)
Activation: Refining ideas and mobilizing teams. (Best suited for Discernment & Galvanizing)
Implementation: Ensuring execution and completion. (Best suited for Enablement & Tenacity)
Additionally, consider whether your project needs responsive or disruptive geniuses:
Responsive Geniuses respond to others' needs and ideas. (Best suited for Wonder, Discernment, and Enablement)
Disruptive Geniuses drive change and ensure completion. (Best suited for Invention, Galvanizing, and Tenacity)
Step 2: Align Your Team’s Strengths
Once you understand your project’s needs, map your team members to their best-fit roles:
Assign Roles: Match people’s geniuses to tasks that align with their strengths.
Fill Gaps: Identify missing genius types and address them through hiring, collaboration, or training.
Improve Collaboration: Help team members appreciate each other’s strengths and frustrations.
Enhance Morale: Reduce burnout by minimizing reliance on individuals for tasks that drain them.
Practical Applications for Leaders
Here’s how you can use the working genius model to improve team performance:
Take the Assessment: Identify your team’s working geniuses, competencies, and frustrations.
Map Your Team: Chart everyone’s results to reveal strengths and gaps.
Redesign Roles: Assign tasks based on natural strengths to increase efficiency and engagement.
Address Gaps: Hire, partner, or train to fill missing genius types
Foster Appreciation: Educate team members on different geniuses to build empathy and collaboration.
Final Thoughts
Lencioni’s The 6 Types of Working Genius provides a practical framework for structuring work around individual strengths. While the book’s storytelling-heavy format may not be for everyone, the core insights in its final chapters offer valuable strategies for leaders looking to improve team effectiveness.
Implementing the 6 Types of Working Genius framework can transform the way your team collaborates, executes, and thrives. If you’re ready to implement this model, start by identifying your team’s working geniuses. With the right people in the right roles, work becomes more productive, engaging, and fulfilling—for everyone.
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At Conshy Coaching, we specialize in helping leaders and teams apply these insights in real-world settings through personalized 1:1 coaching and interactive team training. Leveraging assessments like Lencioni’s 6 Types of Working Genius, Gallup’s CliftonStrengths, and more, Conshy Coaching can help you optimize team dynamics, streamline project execution, and provide practical strategies to turn knowledge into action. Ready to unlock your team's full potential? Let’s build a smarter, more engaged workforce—together. Contact us today to get started.
