Imagine a team where every member operates in their sweet spot, feeling energized and fulfilled by their work. Productivity soars, morale is high, and collaboration feels effortless. This isn’t a fantasy; it’s the reality that Patrick Lencioni’s Six Types of Working Genius framework makes possible. By understanding and applying this model, you can transform your team’s dynamics and unlock unprecedented levels of performance.

This practical guide will walk you through exactly how to implement the Six Working Geniuses model. You will learn how to identify the unique talents within your team, align responsibilities with individual strengths, and cultivate a business culture where every contribution is valued. The result is more effective teamwork and a more engaged and resilient organization.

For a complete overview of this framework and more, read our guide.

What Are the Six Types of Working Genius?

Before applying the model, it’s essential to understand its components. Lencioni’s framework identifies six fundamental activities required for any type of work to succeed. Each person has two of these that are their “Working Geniuses” (giving them joy and energy), two “Working Competencies” (things they can do well but don’t find fulfilling), and two “Working Frustrations” (activities that drain them).

The six geniuses are:

• Wonder: The ability to ponder, question, and see untapped potential. These are the “what if” people who are always looking for new possibilities.
• Invention: The gift of creating original ideas and solutions from scratch. They love a blank slate and thrive on building something new.
• Discernment: The talent for evaluating ideas with intuition and pattern recognition. They have excellent judgment and can quickly assess the viability of a plan.
• Galvanizing: The skill of inspiring and organizing others to take action. They are natural cheerleaders who rally the team and build momentum.
• Enablement: The gift of responding to needs and offering support. They find joy in helping others and ensuring the team has what it needs to succeed.
• Tenacity: The drive to push through to the finish line and ensure tasks are completed to standard. They thrive on seeing a project through to completion.

Understanding these types is the first step toward building trust in a team and revolutionizing how work gets done.

Hear Patrick Lencioni explain the Working Genius model in his own words on the podcast.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Applying the Working Genius Model

Implementing this framework is a straightforward process that yields immediate benefits. Follow these steps to integrate the Six Types of Working Genius into your leadership team building efforts.

Step 1: Discover Your Team’s Geniuses

The first step is for every team member to identify their geniuses. The official Working Genius assessment is a 10-minute online tool that provides a detailed report outlining each person’s geniuses, competencies, and frustrations. This report is the foundation for all future conversations and planning.

Encourage your team to take the assessment and share their results with one another. This act of sharing is an exercise in vulnerability that helps build trust. When team members understand why certain tasks energize or drain their colleagues, empathy replaces judgment.

Step 2: Create a Team Map

Once everyone has their results, create a “Team Map.” This is a simple visual chart that lists all team members and their corresponding geniuses. You can use a spreadsheet or a digital whiteboard. This map provides an at-a-glance overview of the team’s collective strengths and potential gaps.

Analyze the map to identify:

• Areas of Strength: Which geniuses are well-represented on your team?
• Potential Gaps: Are any of the six geniuses missing or underrepresented?
• Overlaps: Where do you have multiple people with the same genius?

This map is an invaluable tool for leadership team building. It helps you see your team not as a collection of job titles, but as a portfolio of talents.

Step 3: Align Tasks with Geniuses

With a clear understanding of your team’s composition, you can begin aligning work with individual strengths. This doesn’t mean completely overhauling job descriptions overnight. Instead, start by adjusting responsibilities on current projects.

During project planning, consciously assign tasks based on genius:

• Need to explore new market opportunities? Tap into your team members with the genius of Wonder.
• Stuck on a problem that needs a fresh solution? Ask your Invention experts to brainstorm.
• Have a few ideas but need to pick the best one? Rely on those with Discernment to weigh the options.
• Ready to launch a new initiative? Let your Galvanizing leaders rally the troops.
• Is the team hitting roadblocks? Ask your Enablement specialists to provide support.
• Nearing a deadline and need to ensure everything gets done? Lean on those with Tenacity to cross the finish line.

When people primarily operate within their geniuses, their engagement and job satisfaction increase dramatically, leading to better team work and superior results.

Explore examples of how you can implement Lencioni’s frameworks in action.

Step 4: Manage Gaps and Frustrations

No team is perfectly balanced. Your Team Map will likely reveal gaps where a specific genius is missing. It will also highlight when a task requires someone to work in their area of frustration. This is where intentional leadership becomes crucial.

Here’s how to manage these situations:

• Borrow a Genius: If your team lacks a specific genius for a project, “borrow” someone from another department who has it. This not only fills the gap but also gives that person an opportunity to use their gifts.
• Acknowledge the Sacrifice: If a team member must perform a task that falls into their frustration zone, acknowledge it. Say, “I know this isn’t your favorite type of work, and I appreciate you taking this on for the team.” This simple act of recognition can prevent resentment and burnout.
• Team Up: Pair people with complementary geniuses. Someone with Tenacity can help a person with Wonder bring their ideas to a concrete conclusion.

This approach fosters a culture where people help each other and appreciate the different types of work required for success.

(Learn more about the role of vulnerability in building team resilience.)

Cultivating a Culture of Genius

Applying the Working Genius framework is more than a management tactic; it’s a culture-building activity. When you normalize conversations about what energizes and drains people, you create a psychologically safe environment. Team members feel seen, understood, and valued for their unique contributions.

Make the language of Working Genius part of your team’s everyday vocabulary. In meetings, ask questions like:

• “What kind of thinking do we need for this conversation? Are we in Wonder or Discernment?”
• “Who on the team feels energized by this next phase of the project?”
• “This task seems to be stalled. Do we have the right geniuses working on it?”

By integrating this model into your daily operations, you empower your team to be more self-aware, more collaborative, and ultimately, more effective. You build a team that not only performs well but also finds genuine joy and fulfillment in the work they do together.