![[Review] The 6 Types of Working Genius (Patrick M. Lencioni) Summarized](https://episodes.castos.com/660078c6833215-59505987/images/2335869/c1a-085k3-2504w8wkadm9-tzu6ex.jpg)
Show Notes
The 6 Types of Working Genius (Patrick M. Lencioni)
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XGPCM36?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/The-6-Types-of-Working-Genius-Patrick-M-Lencioni.html
- Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/when-genius-failed-the-rise-and-fall-of-long/id1417526535?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1&at=1001l3bAw&ct=9natree
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=The+6+Types+of+Working+Genius+Patrick+M+Lencioni+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://mybook.top/read/B09XGPCM36/
#workinggenius #teameffectiveness #leadership #roledesign #collaboration #workplacemotivation #organizationalhealth #The6TypesofWorkingGenius
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, A simple map of the six contributions that power work, Lencioni’s central idea is that most work, across roles and industries, can be understood as a sequence of contributions that move a project from possibility to completion. The model describes six types: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Wonder is the tendency to question, observe, and notice needs or opportunities. Invention is generating original ideas and potential solutions. Discernment evaluates ideas through instinct and judgment, clarifying what will work. Galvanizing rallies people to act, building commitment and urgency. Enablement supports others through collaboration and responsiveness, removing obstacles and providing help. Tenacity drives execution to completion, ensuring details are handled and goals are met. The framework’s usefulness comes from its clarity: it gives a shared language for what people do, not just who they are. It also highlights why some teams stall, such as when they have plenty of ideas but little follow through, or when they execute efficiently but rarely challenge whether they are solving the right problem. By treating these contributions as equally necessary, the book encourages respect for differing work energies rather than ranking them.
Secondly, Working genius, working competency, and working frustration, A key distinction in the book is between three zones of work experience. Working genius refers to the types of tasks that give a person energy and lead to exceptional effectiveness. Working competency describes tasks someone can do well but that do not consistently energize them. Working frustration includes tasks that drain energy and are often avoided or performed with less skill. This three part lens helps readers move beyond vague dissatisfaction. Instead of thinking I am not motivated or I am bad at my job, a person can identify specific activities that are misaligned with their natural contribution. The model also reduces shame around struggling tasks by framing them as mismatches rather than character flaws. In practice, this helps with role design and delegation: people should spend the majority of their time in genius, some time in competency, and as little as possible in frustration. For managers, it provides a constructive way to discuss performance and engagement. For individuals, it supports career choices and boundary setting, such as seeking projects that match one’s genius or building partnerships that offset persistent frustrations. The result is not perfection but a more sustainable workload that increases joy, quality, and consistency.
Thirdly, Diagnosing team breakdowns by finding missing genius, The six types model is particularly powerful at the team level because most collaboration problems are not caused by bad intentions but by missing or misunderstood contributions. Lencioni highlights how projects can stall at predictable points when a team lacks a certain working genius or when that genius is underrepresented in decision making. Without Wonder, teams may execute efficiently but fail to notice changing customer needs. Without Invention, they may see a problem but recycle tired solutions. Without Discernment, they may pursue exciting ideas without a sober sense of feasibility. Without Galvanizing, they may agree in meetings but never mobilize action. Without Enablement, they may push too hard and create resentment or bottlenecks. Without Tenacity, they may start strong but drift, leaving work unfinished. The framework gives leaders a way to assess whether the team has balanced coverage and to plan accordingly, such as pairing complementary people, borrowing capability from other departments, or explicitly assigning ownership for each stage of a project. It also improves mutual understanding: a Tenacity oriented colleague is not being picky, and a Wonder oriented colleague is not being negative. Each is playing a necessary role in the overall system.
Fourthly, Building healthier collaboration through shared language and expectations, Beyond diagnosis, the book’s practical value lies in how it reshapes communication. When teams can name the type of work being done, meetings become clearer and less emotionally charged. A conversation can start with what stage are we in right now, or we need more Discernment before we galvanize. This reduces the common pattern where people talk past each other because they are solving different parts of the problem at the same time. The model also helps set expectations about pace and tension. Early stages like Wonder and Invention can feel ambiguous, while later stages like Tenacity demand structure and persistence. Conflict often arises when a team expects one stage to feel like another, such as demanding certainty during ideation or trying to brainstorm during execution. Lencioni encourages leaders to normalize these differences and create workflows that honor each contribution. It also supports empathy: people can interpret a colleague’s behavior as a gift that needs context, not as a personal irritation. Over time, this can improve psychological safety because individuals feel valued for what they naturally bring. It can also reduce overload by clarifying who should lead which parts of a project and when to hand off responsibility.
Lastly, Applying the model to roles, hiring, and personal career decisions, The framework extends beyond team conversations into practical decisions about how work is structured. Role design becomes an exercise in aligning responsibilities with the kinds of contribution that the role demands most. A position heavy in Galvanizing and Tenacity, for example, may be a poor fit for someone whose energy comes primarily from Wonder and Invention unless they have strong support. For hiring, the model suggests evaluating what geniuses the organization needs more of, not just finding broadly talented people. This can prevent the common mistake of hiring more of the same type and creating blind spots. The book also helps individuals make career decisions with more precision. Instead of pursuing a job title, readers can ask which daily activities dominate the role and whether those match their working genius. It can also guide negotiations with current managers, such as proposing adjustments to responsibilities, partnerships, or project assignments to reduce chronic frustration. Importantly, the goal is not to avoid all difficult work but to be intentional. By naming competency and frustration, people can plan training, create checklists, or collaborate with others to cover weaker areas. This leads to better performance, reduced burnout, and clearer professional identity.
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XGPCM36?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/The-6-Types-of-Working-Genius-Patrick-M-Lencioni.html
- Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/when-genius-failed-the-rise-and-fall-of-long/id1417526535?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1&at=1001l3bAw&ct=9natree
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=The+6+Types+of+Working+Genius+Patrick+M+Lencioni+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://mybook.top/read/B09XGPCM36/
#workinggenius #teameffectiveness #leadership #roledesign #collaboration #workplacemotivation #organizationalhealth #The6TypesofWorkingGenius
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, A simple map of the six contributions that power work, Lencioni’s central idea is that most work, across roles and industries, can be understood as a sequence of contributions that move a project from possibility to completion. The model describes six types: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Wonder is the tendency to question, observe, and notice needs or opportunities. Invention is generating original ideas and potential solutions. Discernment evaluates ideas through instinct and judgment, clarifying what will work. Galvanizing rallies people to act, building commitment and urgency. Enablement supports others through collaboration and responsiveness, removing obstacles and providing help. Tenacity drives execution to completion, ensuring details are handled and goals are met. The framework’s usefulness comes from its clarity: it gives a shared language for what people do, not just who they are. It also highlights why some teams stall, such as when they have plenty of ideas but little follow through, or when they execute efficiently but rarely challenge whether they are solving the right problem. By treating these contributions as equally necessary, the book encourages respect for differing work energies rather than ranking them.
Secondly, Working genius, working competency, and working frustration, A key distinction in the book is between three zones of work experience. Working genius refers to the types of tasks that give a person energy and lead to exceptional effectiveness. Working competency describes tasks someone can do well but that do not consistently energize them. Working frustration includes tasks that drain energy and are often avoided or performed with less skill. This three part lens helps readers move beyond vague dissatisfaction. Instead of thinking I am not motivated or I am bad at my job, a person can identify specific activities that are misaligned with their natural contribution. The model also reduces shame around struggling tasks by framing them as mismatches rather than character flaws. In practice, this helps with role design and delegation: people should spend the majority of their time in genius, some time in competency, and as little as possible in frustration. For managers, it provides a constructive way to discuss performance and engagement. For individuals, it supports career choices and boundary setting, such as seeking projects that match one’s genius or building partnerships that offset persistent frustrations. The result is not perfection but a more sustainable workload that increases joy, quality, and consistency.
Thirdly, Diagnosing team breakdowns by finding missing genius, The six types model is particularly powerful at the team level because most collaboration problems are not caused by bad intentions but by missing or misunderstood contributions. Lencioni highlights how projects can stall at predictable points when a team lacks a certain working genius or when that genius is underrepresented in decision making. Without Wonder, teams may execute efficiently but fail to notice changing customer needs. Without Invention, they may see a problem but recycle tired solutions. Without Discernment, they may pursue exciting ideas without a sober sense of feasibility. Without Galvanizing, they may agree in meetings but never mobilize action. Without Enablement, they may push too hard and create resentment or bottlenecks. Without Tenacity, they may start strong but drift, leaving work unfinished. The framework gives leaders a way to assess whether the team has balanced coverage and to plan accordingly, such as pairing complementary people, borrowing capability from other departments, or explicitly assigning ownership for each stage of a project. It also improves mutual understanding: a Tenacity oriented colleague is not being picky, and a Wonder oriented colleague is not being negative. Each is playing a necessary role in the overall system.
Fourthly, Building healthier collaboration through shared language and expectations, Beyond diagnosis, the book’s practical value lies in how it reshapes communication. When teams can name the type of work being done, meetings become clearer and less emotionally charged. A conversation can start with what stage are we in right now, or we need more Discernment before we galvanize. This reduces the common pattern where people talk past each other because they are solving different parts of the problem at the same time. The model also helps set expectations about pace and tension. Early stages like Wonder and Invention can feel ambiguous, while later stages like Tenacity demand structure and persistence. Conflict often arises when a team expects one stage to feel like another, such as demanding certainty during ideation or trying to brainstorm during execution. Lencioni encourages leaders to normalize these differences and create workflows that honor each contribution. It also supports empathy: people can interpret a colleague’s behavior as a gift that needs context, not as a personal irritation. Over time, this can improve psychological safety because individuals feel valued for what they naturally bring. It can also reduce overload by clarifying who should lead which parts of a project and when to hand off responsibility.
Lastly, Applying the model to roles, hiring, and personal career decisions, The framework extends beyond team conversations into practical decisions about how work is structured. Role design becomes an exercise in aligning responsibilities with the kinds of contribution that the role demands most. A position heavy in Galvanizing and Tenacity, for example, may be a poor fit for someone whose energy comes primarily from Wonder and Invention unless they have strong support. For hiring, the model suggests evaluating what geniuses the organization needs more of, not just finding broadly talented people. This can prevent the common mistake of hiring more of the same type and creating blind spots. The book also helps individuals make career decisions with more precision. Instead of pursuing a job title, readers can ask which daily activities dominate the role and whether those match their working genius. It can also guide negotiations with current managers, such as proposing adjustments to responsibilities, partnerships, or project assignments to reduce chronic frustration. Importantly, the goal is not to avoid all difficult work but to be intentional. By naming competency and frustration, people can plan training, create checklists, or collaborate with others to cover weaker areas. This leads to better performance, reduced burnout, and clearer professional identity.
