Identify your two working geniuses
Name the two of the six activities that consistently energize you, not just where you perform well.
Why it works
Performance and energy are not the same thing. Someone can be competent at an activity while it depletes them — a "working competency." Geniuses are activities that feel effortless and generate intrinsic energy; relying on them rather than mere competencies preserves motivational resources over the long run. Self-awareness about the distinction prevents chronic energy drain masquerading as capability.
How to do it
- Review the six types: Wonder (asking why), Invention (creating novel solutions), Discernment (evaluating ideas), Galvanizing (rallying people), Enablement (supporting others), Tenacity (finishing).
- Recall three recent projects — note which phase you found yourself leaning into versus avoiding.
- Pick the two activities that, when you do them, time passes fast and you want to do more. That is your genius, not just your competency.
Evidence
The Working Genius model is a practitioner-developed typology, not a psychometrically validated instrument. Its closest research cousin is the job demands–resources model, which shows that using personal strengths reduces depletion and sustains engagement over time. (anecdotal)
The six-type taxonomy has not been validated in peer-reviewed research. Use it as a conversation tool, not a fixed personality label.
Common mistake
Confusing where you’re experienced with where you’re energized — picking a genius based on your job title rather than on what actually charges you.
Practice this with IX Coach
7 days free, then $40/month (~$1.30/day).
More practices for The 6 Types of Working Genius (Patrick Lencioni)
- Map your team’s genius coverage
Check whether all six activities are covered by someone who finds them energizing.
- Protect time for work that matches your genius
Deliberately schedule blocks of genius-type work before filling the rest of the week.
- Assign project phases to genius-matched people
Route early ideation to Wonder/Invention geniuses and execution phases to Tenacity geniuses.
- Name frustrations without shame
Frustrations are not weaknesses — they’re a mismatch signal that the team can act on.
- Use genius mapping in onboarding
Surface a new hire’s geniuses early so you design their role around energy, not just skills.
- Route decisions to your Discernment genius
Evaluation decisions drain Wonder and Tenacity geniuses — protect your evaluators and route decisions to them.
Related concepts
- Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development
Why every team hits turbulence — and what to do at each stage
- Drive: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose
The three intrinsic drivers, the mechanisms, and where the science is strong
- Multipliers: How Leaders Amplify the Intelligence Around Them
The five disciplines that let leaders amplify rather than diminish the people around them