Six Types of Working Genius
Match work to the tasks that create joy and energy
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 99%
The model classifies work into six contributions that form the acronym WIDGET: Wonder asks the big question, Invention creates an original answer, Discernment evaluates ideas through judgment and pattern recognition, Galvanizing rallies people, Enablement supplies responsive help, and Tenacity drives work to completion. Each person has two geniuses that create joy and energy, two competencies they can perform without sustained enthusiasm, and two frustrations that drain them. The mechanism separates capability from fit: succeeding at a task does not make it a genius if doing it repeatedly is exhausting. Individuals use the profile to understand their energy, while teams redistribute work so each stage is owned by someone suited to it. Necessary frustrations remain part of life, but they should not dominate a role or crowd out a person's geniuses.
Origin
Patrick Lencioni developed the model after mapping six kinds of work on a whiteboard to explain why he alternated between joy and frustration as a CEO.
Core principles
- 01Ability does not prove that a task is energizing
- 02Every person has two geniuses, two competencies, and two frustrations
- 03All six geniuses are necessary for work to move from question to completion
- 04People thrive when their roles exercise their geniuses more than their frustrations
How to run it
- 1
Wonder
Ask broad, unresolved questions about purpose, customers, opportunities, and whether a better answer exists.
Pro tip Protect space for questions before forcing a solution.
Watch out Do not dismiss sustained questioning as resistance or lack of commitment.
- 2
Invent
Create a new idea or solution in response to the question, initially without unnecessary constraints.
Pro tip Use a blank whiteboard or similarly open format.
Watch out Do not assume everyone enjoys creating from nothing.
- 3
Discern
Apply instinct, judgment, and pattern recognition to test which ideas feel sound and which need revision.
Pro tip Invite a trusted discerner to challenge a prolific inventor's shortlist.
Watch out Discernment is not always linear or easy to explain.
- 4
Galvanize
Inspire, encourage, and rally people to commit to the chosen direction.
Pro tip Give natural galvanizers explicit permission to rally beyond their formal title.
Watch out Do not mistake early ideation enthusiasm for a direction to begin execution.
- 5
Enable
Respond to the team's needs with practical help on the terms required by the work.
Pro tip Notice the people who volunteer readily and make them visible as team glue.
Watch out Advice and inspiration are not substitutes for hands-on help.
- 6
Finish with tenacity
Drive closure, meet the target, and continue until the agreed result is complete.
Pro tip Give finishers clear goals and visible measures of completion.
Watch out Do not overload the only person on the team who naturally finishes.
In the wild
Lencioni's staff repeatedly looked to him to keep rallying the organization, even though galvanizing drained him. He assigned a colleague who loved that work as chief galvanizing officer. The colleague gained authority to use his natural gift rather than waiting for the CEO to perform it.
→ Both people's job satisfaction rose and office productivity changed overnight.
A doctor assumed tenacity must be his genius because he had completed medical school successfully. When asked whether he enjoyed that sustained finishing work, he said he hated it and could not wait for it to end. The distinction revealed that achievement had demonstrated capability, not an energizing genius.
→ He correctly reclassified tenacity as something he could do but did not gain energy from.
Common mistakes
Confusing achievement with genius
People can become highly capable at work they dislike because a goal, wound, or need to achieve pushes them through it. Test for joy and energy, not credentials alone.
Treating frustrations as excuses
A frustration does not remove responsibility for necessary work. It signals that the task should be bounded and should not dominate the role.
Building a team of identical geniuses
A team full of starters may generate and promote ideas but fail to help or finish. Cover the whole flow rather than hiring people who resemble the founder.
Is it for you?
Best for
Individuals and teams that want to redesign roles around energy, contribution, and complementary strengths.
Not ideal for
Teams seeking a personality diagnosis or permission to avoid every necessary but unpleasant task.
From the transcript
“The things that you can spend 12 hours doing in a day and go home and feel like, "What a great day. I feel energized."”
“it it goes from wonder to invention to discernment to galvanizing to enablement to tenacity.”
“everyone has two that they love, two that are okay, and two that they really struggle with.”
From the episode
Patrick Lencioni: The Genius Way to Crush Team Burnout and Unlock Peak Productivity
Patrick Lencioni