My company recently had us read the book “The 6 Types of Working Genius” by Patrick Lencioni as part of a professional development initiative. The concepts really resonated with me. One of the things I like best about my company is that it encourages us to continually read, learn and grow.

At the heart of the book is the concept of the six “Working Geniuses” – the natural abilities that we all possess to varying degrees. These are:

• Wonder - The ability to ponder ideas and explore possibilities.
• Invention - The ability to solve problems in creative ways.
• Discernment - The ability to instinctively know the right decision.
• Galvanizing - The ability to rally people around a common cause.
• Enablement - The ability to help others succeed.
• Tenacity - The ability to persevere and push through challenges.

The book’s narrative follows a fictional executive as he navigates workplace dynamics and discovers/invents the Working Geniuses framework. Two characters that particularly resonated with me were Bull and Max.

A couple parts of the book really struck a chord. First, the story about the character “Bull” having to get approval from all these different divisions for every decision. Having worked in corporate environments, I know how maddening and inefficient that matrix structure can be when people don’t understand and appreciate each other’s strengths.

I also related to the “Max” storyline about an employee who had been struggling until he found a role that leveraged his Working Genius of Invention. So many people are stuck in roles that don’t make the most of their natural abilities.

While the book is framed as a fictional narrative, the lessons are very practical. Understanding your Working Geniuses - and those of your colleagues - can reduce frustration, improve teamwork, and boost productivity. It’s about putting people in roles that allow them to truly shine.

Of course, implementing it takes self-awareness, open communication, and commitment from everyone. But even taking small steps to appreciate Working Geniuses could go a long way for our teams. I’m interested to see how I can apply these ideas in my workplace.

The key takeaway for me was that when individuals and teams understand their Working Geniuses, they can play to their strengths, complement each other’s abilities, and achieve far more than they could by trying to be well-rounded generalists. Whether you’re an employee, manager, or leader, embracing this mindset could unlock new levels of performance and fulfillment.