Working Genius helps leaders understand the work that gives people energy, the work that drains them, and how to build more effective teams around those differences.
In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser speaks with Patrick Lencioni, bestselling author, leadership expert, and founder of The Table Group.
Patrick explains the six types of Working Genius and how each contributes to moving an idea from its earliest stage through successful execution. He also discusses vulnerability, team dynamics, CEO burnout, and why leaders should stop trying to excel at every kind of work.
You’ll learn how to:
• Identify the work that energizes you and the work that creates frustration
• Understand the six geniuses of Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity
• Build a leadership team that fills critical gaps rather than replicating your strengths
• Match the right people to the right roles
• Structure meetings around the type of work that needs to happen
• Prevent one person’s strengths from disrupting the team’s progress
• Use vulnerability to create greater trust and collaboration
• Examine whether your motivation for leadership is service or personal reward
Patrick also explains how Working Genius complements his other leadership models by helping CEOs get the right people on the bus, place them in the right seats, and then build a cohesive team.
Listen to discover how Working Genius can help you reduce frustration, prevent burnout, improve teamwork, and ensure that every stage of the work receives the energy and talent it needs.
Listeners can also receive 20% off the Working Genius assessment at workinggenius.com by using the discount code CEO.
How Working Genius Helps People Do Their Best Work
1:10: Jim Schleckser welcomes Patrick Lencioni, founder of The Table Group and bestselling author known for his practical approach to leadership, teamwork, and organizational health.
3:52: Patrick explains why vulnerability is essential to leadership and why someone who cannot admit mistakes, ask for help, or acknowledge weaknesses will struggle to build strong relationships.
7:18: Many leaders are driven by insecurity or a need for affirmation. Patrick discusses how confronting these underlying motivations can help CEOs lead from a healthier place.
9:12: The Working Genius model began when Patrick noticed that certain meetings energized him while others left him frustrated and depleted.
12:46: Patrick introduces the six types of Working Genius: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity.
Building More Balanced and Effective Teams
17:08: Each person has two areas of genius, two competencies, and two frustrations. Understanding these differences helps employees stop feeling guilty about work that naturally drains them.
19:36: Rather than trying to turn every weakness into a strength, leaders should spend more time using their natural gifts and rely on others to fill critical gaps.
21:18: CEOs can use Working Genius to build balanced leadership teams by hiring people whose strengths complement what is currently missing.
23:54: Patrick connects his leadership frameworks: hire humble, hungry, and smart people, place them in roles suited to their gifts, and then build trust, productive conflict, commitment, and accountability.
26:42: The Working Genius framework can also improve meetings by clarifying whether the team should be questioning, creating, evaluating, mobilizing, supporting, or completing work.