The Six Types of Working Genius
Leaders have a tremendous amount of responsibility placed on them - responsibilities ranging from the success of the business overall, to the people whom they lead. I often share the following quote from Good to Great with my clients:
“For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.” (Jim Collins)
I truly believe that all people want to find meaning, joy and purpose in and through their work. But to do so, requires some ‘treading of the needle’ to line up what we are best at with the needs of the company we work for. To the extent that each individual can spend the vast majority of their time working out of their two Working Geniuses, I believe they would be closer to finding that deep meaning Collins says we all need from our work.
The Six Types of Working Genius
(adapted from the Table Group’s explanations of the Six Types of Working Genius)
Wonder: People with the Genius of Wonder love to question & speculate. They ask questions like, "Why are things the way they are? Is there a better way?" They love to sit in the ambiguity and imagine the possibilities. The Genius of Wonder helps set up the conditions for Invention.
Invention: People with the Genius of Invention find joy from taking challenges and generating solutions & prototypes. They enjoy creating from scratch and love a blank canvas on which they can brainstorm.
Discernment: People with the Genius of Discernment have an intuitive ability to evaluate the feasibility of ideas. They notice patterns & trends. They know how to connect the dots and give people constructive feedback across a range of topics.
Galvanizing: People with the Genius of Galvanizing love to get things going. They are great at getting people out of their comfort zone and inspiring them to get going. They enjoy rallying people around an idea and getting them moving.
Enablement: People with the Genius of Enablement make things happen. They know how to help, when to help, and can flex to whatever the situation calls for. People with the Genius of Enablement are people-oriented and want to help realize a vision.
Tenacity: People with the Genius of Tenacity are task-oriented and love to run the ball over the goal line. They ensure a project is going to have its intended impact and that it meets agreed-upon standards. They are highly motivated by the need to see the work completed. They get deep satisfaction from ticking off all boxes on their “to do” list.
That’s it! Six types that are intuitive, relatable, highly practical and impactful at work.
To continue learning about Working Genius check out the additional blog posts in this series
The Categories of Working Genius
Your Working Genius Unique Pairing
What Working Genius Reveals about the Stages of Work
When Your Working Genius is Missing or Misused
Working Genius for Leaders
How Working Genius Makes Meetings More Effective
The Picture that Paints a Thousand Words: The Working Genius Team Map
About the Author
Tom Barrett is a Leadership Team Coach based in Nashville, TN. He is a Certified Scaling Up Coach™, Certified Pinnacle Business Guide, & former Certified EOS Implementer™. Additionally, he is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator. Tom guides his clients by continually implementing the tools that they need to get to the next level by drawing from the best tools no matter where they are found.
