NLT WORKING GENIUS

So, what is “Working Genius”?

“Working Genius” is a system of identifying and leveraging one’s natural talents and preferred ways of working in order to achieve greater success and satisfaction in your career and personal life. It was developed by Patrick Lencioni, a management consultant and author, and is based on his earlier work on the five dysfunctions of a team.

The Working Genius Model

According to the Working Genius model, there are six areas of natural talent or “genius” that people possess, with each person typically having 2 strengths or ‘geniuses’.

These six areas are:

Wonder:

The ability to ask questions, seek understanding, and explore possibilities.

 Invention:

The ability to generate new ideas and innovate.

Discernment:

The ability to make good decisions and exercise good judgment. 

Galvanizing:

The ability to rally people around a common goal or vision. 

Enablement:

The ability to provide support, resources, and assistance to others. 

Tenacity:

The ability to persevere through challenges and overcome obstacles. 

The Value of Knowing our Geniuses

By identifying our two areas of genius, our team can leverage these strengths to find more fulfilling work, increase our productivity and  effectiveness, and better contribute to our team and organization. The model also emphasizes the importance of balancing and complementing these strengths with the strengths of others on the team, in order to create a well-rounded and effective team. Simply put, Working Genius provides us with the following: 

Click the buttons below to see our team's geniuses.

Regulating Our Geniuses

Naturally, we tend to make every meeting, conversation, and interaction conform to our Geniuses. This can disrupt meetings and the productive flow of work. For this reason, we need to understand when and how to regulate our Geniuses. 

Here are some considerations we use to regulate our working geniuses: 

Putting Our Geniuses To Work 

The 6 Types of Working Genius create an interdependent model and provide a comprehensive process for accomplishing any type of work. Each type of Genius receives and/or gives something to adjacent types, creating a workflow leading from Ideation (Wonder and Invention) to Activation (Discernment and Galvanizing) to Implementation (Enablement and Tenacity).

The best leaders are self-aware leaders. As a result, we surround ourselves with people who can fill their own gaps and are effective at tapping into their Geniuses.

Wonder

Emily

Invention

Kyle

Tara

Amir

Discernment

Eric

Kate

KD

Kyle

Amir

Galvanizing

Eric

Tara

Enablement

Angie

KD

Maegan

Tenacity

Angie

Emily

Kate

Maegan

Amir Gooden

Assistant Account Manager / Content Curator

The Discriminating Ideator

The Discriminating Ideator excels in generating original ideas and critically evaluating them, effectively blending creativity with practical judgment. They are adept at not only coming up with innovative concepts but also in assessing their feasibility and potential impact.

Invention, Discernment

Learn more about how our team utilizes Working Genius.

a photographer or archivist. Photos and capturing memories have been important to me for as long as I can remember.

The eureka moment is when you figure out what a client wants. It can be a bit of a dance initially but seeing a client excited about the work you’re doing for them is the most rewarding part of the job!

“don’t take it personally.” Learning how to regroup and shift perspective has been instrumental in my career.

A botanist or a Pokémon master. Still pursuing one of those, honestly.

The team is truly here to work with you and every skill you’re bringing to the table is a valuable asset. Don’t doubt yourself!

I collect and play retro games from yesteryear, and I also spend a lot of time cycling. It goes back and forth depending on what time of year it is!

Definitely “we listen before we lead.” Learning how to help a client becomes so apparent when you really hear them and can form strategies and plans specifically for them.

Eric Poerschke

Managing Partner

The Intuitive Activator

The Intuitive Activator stands out for their ability to quickly initiate action and kickstart projects with a blend of instinct and momentum. Their strength lies in their spontaneous energy and knack for turning concepts into tangible actions, making them invaluable in dynamic environments.

Discernment, Galvanizing

Learn more about how our team utilizes Working Genius.

My absolute best days are when we’re able to help a client see their business differently. It’s usually at this point when things begin to take off and the effectiveness of what we can do for them begins to be realized both internally and externally in a very powerful way.

don’t get too high on the highs and too low on the lows. This advice was from my high school basketball coach.

I think it would be so cool to be able to fly. The different vantage points would be amazing and the ability to get places quickly would be awesome.

As a young fella, I probably wanted to be the usual things like a policeman, fireman, etc. But from high school on, I have always wanted to own my own business. In graduate school, my buddies were sure that I would make a living helping people/organizations see things from a different perspective. They were right!

Be prepared to deliver absolute excellence, while being part of a very caring, results-oriented, drama-free work environment.

There are a whole bunch of food categories that I wish had zero calories. If I had to pick one, it would definitely be tortilla chips with guacamole, chili con queso and/or salsa.

My favorite thing to do, by far, is to hang out with my family…Tracy, Erin, Trey and Kyle. My peeps!

I think giving the client what they need, not just what they want really defines NextLevel Thinking. We have seen some extraordinary results from those clients that have really embraced this collaborative approach.