Supercharge Your Marketing Team with Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius Model

This is why Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius model can be an additional superpower for your team. Working Genius will help your team understand each other better, foster stronger collaboration, and deliver incredible results for your clients.

Understanding the Working Genius Model

The Working Genius model breaks down teamwork into six “geniuses”—the natural talents that fuel productivity and creativity. These include:

• Wonder: Asking big questions and identifying opportunities.

• Invention: Creating solutions to address challenges.

• Discernment: Using intuition and judgment to refine ideas.

• Galvanising: Rallying people to take action.

• Enablement: Providing support to move efforts forward.

• Tenacity: Ensuring goals are completed to the highest standard.

This framework that we affectionately refer to as “the WIDGET,” reminds us that no one person can do it all. The magic happens when we bring together people with complementary strengths.

Leaning Into Strengths

You don’t have to be brilliant at every genius. In fact, trying to power through tasks that don’t align with your natural strengths can drain your energy and slow you down. Instead, lean into what you do best and partner with others to fill in the gaps.

Here’s how that looks in action. If a task will take you an hour or less, dive in and tackle it. But if it’s a bigger lift, don’t hesitate to call on someone whose genius aligns with the challenge. Asking for help isn’t just okay—it’s part of how we work. This approach fosters collaboration and ensures everyone has a chance to shine where they’re strongest.

And if you’re a team of one or part of a small group without the "full" Working Genius, don’t worry. You can tap into outside resources, collaborate with other departments, or bring in freelance or agency expertise. Sometimes the best support comes from knowing when to reach beyond your team to get the job done right.

Applying the Working Genius Model

Consider integrating The Working Genius framework as part of your organisation's DNA. It can shape everything you do—from how you tackle daily tasks to how you connect in team meetings. This powerful tool will help you amplify your marketing efforts.

Here’s how to put it to work in your organisation:

1. Assess Your Team’s Geniuses: Identify where each team member excels and where they experience frustration. This understanding builds trust and alignment.

2. Match Geniuses to Needs: For every project or meeting, we consider which geniuses are most critical. For example, brainstorming a big idea might require Wonder and Invention, while executing a campaign needs Tenacity.

3. Ask for Support Without Guilt: The beauty of this model lies in its simplicity. Once you understand "WIDGET", you can confidently ask for help in areas that aren’t your strength—without guilt, fear, or shame.

4. Focus on Fulfillment: By leaning into the geniuses that energise you, you’ll find more joy and fulfillment in your work. This isn’t just good for individuals—it’s transformative for the entire team.

A Framework for Winning Together

The beauty of the Working Genius framework is its simplicity and the profound difference it makes. With six easy-to-remember traits, it gives teams a common language for working together. This can transform how you assign tasks, structure meetings, and solve challenges.

Marketing is absolutely a team sport, but it’s also a personal journey. When you embrace your genius, ask for support where you need it, and focus on your strengths, the work becomes more rewarding—and so much more enjoyable.

Ready to harness your team’s genius? Reach out to learn how we can "unlock your teams potential".