“Give your strengths a stage to shine and keep your weaknesses from stealing the spotlight.” – Barb
As a writer, you wear many hats—social media, marketing, interviews, newsletters, income generation, speaking events, and more. Deep breath. There’s so much you do! When you try to do too much all of the time, that’s a fast track to burnout.
Today, my goal is to introduce you to a powerful tool that will help you identify your working geniuses, competencies, and frustrations—and learn how to keep those frustrations from sabotaging you and burning out your writing career.
During my annual planning retreat in December 2023, I read the national bestseller The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni. With so many personal development books available, I chose this one because I’d seen firsthand how it improved communication and workflow on my former church staff team (over 100 full- and part-time employees). It gave our team a shared language and a clear framework for planning and using human and material resources more effectively. That was a game-changer.
Lencioni communicates his content through allegory. Since he works through the vehicle of story, readers ride along as his characters journey from problem to insight to solution.
The Working Genius Framework
Lencioni defines six working styles, which is personality + natural giftedness, using the acronym WIDGET:
- Wonder – Natural ability to ponder, question, and reflect
- Invention – Generates new ideas or creative solutions
- Discernment – Strong intuition about what will work
- Galvanizing – Motivates, rallies, and mobilizes others
- Enablement – Comes alongside to help and support others
- Tenacity – Finishes strong and ensures completion
PAUSE… Which two resonate most with you?
Three Working Genius Categories
I love this next part! Lencioni categorizes these styles based on how they impact your energy:
- Genius – You can perform at a high level consistently, without energy drain
- Competency – You’re capable, but extended use is draining
- Frustration – Even with basic skill, this work drains your energy quickly
Each person has two Geniuses, two Competencies, and two Frustrations.
Take a moment to guess your own:
| Geniuses | ||
| Competencies | ||
| Frustrations |
Here are my results after taking the Working Genius assessment:
| Geniuses | Invention | Discernment |
| Competencies | Enablement | Tenacity |
| Frustrations | Galvanizing | Wonder |
Recognizing which tasks energized and drained me was a huge breakthrough!
In addition to serving as a Books & Such agent, I’m also an author who loves writing Bible studies. When I’m using Invention and Discernment, hours pass without notice. But daily Galvanizing? That wears me out. (When I led church teams, I was known as the anti-micromanager.)
One surprising insight: Wonder showed up as a Frustration. I realized that, because Invention and Discernment come so naturally, I often skip Wonder. I’m wired to act on ideas and quickly discern what’s good. But if I don’t take time to ask deeper questions or collaborate early, I can miss out. That’s why I now schedule Wonder into my process.
Important: Every style is necessary. Don’t ignore your non-Genius areas—they still serve a purpose.
The Big Question: How Can Working Genius Help Your Writing Career?
If you’re feeling drained, unmotivated, or off-track, examine your schedule. Are you stuck in your Frustration or Competency zones? Are you underutilizing your Geniuses?
Be strategic when you plan your time and say “yes” to new opportunities:
- If Wonder is a Genius, you can muse, ponder and ask endless questions—at some point, you have to write and meet those deadlines!
- If Invention is a Frustration, be careful about offering to help figure out platform ideas to friends—it may drain you more than help them.
- If Enablement is a Genius, you may be tempted to say “yes” to everyone else’s projects and neglect your own.
Next Steps:
First, thank you for joining me for today’s conversation. I am a big Working Genius fan and love sharing this with you.
- Look at your current work schedule and note what tasks energize and drain you. Apply what you’ve learned today and see where you can make adjustments.
- Take the Working Genius test to figure out or confirm your guess.
- Read Working Genius– It’s so worth it! Our agency team has read it, too!
Join Today’s Conversation:
I’d love to hear your Working Genius guesses! Drop them in the comments.
How do you see this applying to your writing life?
Random Agent Thoughts
Genius, competence, and frustration
clarify the writer’s warp and weft,
but in my present situation
tenacity is all that’s left.
It hurts past any old belief,
and writing seems so pointless now.
There’s nothing here to give relief,
and I have to ask just how
and why I still string words together
to try for a coherent whole
when the effort works to beggar
the energy yet in my soul;
is my ego still a prod,
or does this have to do with God?
Cool poem, Andrew! Quick question—how’d you get your picture to appear in the thumbnail next to your name? I’ve been fiddling with it when I should probably be out edging my gardens instead! 😄
Aleisha, sorry for the late reply…but I honestly don’t remember how I got the picture in there!
Andrew, your tenacity is a gift, even as it seems like the payoff doesn’t look as you’d hoped. Your words are seen and treasured here. Thank you.
Barb, thank you for this; what you have said means so much!
Especially right now ..as I write this I am sitting up in the end of night with a dear and ancient Chihuahua who is dying of heart failure. I can only give thanks for his presence, and his years with us, and resolve that his tiny great soul will further inform my writing, and the joy that must dwell therein.
Andrew, I can only imagine how painful this is for you. Our little dogs capture a part of our soul in ways we can never express, with even words. Your little Chihuahua sounds like such a blessing in your life. I will be praying for you!
This test has definitely sparked my curiosity—looks like there’s something new to dig into here. Thanks for sharing your results, Barb! Always up for fresh insight into how I think and write.
Yes! I hoped that Working Genius would be an inspiration to someone. I hope you grab the book and dive in!