Love, Happiness and Success with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

6 Types of Working Genius for Happiness & Success (with Patrick Lencioni) | Happiness & Success | E492

Dec 18, 2025

Patrick Lencioni, author and organizational consultant, joins the discussion on unlocking personal greatness through understanding your unique strengths. He introduces the Six Types of Working Genius—Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity—highlighting how misalignment in work leads to burnout and stress. The conversation explores reframing weaknesses, enhancing collaboration in relationships, and finding joy in energizing tasks. By recognizing and leveraging personal genius, listeners can shift from self-criticism to empowerment.

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INSIGHT

Burnout From Misaligned Work

Burnout often comes from doing the wrong kind of work, not just doing too much.
Patrick Lencioni realized he was drained by tasks outside his natural genius and changed everything.

INSIGHT

Curiosity Is A Genuine Strength

People with the Genius of Wonder naturally ask questions and notice better ways.
Society often labels this trait as a flaw instead of a legitimate strength.

INSIGHT

Ideas Are Not Universal Enjoyment

Invention is the joy of creating ideas out of nothing and not everyone enjoys it.
One person's ideal task (blank whiteboard) can be another's nightmare.

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What if the key to success and happiness isn’t working harder, but finally understanding how you’re wired to thrive? Many people unknowingly work against their own strengths and personality, leading to stress, stalled career growth, and strained relationships. In this episode, you’ll learn how to uncover obstacles, unlock your personal greatness, and start living in your type of working genius.

Burnout doesn’t always come from doing too much. Often, it comes from spending too much time doing the kind of work that drains you. Patrick Lencioni and I talk about why stress, frustration, and self-criticism are frequent signals of misalignment rather than failure, and how understanding your natural skills can change the way you work, lead, and relate to the people you love.

Patrick is the creator of the Working Genius assessment and author of The Six Types of Working Genius. Together, we explore how the Working Genius framework helps people understand their strengths, release shame around what feels hard, and create healthier relationships at work and at home. We also talk about why rest alone doesn’t resolve burnout, and why doing more of the right kind of work often restores energy, confidence, and momentum.

As you listen, you may find yourself reconsidering long-held beliefs about success, productivity, and what you “should” be good at, and noticing where clarity could replace stress.

Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Feeling Burned Out and Self-Critical at Work and Home
05:06 Burnout as Working Outside Your Strengths
06:56 The 6 Types of Working Genius Explained
11:45 How Working Genius Differences Affect Relationships
17:50 Enablement and Tenacity as Essential Strengths
21:08 Shame, Comparison, and Misunderstood Skills
32:41 Using Working Genius to Improve Couples and Team Communication
41:34 Why Doing Less Does Not Fix Burnout
55:35 Moving Toward Career Alignment Without Major Life Changes

Are you feeling stretched thin while trying to crush it at work and keep up with everything at home? Burnout might be looming and that isn’t just because you’re doing too much. It’s often about doing the wrong kind of work.

Patrick created the Working Genius assessment to help you discover what kind of work gives you energy and what drains it. It’s helped me find more balance, not by doing less, but by focusing on what I’m actually wired for.

If you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, or anyone trying to level up in business and life, take the Working Genius assessment today and get 20% off with code LHS at https://www.workinggenius.com/

xoxo,
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
Growing Self