The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni

103. Working Genius vs. the Ideal Team Player

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Dec 30, 2025

Discover the crucial distinction between Working Genius and Ideal Team Player virtues. Delve into why humility, hunger, and emotional intelligence should guide team building before considering individual strengths. Learn why common assumptions linking certain genius types to specific virtues can be misleading. Real-life examples illustrate discrepancies in these correlations. Finally, uncover the recommended hiring order to better address team dynamics and avoid costly misinterpretations.

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INSIGHT

Hire Virtues Before Roles

The first step in building a team is hiring people who are humble, hungry, and smart.
The second step is placing them in the right seats using Working Genius.

ADVICE

Don't Use Genius To Justify Hiring

Do not confuse Working Genius with the Ideal Team Player virtues when hiring.
Hire for humble, hungry, and smart first, then use Working Genius to assign roles.

INSIGHT

Smart Means Emotional Intelligence

'Smart' in the Ideal Team Player refers to emotional intelligence and self-awareness in interactions.
Working Genius cannot predict whether someone has that emotional intelligence.

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Are Working Genius pairings linked with Ideal Team Player virtues?

In episode 103 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore why Working Genius types cannot and should not be used to predict the three Ideal Team Player virtues (humble, hungry, and smart). They walk through tempting—but ultimately inaccurate—assumptions people often make when connecting specific geniuses to humility, hunger, or emotional intelligence. By clarifying the proper order of team building—hire for virtues first, then place people according to their geniuses—they’ll help you avoid costly misinterpretations and build healthier teams.

Topics explored in this episode:

(00:00) The Premise

* Why Ideal Team Player virtues must come before Working Genius when building a team.

(03:20) Exploring the “Smart” Virtue and EQ

* WG cannot predict emotional intelligence (EQ).

* How each working genius type can be either high or low EQ.

(08:23) Tempting but Incorrect Correlations Between Virtues and Genius Types

* The common assumptions that “D” = smart, “E” = humble, and “T” = hungry.

(15:55) Virtues → Genius → Behaviors

* Why Ideal Team Player, Working Genius, and Five Dysfunctions must be applied in order.

More info about Pat’s book, The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues: https://www.tablegroup.com/product/ideal-team-player/

More info about Pat’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable: https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/#5dbook

This episode of The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni is brought to you by The Table Group: https://www.tablegroup.com. We teach leaders how to make work more effective and less dysfunctional. We also help their employees be more fulfilled and less miserable.

The Six Types of Working Genius model helps you discover your natural gifts and thrive in your work and life. When you’re able to better understand the types of work that bring you more energy and fulfillment and avoid work that leads to frustration and failure, you can be more self-aware, more productive, and more successful. The Six Types of Working Genius assessment is the fastest and simplest way to discover your natural gifts and thrive at work: https://workinggenius.me/about

Subscribe to The Working Genius Podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4iNz6Yn), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3raC053GF5mtkq6Y1klpRU), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/Working-Genius-YouTube).

Follow Pat Lencioni on https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth, http://www.youtube.com/@PatrickLencioniOfficial, and https://x.com/patricklencioni.

Be sure to check out our other podcast, At The Table with Patrick Lencioni, on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4hJKKSL), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6NWAZzkzl4ljxX7S2xkHvu), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube).

Let us know your feedback via podcast@tablegroup.com.

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.