Does your Working Genius explain if you should lead?

The Working Genius is, in my opinion, one of the greatest tools I have found for developing great team culture and great leaders. This week I use a real life example from someone I recently coached. Lead from your own genius. Lead from your own God-given strengths. #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #Training #WorkingGenius

• Transcript

  I was recently talking to a team leader who was struggling in their role. They noticed a colleague who was excellent at gathering people and energising them. People always seemed to be enthusiastic and motivated when interacting with this person. However, this leader didn’t feel that people responded to them in the same way and so the natural inclination was to try to replicate the traits of this other.

  I explained that it sounded like their colleague had the Working Genius of galvanising. It is part of their DNA to bring people together and mobilize them. Instead of trying to become like their colleague, I suggested we reflect on their own geniuses and how we could capitalize on their geniuses? How do we best lead from how we are uniquely created. Additionally, we explored how to champion and utilize their colleague’s genius of galvanizing in a way that benefits everyone involved.

  Here’s my takeaway for today: When we understand and operate from our own geniuses, we lead more naturally, people are more likely to follow us, we have greater energy for our work, our teams feel more at peace, we make better use of our team’s talents, people feel more valued, our teams enjoy their work more, and everyone is more productive.

  I am often asked which geniuses better serve a senior leader. My belief is that no genius serves a senior leader better than another. All of the geniuses are valuable. A senior leader is most capable when they understand their unique, God-given geniuses and operate from them.

  Over the next few weeks, this podcast will explore the elements of the Working Genius and how each genius applies to leadership. This week, my takeaway for us is this: As we become more self-aware, we should come to a greater appreciation of ourselves and our strengths. We should also aim to better understand our frustrations and weaknesses. By approaching our leadership from a place of contentedness in ourselves, we can better recognize and value others’ geniuses. We should applaud and appreciate their differences, seeing them as complementary to our own skills.

  May we find ourselves less threatened by others' geniuses and instead ascribe greater value to what they bring to the team. By fostering this mindset, we create a more inclusive, supportive, and productive environment where everyone’s unique talents are utilized to their fullest potential. This approach not only enhances our leadership but also improves team dynamics and overall success.