122. Can You be "Bad" in Your Genius?

Can you truly be bad at something that is one of your Working Geniuses?

In episode 122 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat Lencioni and Cody Thompson explore whether someone can genuinely be “bad” at one of their Working Geniuses and reveal why the answer is more complicated than it first appears. They examine how assessment accuracy, genius pairings, timing, context, environment, and expectations can cause a genuine strength to be misunderstood or poorly applied. They also warn that becoming exceptionally good at work that drains you can create its own trap, leading others to expect more of the very work you should not be doing constantly.

Topics explored in this episode:

(00:00) Can You Be Bad at Your Genius?

• Pat introduces the surprising possibility that becoming skilled at work outside your genius can create long-term problems.
• Pat and Cody begin unpacking whether someone can genuinely have a Working Genius while appearing to be bad at it.

(04:26) Why Genius Pairings Change Everything

• Cody explains how the second letter in a Working Genius pairing can dramatically change how a particular genius appears in practice.
• Pat and Cody contrast different forms of Invention, showing why one inventor may generate wild conceptual ideas while another focuses on practical systems and implementation.

(08:28) The Danger of Getting Good at Your Frustrations

• Pat and Cody discuss why becoming highly competent at work that drains you can cause other people to continually expect that work from you.
• Pat shares how years of succeeding in his frustrations created such a strong aversion that even relatively simple Tenacity-related tasks can now feel difficult.

(12:00) Using Your Genius at the Wrong Time

• Cody explains that a genius can look ineffective or even destructive when it is used out of sequence, aimed at the wrong problem, or applied when it is not needed.
• Pat emphasizes the difference between possessing genuine ability and knowing how to regulate that ability according to timing and context.

(16:09) How Environment Shapes Your Genius

• Pat and Cody explore how the quality of the surrounding product, organization, or situation can affect whether someone appears successful in their genius.
• They close by discussing how family, culture, education, comparison, and environment can shape a person's understanding of how strong they actually are in a particular genius.

This episode of The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni is brought to you by The Table Group: 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.

Take the assessment today to discover your natural gifts and thrive at work: https://workinggenius.me/about

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