The Missing Geniuses Syndrome: No Immunity for In-House and Law Firm Practice

Albert Einstein

A friend outside the legal field recommended that I read The 6 Types of Working Genius, a book by best-selling author and management consultant Patrick Lencioni.

I'm delighted that I picked up a copy.

As I delved into the book, it quickly became apparent just how much Lencioni's insights apply to legal and intellectual property teams, including corporate in-house departments, law firm practice groups, and service providers.

His insights offer a powerful tool for (1) diagnosing what may be holding back you or your team and (2) structuring your team to be impactful and high-functioning.

The Working Geniuses

Lencioni defines six "Working Geniuses" that are tied to overarching stages of work:

"Wonder: identifies the need for improvement or change

Invention: confirms the importance of that need, and generates an idea or solution

Discernment: assesses the merit and workability of the idea or solution

Galvanizing: generates enthusiasm and action around the idea or solution

Enablement: initiates support and assists in the implementation of the idea or solution

Tenacity: commits to ensuring that the idea or solution gets completed and that results are achieved"

He posits that each of us possesses two of the above Working Geniuses, which come naturally to us and energize our efforts. For the four Working Geniuses we lack, we possess two Working Competencies, which we can do passably well, and two Working Frustrations, which sap our energy.

For example, someone might have the Working Geniuses of Wonder and Invention, the Working Competencies of Discernment and Enablement, and the Working Frustrations of Galvanizing and Tenacity.

This has practical implications both for us as individuals and for teams as a whole:

• If we're assigned to roles or tasks that primarily entail use of our Working Competencies and Working Frustrations, rather than our Working Geniuses, the misalignment and resulting friction may prevent us from performing with excellence. Even if we somehow compensate, we're still likely to burn out and underperform over time.

• When team members with respective Working Geniuses, Competencies, and Frustrations are assigned to the wrong roles or tasks, team performance most likely will suffer.

• Teams lacking personnel with at least one of the six Working Geniuses may never achieve at the highest level on a sustained basis. This is because one or more of the corresponding overarching stages of work never will be staffed by a person with a matching Working Genius.

• Teams that get the Working Geniuses right achieve more. Team members feel more fulfilled. Organizational health is more vibrant.

Genius Deficits Within Legal and IP Teams

Having practiced for decades in law firm and in-house settings across multiple organizations, I've been a member of numerous teams. I've also interacted with and observed other teams internal to those organizations, as well as teams of third-parties, such as outside counsel and solutions and service providers.

There's been no shortage of impressive, highly talented professionals along the way. Nevertheless, not every team or team member has consistently shone as brightly as seemed possible.

With the benefit of Lencioni's wisdom, I can better appreciate what might have been amiss.

I realize now that some teams had a high concentration of tactically-oriented Working Geniuses, such as Enablement and Tenacity, but had little or no coverage of strategy- or creation-oriented Working Geniuses, such as Wonder and Invention.

Other times, the Working Geniuses of team members were mismatched with their roles, or a team leader's Working Frustrations were colliding with their primary leadership or management responsibilities.

In the above situations, I noticed that teams might accomplish specific projects and matters well, but struggled to make transformational, systemic impacts or build lasting collaborative relationships across their ecosystem.

I also saw talented people plateau in their career trajectory due to occupying unsuitable roles and become discouraged in the process.

Managers or leaders whose Working Geniuses didn't fit their roles or who failed to hire team members to supply their missing Working Geniuses stumbled as well. Likewise, their deficiencies stifled the growth potential of their team members.

Takeaways for Success

Lencioni's book inspires us to take a step back from the whirlwind of legal and IP work, conduct overdue reality checks, and proactively plan for success.

Takeaways include:

1. Identify Your Own Working Geniuses, Competencies, and Frustrations. With new self-awareness, you'll have a better sense of your strengths and weaknesses. Instead of pushing yourself towards roles and duties that are fundamentally incompatible, you can aim for those that better suit you.

2. Understand Others' Working Geniuses, Competencies, and Frustrations. So much of our work as legal and IP professionals involves teaming up with others. With an understanding of where colleagues are coming from, you can seek a division of labor that maximizes alignment of Working Geniuses to subtasks, accelerating achievement of results.

3. Put the Right People Into Management and Leadership Roles. Managers and leaders are linchpins of organizations. Decision-makers should ensure that chosen managers and leaders possess Working Geniuses and Competencies that track what's expected of them. Absent proper alignment, no amount of wishful thinking is likely to deliver high performance.

4. Curate Teams in View of the Working Geniuses. Most departments, practice groups, and other collectives have a wide-ranging set of short- and long-term goals and objectives including strategic, tactical, operational, and people-centric imperatives. It's critical to build teams that, in the aggregate, possess all six Working Geniuses, and to assign team members to work scope consistent with their Working Geniuses, Competencies, and Frustrations.

   
   

Galvanize Your Practice

When Working Geniuses are missing or misaligned in legal or IP teams, it's like flying through constant headwinds or trying to force a square peg in a round hole. It doesn't have to be this way. The 6 Types of Working Genius helps illuminate a path toward greater impacts and fulfillment in our teams and enterprises.

“When human beings are fully alive at work… they are much more likely to contribute to an organization’s health, and help it avoid the perils of dysfunction.” - Patrick Lencioni