50 Tips: Understanding Altitude in Working Genius

The altitude of Working Genius describes where each genius naturally operates in the workflow from Ideation to Implementation. According to the Table Group's official framework, each of the six types has a specific elevation at which it contributes best. Wonder operates at 30,000 feet with heads in the proverbial clouds. Tenacity operates at 5,000 feet to ground, where the rubber meets the road.

When team members search for altitude in the Working Genius model, they are asking a practical question: how do I understand when each genius is needed, and how do I ensure my team engages the right geniuses at the right time in the workflow?

Patrick Lencioni, founder of the Table Group and best-selling author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, built the Working Genius framework as a productivity framework, not a personality test. The six types describe a workflow from Wonder through Tenacity. Altitude helps teams understand that pondering and questioning happens long before and high above the place where an idea is truly put to the test. Each genius has a natural home in the descent from ideation to execution.

After completing the Working Genius assessment, every team leader and team member can identify their natural genius, their working competencies, and their areas of frustration. Understanding altitude helps them apply these results to different kinds of work and see the same situation from a different perspective.

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Coach who delivers Working Genius workshops for leadership teams, school boards, corporate executives, and nonprofit organizations globally. His facilitation of Working Genius at the ASBA 2025 National Conference achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating. Contact Jonno at jonno@consultclarity.org to discuss bringing a Working Genius session to your team.

What follows are 50 practical tips for understanding and applying altitude in the Working Genius model. These are drawn from hands-on facilitation experience, not theory.

Understanding What Altitude Actually Means

1. Wonder Takes Place at the Highest Elevation

According to the Working Genius framework, Wonder operates at 30,000 feet. People with this natural gift ponder, question, and speculate long before and high above where an idea is truly put to the test. They ask big questions like why are things the way they are and is there a better way.

2. Invention Comes a Little Lower But Still Quite High

Invention operates at 25,000 feet. Once a question is posed or a need is uncovered by Wonder, Invention kicks in with novel ideas and solutions. This stage of work is still long before Implementation, generating original ideas that disrupt the status quo.

3. Discernment Takes the Idea Just a Bit Lower Than Invention

Discernment operates at 20,000 feet. It assesses the practicality and usefulness of the idea or proposal using a keen sense of judgment. People with this genius respond to and refine ideas, recognising patterns and connecting the dots. After this vetting takes place, the idea is getting closer to the ground.

4. Galvanizing Marshals the Human Capital Needed

Galvanizing operates at 15,000 feet. People are inspired, recruited, enlisted, and organised for support. This genius rallies team members around an idea and gets them moving in the right direction. Things are getting close to the ground now.

5. Enablement Is Where Implementation Begins

Enablement operates at 10,000 feet. People pitch in and get an initiative or endeavour rolling. This genius responds to the needs of others and provides the support needed to move solutions into the first stages of work. People with this natural gift know how to help, when to help, and can flex to whatever the situation calls for.

How Each Genius Operates at Its Natural Altitude

6. Tenacity Is Where Work Gets Fully Completed

The Genius of Tenacity operates at 5,000 feet to ground, where the rubber meets the road. People with this genius are task-oriented and love to take things across the finish line. They ensure a project is going to have the impact it is supposed to have and lives up to agreed-upon standards.

7. The Three Stages of Work Map to Altitude

The Working Genius framework divides work into three stages. Ideation includes Wonder and Invention at the highest altitudes. Activation includes Discernment and Galvanizing in the middle. Implementation includes Enablement and Tenacity closest to the ground. Understanding this helps teams know which geniuses to tap at each stage of work.

8. Responsive Geniuses React to the World Around Them

Wonder, Discernment, and Enablement are responsive geniuses. They react to the environment, to the ideas of others, and to the needs of colleagues. Wonder identifies inadequacies or opportunities. Discernment responds to ideas and gives feedback. Enablement responds to the call of the galvanizer.

9. Disruptive Geniuses Provoke Change

Invention, Galvanizing, and Tenacity are disruptive geniuses. They provoke change in the world, in organisations, and in people around them. Invention creates new ideas that require change. Galvanizing gets people to focus on something new. Tenacity changes intensity and standards to ensure completion.

10. Discernment Is the Most Altitude-Critical Genius

The Genius of Discernment sits at 20,000 feet between Invention above and Galvanizing below. Without discernment, teams galvanize around unvetted ideas. The Activation stage of work depends on discernment assessing the workability of ideas before momentum builds. Many teams skip this altitude entirely.

11. Wonder Creates the Conditions for Invention

People with the Working Genius of Wonder identify the need for change and respond to the environment. This creates the conditions for the Working Genius of Invention to generate novel ideas and solutions in different ways. If Wonder is missing or rushed, Invention solves problems that do not exist or misses the real opportunity in a given situation.

12. Galvanizing Rallies People Around Ideas

People with the Genius of Galvanizing love to get things moving. They are great at pushing team members out of their comfort zone and inspiring them to get started. At 15,000 feet, Galvanizing operates after Discernment has assessed ideas but before Enablement begins implementation.

13. Enablement Makes Things Happen

People with the Genius of Enablement make things happen. They know how to help, when to help, and can flex to whatever the situation calls for. At 10,000 feet, Enablement provides the support needed to move solutions into the first stages of Implementation. This genius is people-oriented and wants to help realise a vision.

14. Each Genius Receives and Gives to Adjacent Types

The Working Genius model is interdependent. Each type of work receives from and gives to adjacent types, creating a workflow from Ideation to Activation to Implementation. Wonder identifies need, Invention generates solutions using different approaches, Discernment assesses workability across areas of work, Galvanizing generates enthusiasm, Enablement supports implementation, and Tenacity commits to completion.

15. Skipping an Altitude Creates Predictable Problems

When teams skip Discernment at 20,000 feet, they implement inadequate or ineffective ideas with high rates of failure. When teams skip Wonder at 30,000 feet, they fail to identify opportunities or problems. When teams skip Tenacity at ground level, projects never finish. Each altitude serves a purpose.

16. The Altitude Model Explains Meeting Types

Different meeting types operate at different altitudes. Brainstorm or offsite meetings operate at 30,000 to 25,000 feet, tapping Wonder and Invention. Solutions-oriented meetings operate at 30,000 to 20,000 feet, using Invention and Discernment. Rally and tactical meetings operate at 15,000 to 10,000 feet. Daily standups operate at 5,000 feet to ground.

17. Tenacity Does Not Respond to Emotional Appeal

People with the Genius of Tenacity do not respond to the emotional appeal of the galvanizer. They respond to the need to see the work completed. They get joy and energy from checking off a box on the to do list. This is why galvanizing alone cannot drive implementation.

Diagnosing Altitude Problems in Teams

18. Meeting Confusion Often Signals Altitude Mismatch

When a meeting feels unproductive, ask whether people are operating at different altitudes. One person wants to wonder about possibilities at 30,000 feet. Another wants to galvanize action at 15,000 feet. Another wants to finish tasks at ground level. Naming the altitude expected prevents unnecessary conflict.

19. Burnout Signals Frustration Work at the Wrong Altitude

The Working Genius model identifies areas of frustration as work that drains energy even when you do it well. Many staff members burn out because they spend too much time working outside their areas of genius. When frustration work happens at an altitude that requires sustained engagement, the energy drain is faster.

20. Altitude Collapse Happens Under Pressure

When organisations face pressure, everything collapses toward ground level. Even strategic conversations become immediate action items. Leaders are rewarded for responsiveness rather than clarity. This creates a loop where the same problems recur because Wonder time at 30,000 feet disappears.

21. Altitude Inflation Happens in Comfortable Cultures

Some organisations live in high altitude language all the time. Constant strategy talk at 30,000 feet. Endless ideas at 25,000 feet. No execution traction at ground level. Tenacity people get frustrated. Enablement people get exhausted supporting plans that never stabilise. This is the opposite dysfunction.

22. Altitude Drift Is Predictable Over Time

Startups often drift high as they chase novelty. Mature organisations drift low as they chase efficiency. Neither drift is healthy. Business leaders must intentionally correct altitude drift rather than letting urgency dictate focus.

23. Working Competency Drains Energy Over Time

A Working Competency is work you can do without immediate frustration. But spending too much time in competency work eventually drains your energy. The person looks fine. Outputs look fine. Then they crash. The goal should be to have a genius represented at each altitude, not rely on competencies long-term.

Practical Altitude Tools for Teams

24. Name the Altitude Before Every Meeting

Start each meeting by stating the altitude. Are we wondering, inventing, discerning, galvanizing, enabling, or finishing? Are we zooming out or zooming in? This one sentence prevents altitude mismatch conflict.

25. Separate Agenda Items by Altitude

Create two columns in your agenda: zoom out items and zoom in items. Do not mix them. Handle high altitude items when energy is high. Handle low altitude items when momentum is strong.

26. Create a Parking Lot for Altitude Mismatches

When someone raises a high altitude question in a low altitude meeting, capture it and schedule it separately. Do not let altitude drift hijack execution time. The parking lot protects both altitudes.

27. Appoint a Rotating Altitude Caller

Assign someone in each meeting to call altitude when the group drifts. This role rotates. The phrase is simple: we are drifting altitude. That interruption resets the conversation.

28. Protect One High Altitude Block Per Week

Schedule one protected block for wonder and discernment work. No interruptions. No urgent requests. This block is where right direction gets defined. Without it, leaders spend all week in low altitude reaction.

29. Document Decisions with Altitude Labels

Every decision should be tagged: H, M, or L. High altitude decisions become principles and constraints. Mid altitude decisions become plans and owners. Low altitude decisions become tasks and timelines. This prevents relitigating.

30. Assign Tenacity Owners to Every Initiative

Before any idea moves from discernment to galvanizing, assign a tenacity owner. This person is responsible for crossing the finish line. Without explicit ownership, initiatives die in the mid altitude translation layer.

Altitude and Team Dynamics

31. The Team Map Reveals Genius Gaps at Each Stage

A team map shows which working geniuses are present as genius, competency, or frustration. All six geniuses are required to get successful work done. The diagnostic question is: which genius is missing, and at which stage of work does that gap hurt most?

32. Missing Wonder Means Failing to Identify Opportunities

When Wonder is missing from a team, the group spends most of its energy on getting things done and rarely stops to discuss what is happening in the environment. They often fail to identify serious problems or take advantage of major opportunities. This happens at 30,000 feet in the Ideation stage.

33. Missing Discernment Means Surprised by Failures

When Discernment is missing, teams fail to evaluate, identify, and dismiss bad ideas before they get implemented. They do not spend enough time refining good ideas to make them better. This happens at 20,000 feet in the Activation stage.

34. Missing Galvanizing Means Failing to Inspire

When Galvanizing is missing, teams fail to get rallied and focused around their best ideas or endeavours. Good ideas generated at higher altitudes die without the momentum Galvanizing provides at 15,000 feet.

35. Missing Tenacity Means Projects Do Not Finish

When Tenacity is missing, teams fail to complete projects. They move on to the next thing before seeing the initiative all the way through. This happens at ground level in the Implementation stage, where the rubber meets the road.

Altitude and Leadership

36. Leaders Have at Least 2x Impact on Their Teams

According to the Working Genius framework, leaders have at least a 2x impact on their teams. It is especially critical for leaders to know their genius and how it impacts meetings. This enables them to regulate well during meetings and tap into the appropriate geniuses of others at the right altitude.

37. Leaders Must Learn to Regulate Their Genius

We tend to make every meeting, conversation, and interaction conform to our geniuses. This can disrupt meetings and productive work environments. Leaders need to understand when and how to regulate their geniuses by considering where the team is in the three stages of work.

38. The Best Leaders Are Self-Aware Leaders

The best leaders know their gaps and the areas in which they are not naturally gifted. As a result, they surround themselves with people who can fill those gaps at every altitude. They are effective at tapping into those geniuses at the right time in the workflow.

39. Leaders Must Tap Into Others' Geniuses to Fill Gaps

Tapping into others requires knowing which geniuses are on the team, what stage of work they are in, and which geniuses are called for at that altitude. Then leaders can invite those geniuses to contribute rather than trying to perform every stage of work themselves.

40. Leaders Show Appreciation for All Altitudes

We can sometimes overvalue people who share our same genius. But all six geniuses are required to get successful work done. The Working Genius model elevates every genius at every altitude and helps leaders recognise and celebrate staff members for their unique contributions to the common goal.

Altitude for Individuals and Solopreneurs

41. Understand Your Genius, Competency, and Frustration

Every person has two Working Geniuses, two Working Competencies, and two Working Frustrations. Your geniuses indicate your natural ability and what brings you greater joy and fulfillment. Your competencies indicate what you can do well but are not fulfilled by. Your frustrations indicate what you dislike doing, even if you have learned to be capable at it.

42. Working in Your Genius Does Not Feel Like Work

We should be doing a good portion of our work where we can hold onto our energy for a long time. Working in our geniuses does not feel like work at all. This is a good thing for both the individual and the organisation because it means natural talents are being leveraged.

43. Frustration Work Drains Energy Even When Done Well

Working Frustration indicates what you dislike doing and find draining, even if you have learned to be capable at it. Spending too much time in frustration work leads to burnout regardless of the altitude at which it occurs. The right time to engage frustration work is in short bursts with recovery.

44. Calendar Audit Reveals Your Current Role Alignment

Tag your calendar by stage of work for one week. Where are you spending time in Ideation, Activation, or Implementation? Most leaders discover they are living in stages that do not match their geniuses. Now that you know your geniuses, what is one thing you could do differently?

45. Use Altitude to Diagnose Personal Burnout

Ask yourself: How do my geniuses play out in my work? Do I see where my frustrations show up? How well do my geniuses align with my current role? How much of my work life is spent leveraging competencies instead of geniuses? These questions reveal whether altitude alignment is the root cause of fatigue.

Altitude in Schools and Nonprofit Organisations

46. Schools Face Unique Altitude Constraints

Principals and school leaders often suffer altitude starvation. A lot of low altitude reactive work fills the day: student behaviour, parent communications, compliance, and specific tasks. High altitude Wonder work at 30,000 feet is still essential but rarely protected. This creates a pattern where the same problems recur.

47. Create a Mid Altitude Translator Layer

In schools and nonprofit organisations, build capacity through capable admin and middle leaders who handle Activation stage translation. Do not allow every operational issue to become a leadership team agenda item. Project management at mid altitude frees leaders for Ideation work.

48. Family Members and Family Vacation Planning Reveal Genius

The Working Genius model applies beyond work. Family members planning a family vacation will reveal genius patterns. One person wonders about possibilities. Another invents options. Another discerns the best way. Another galvanizes everyone to commit. Another enables logistics. Another ensures tickets are booked. Same model, different context.

Avoiding Altitude Misuse

49. Altitude Is Not an Excuse to Avoid Accountability

Using altitude to avoid accountability is misuse. Saying I am Tenacity frustration so I do not finish things is nonsense. The model describes contribution patterns that reduce guilt and judgment. It does not give permission to abdicate responsibility for an important decision or specific tasks.

50. Altitude Reduces Guilt and Judgment When Used Well

Many people attribute their failures and struggles to having a bad attitude, not being smart enough, or making bad decisions. When people realise they have certain areas of genius and other areas of frustration, they can attribute their struggles to the lack of alignment between their geniuses and roles. This reduces guilt. Similarly, understanding colleagues' Working Geniuses reduces unfair judgment about performance and behaviour.

Bringing Altitude Thinking to Your Team

The altitude lens transforms the Working Genius model from personality assessments into practical tools for redesigning how work flows through your organisation. It explains why good ideas die, why meetings feel pointless, why projects stall, and why talented people burn out. Each genius has a natural home in the workflow, and understanding altitude helps teams engage the right geniuses at the right time.

The Working Genius framework is different from other personality assessments because it is a productivity framework first. Patrick Lencioni, founder of the Table Group and best-selling author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, designed it to help teams get more done in less time with greater joy. The altitude concept takes this further by mapping each genius to a specific elevation in the workflow.

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Coach who delivers keynotes and facilitates Working Genius workshops for leadership teams worldwide. His approach includes team map analysis, meeting redesign using the altitude framework, and practical tools that create lasting change in how teams move from Ideation through Activation to Implementation.

Whether you need help with employee engagement, understanding team dynamics, or building a group session that delivers new ideas for your team, Jonno White can help. He works with schools, corporates, and nonprofit organisations globally. His facilitation of Working Genius at the ASBA 2025 National Conference achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating.

To book Jonno White for a Working Genius session, keynote, executive team offsite, or workshop, email jonno@consultclarity.org. Whether you want Jonno to work with your team virtually or face to face, international travel is often far more affordable than clients expect.

For leaders dealing with team conflict or difficult conversations that emerge when geniuses clash, Jonno White's bestselling book Step Up or Step Out provides a three-stage framework for resolution. Get the book at https://www.amazon.com.au/Step-Up-Out-Difficult-Conflict/dp/B097X7B5LD.

Jonno White also facilitates DISC workshops and StrengthsFinder sessions that complement Working Genius for teams wanting deeper insight into personal strengths and natural strengths. His keynote titles include Building a High-Performing Team and Fuel or Drain: Finding the Energy Drivers That Propel You and Your Team.

Beyond speaking and facilitation, Jonno White is an experienced MC who has hosted over 230 episodes of The Leadership Conversations Podcast. His skill in asking impactful questions translates to moderating panels and keeping audiences engaged. Contact jonno@consultclarity.org to discuss MC services for your next event.

Patrick Lencioni created the Working Genius model as a powerful framework for productive work environments. The altitude concept is how practitioners make it operational, helping teams understand which geniuses are needed at each stage of work and why some new product launches succeed while others stall. If you are ready to move beyond labels and redesign how work actually moves through your team, Jonno White can help.

Reach out to jonno@consultclarity.org to explore working together.