You want someone who can walk into a room, read the team dynamics quickly, and turn confusion into clarity and action. That is the lane I live in.

I am a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, keynote speaker, leadership coach, and a bit of a Working Genius tragic. I work with CEOs, executive teams, school principals, business owners, boards, churches, higher education institutions, and even student leaders in Grade 6, Grade 10, and Years 11 and 12 who are just starting to explore their own leadership style and natural talents.

My ASBA masterclass at their National Conference on the working genius model was one of the highest rated sessions of the conference, with 93.75 percent of delegates reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied. That does not happen because of clever slides. It happens because leaders get simple language, practical applications, and clear next steps they can use in team meetings the very next day.

If you want someone who brings warmth, humour, and a simple framework that actually changes how your immediate team works together, I would love to help.

Download Jonno’s Information Pack

What Makes the Working Genius Model So Powerful

The New Model Changing Team Productivity Globally

The Working Genius model is Patrick Lencioni’s newest teamwork model for getting stuff done without burning people out. Think of it as a productivity tool that finally explains why some types of work light you up and other types of tasks quietly crush your soul.

Created by Pat Lencioni and Patrick Lencioni’s firm, The Table Group, this new model describes six types of work that show up in every project, from a school strategic plan to a board’s special projects to a small team in a higher education institution rolling out a new program. These six types are built around natural ability, not just personality traits.

Unlike a traditional personality test, the Working Genius assessment is about 20 percent personality and 80 percent productivity. It helps you see where your natural talents sit across the six types so you can stop guessing and start generating solutions in a way that feels natural instead of forced.

A simple way to start is this: list the kind of work you love and the kind of work you avoid. Then compare that to your Working Genius report and ask, “Where can I swap tasks or change responsibilities so I spend more time in my working geniuses and less time in my working frustrations?” Even small concrete adjustments like this can lift job satisfaction and team productivity.

Why It Works in Every Team Environment

Every team moves through various stages of work. Ideas, decisions, people, details, finish line. The working genius model gives you language for those stages and shows who on your team naturally thrives where. That is why it works across any team environment, from corporate leadership teams to staff in a school, to a volunteer church team or a small business owners group.

When people operate in their areas of genius, team morale improves, employee engagement rises, and the whole team environment feels different. Research consistently shows that happier workers are more productive, with some studies suggesting a 12 to 13 percent lift when people feel happy and engaged at work. Staff Connect

You can use this with your immediate team, your home environment, or even with student leaders. For example, I often help principals use Working Genius with Year 11 and 12 student leaders who run events. Once they know each person’s type of work genius, they can put the right people on planning, the right people on rallying volunteers, and the right people on follow through. Less stress, more successful work.

The model fits neatly into regular meetings, retreats, team offsites, and even meta AI articles and resources you are already reading about productivity and better collaboration. It is one of the simplest ways I know to turn theory into efficient teamwork.

Meet Jonno White: Certified Working Genius Facilitator (Australia)

Who Jonno Works With (Boards, Exec Teams, Schools, Business Owners)

I spend my time with executive teams, boards, business owners, school leadership, student leaders, churches, and not for profits that want more cohesive teams and a more collaborative work environment. Some days that looks like a whole staff PD day. Other days it is a leadership retreat, a working genius workshop for student leaders, or a series of leadership development sessions for a senior team.

I also work a lot with schools, including Grade 6 students dipping their toes into leadership, Grade 10 students preparing for senior school, and Year 11 and 12 student leaders who are balancing real responsibility with big questions about the future. When they see their individual strengths through the lens of the six types, they start to lead in a more grounded, confident way.

Outside the room, my Leadership Conversations podcast has listeners in more than 150 countries, and I have interviewed global thinkers like Guy Kawasaki. All of that flows back into my facilitation. I bring stories, patterns, and years of experience into each session, whether that is in Brisbane or with a board somewhere else in the world.

Why Jonno’s Facilitation Produces Success

Leaders have called my sessions “dynamic and real,” “culture shifting,” and “instrumental in us growing individually and as a team.” One ASBA delegate even ranked my masterclass alongside Olympian Kieren Perkins as their conference highlight. That is very kind, and also slightly terrifying if you are not a swimmer.

This is not about me being magic. It is about using the working genius model well. In a typical room we quickly see who carries the genius of wonder, who brings the genius of invention with novel ideas, who has the genius of discernment to test the workability of ideas, who shows the natural gift of rallying others, who offers the genius of enablement at the right moment, and who has the genius of tenacity, that natural gift of pushing projects to the finish line.

When a team map makes all this visible, people stop making inaccurate judgments like “she is negative” or “he is lazy” and instead see the impact of their geniuses on the whole system. Then we can make strategic adjustments to how work is shared so successful work feels more sustainable.

The Six Types of Working Genius Explained

A Simple Framework for Understanding the Six Types

Genius of Wonder

The genius of wonder is the part of you that looks at a given situation and quietly asks, “Is there a better way?” It notices gaps and possibilities. You can nurture this by giving space in team meetings or student leadership gatherings for open questions before you jump into solutions.

Genius of Invention

The genius of invention loves generating solutions and playing with new ideas. People with this genius enjoy designing systems, brainstorming creative options, and offering a good idea when the team is stuck. Let them pitch first before everyone starts editing. It keeps their energy high and gives the team more to work with.

Genius of Discernment

The genius of discernment is the internal radar that senses the workability of ideas. These people can hear an idea and get a feel for whether it fits this team, this time, this context. Invite them in early to react, not just later to criticise. It can save you months of pain and performance gaps.

Genius of Galvanizing

The galvanizing genius is the natural gift of rallying people. These are the ones who say, “Right, let’s go,” and somehow the whole room starts moving. Give them key moments in projects or school events where you actually ask them to pump up the energy and call people to action.

Genius of Enablement

The genius of enablement is the quiet power behind every great execution. People with this genius know how to help, when to help, and what kind of support will actually move things forward. They are often overlooked, but without them there is no practical progress. Call out this genius in your immediate team so it is respected, not taken for granted.

Genius of Tenacity

The genius of tenacity has the natural gift of pushing projects across the finish line. These people care about quality, deadlines, and impact. They can look at a long list of type of tasks and calmly say, “We will finish this.” Support them by defining clearly what “done” means and celebrating when they get the team there.

Why Understanding Your Areas of Genius Matters

When people see their working geniuses, competencies, and frustrations on paper, a lot of things suddenly make sense. That knot in your stomach in certain projects. The sense of guilt when others seem to find something easy that you secretly find exhausting. The quiet resentment when you always get given the kind of work that drains you.

By mapping areas of genius and working frustrations across the team, we can align the right type of work to the right team members. This reduces performance gaps, builds more cohesive teams, and gives everyone a shared language for what is really going on.

You can start simply. Run the Working Genius assessment, draw up your team map, and ask, “Where are we overloaded in one genius and missing another?” Then make one or two concrete adjustments to who owns what. That is effective collaboration in action.

What a Working Genius Workshop With Jonno Looks Like

Step-By-Step: The Primary Goal of the Working Genius Virtual Workshop

Whether I am with you in person or online, the primary goal of the working genius virtual workshop is simple. Increase team productivity, strengthen team morale, and create a healthier team environment where people actually enjoy the kind of work they do most days.

We use a team-mapping exercise to visualise where individual strengths sit across the six types. Then we look at practical applications. Where are you double stacked in invention but light on tenacity. Where is enablement missing in your student leadership team. Where are committees or special projects stuck because the right people are not in the room.

From there we identify concrete adjustments that will make your life easier. This might sound small, but when roles, expectations, and type of work are reshaped around working geniuses, teams get more done in less time and with a lot less drama.

Jonno’s Proven Four-Part Facilitation Process

Step 1: Working Genius Assessment

Everyone completes the working genius assessment. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes and surfaces each person’s areas of genius, competencies, and frustrations.

Step 2: Individual Debriefs

We walk through what it means for each person. I have done this with CEOs, pastors, deans in a higher education institution, and Grade 10 students. The lightbulb moments are the same. People finally have words for why certain things feel energising or exhausting.

Step 3: Team Map + Team Sessions

We bring all those results into a team map and look at the whole picture. This is where it gets fun. You can literally see why certain projects stalled and why others flew. We talk about team dynamics, leadership style, and how to create more efficient teamwork, not just busier calendars.

Step 4: Strategic Adjustments + Next Steps

We finish by agreeing on strategic adjustments and clear next steps. That might include changing who leads what, shifting some type of tasks, reshaping team meetings, or planning a follow up working genius workshop focused on leadership development.

You can re-use this four step rhythm every quarter to keep your team aligned and your collaborative work environment healthy.

Why This Is the Simplest Way to Build Efficient Teamwork

Working Genius is one of the simplest ways I know to make better use of the people you already have. Instead of hiring more, you first see whether the right team members are doing the kind of work that fits their natural talents.

Team leaders often tell me, “We thought we had a people problem. Actually we had a work design problem.” Once they match the right people to the right tasks, good ideas move faster, team meetings feel more focused, and everyone has a clearer sense of what success looks like.

If you want a manageable starting point, pick one project and intentionally assign roles based on your team map. Watch what happens to speed, ownership, and mood.

Team Map Walkthrough: Seeing the Impact of Your Geniuses

How Jonno Helps Teams See Their Gaps in Minutes

A team map is a visual snapshot of the fundamental activities of work and how your team covers them. We put each person’s working geniuses on the map so you can see, at a glance, who naturally carries which stage.

I have done this with business owners, executive teams, churches, higher education institution staff, and school leadership teams. The reaction is often the same. “No wonder we keep dropping the ball here” or “That explains why that committee always feels heavy.” The impact of their geniuses and their gaps becomes obvious.

Practically, you can start by gathering everyone’s results and literally contact uploading them into whatever tool you like, from a slide to a mural board. Then, as you plan projects, ask, “Have we included at least one genius of wonder, one genius of invention, one genius of discernment, and enough enablement and tenacity to finish well?”

Why Teams Across Australia Choose Jonno

What Leaders Say (Testimonials Section)

Leaders have described my sessions as “dynamic and real,” “engaging, thought provoking and culture shifting,” “instrumental in us growing individually and as a team,” and “one of the highest rated masterclasses of the conference.” Those words mean a lot, not because they flatter me, but because they tell me the model is working.

I have seen boards rediscover hope, school staff rooms relax, and student leadership teams suddenly click when they see how different types of work belong to different people. You can explore whether this would serve your immediate team with a simple discovery call. No pressure, just curiosity.

Backed by Years of Experience & Global Reach

Over the years I have facilitated leadership development and Working Genius sessions for thousands of people. More than 5,000 leaders have come through my roundtables and workshops. More than 10,000 leaders globally have bought my book on dealing with difficult people, and my podcast has more than 240 interviews with leaders across sectors with listeners in 150+ countries.

All of that sits behind the way I design a working genius workshop, whether it is for a board, a senior leadership team, or student leaders learning how to run events instead of watching teachers do it all. You get a mix of global insight and local, very practical application.

Practical Applications: Where Working Genius Fits in Your Organisation

Leadership Development + Strategic Planning

Working Genius is brilliant for leadership development. Once leaders know their areas of genius and frustration, they can set boundaries, delegate better, and shape strategic plans that use the full team, not just the loudest voices.

In planning, you can ask simple questions. “Who brings wonder and invention into this conversation?” “Who can discern which ideas fit our context?” “Who will galvanize others and who will carry enablement and tenacity until the finish line?”

Team Meetings, Workflows, and Regular Meetings

Most teams are stuck in regular meetings that try to do all six types of work at once. That is exhausting. Instead, you can design meetings around specific geniuses. One meeting for ideation, another for decision making, another for implementation check ins.

Schools can use this with staff meetings and student leadership councils. Businesses can use it to design workflows that keep work moving without burning out the same two people.

Hiring Decisions and Role Alignment

Because Working Genius highlights individual strengths, you can use it in hiring and role alignment. It helps you avoid inaccurate judgments based only on interview performance and instead ask, “Does this role actually match the kind of work this person loves to do?”

You can also use it with existing staff or student leaders to realign roles. A small change in who leads what can make a big difference in energy and job satisfaction.

Culture Building and Reducing the Dysfunctions of a Team

Patrick Lencioni’s book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” talks about trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. The working genius model supports all five by giving a common language for how people work. When you know each other’s geniuses and frustrations, you can have more honest conversations without slipping into blame.

Use it during culture days, retreats, or student leadership intensives to talk about how you work together, not just what you are trying to do. Over time this helps heal old friction and creates more honest, courageous, and supportive teams.

How Jonno Uses the Working Genius Model to Transform Teams

From Disconnected Teams to High-Trust Cultures

I often walk into teams that feel tired. They have had too many meetings, too many false starts, and too many unspoken frustrations. No one woke up hoping for that. It just crept in.

The working genius model gives us a simple framework to reset. We put the data on the wall, talk about what is really happening, and invite people to own both their strengths and their limitations. It is amazing how quickly a collaborative work environment can grow when people feel seen and understood.

Real Examples of Strategic Adjustments

I've seen strategic adjustments based on real data, not just gut feel. You can do the same. Start with your team map, name one clear misalignment of type of work and genius, and adjust it. Watch what happens over the next 90 days.

Who Working Genius Is Perfect For

Executive Teams

Executive teams use Working Genius to make faster decisions, run better meetings, and share leadership more wisely. It helps them see where the table group team at the top of the organisation is strong and where they need to borrow genius from elsewhere.

Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Business owners get clarity on where they should personally focus and which parts of the business they need to hand off. If you are a founder who loves invention and galvanizing, you may need enablement and tenacity around you to avoid burnout.

Higher Education Institutions

In a higher education institution, the model can support leadership teams, student affairs groups, and even academic project teams. It gives a shared language across departments for how to tackle new initiatives and special projects.

Churches and Not-for-Profits

Churches and not for profits often rely heavily on volunteers, which makes alignment even more important. Working Genius helps match people to roles where their natural talents and passion can actually serve others instead of draining them.

Boards + Leadership Retreats

Boards and governance groups can use the model to understand how they approach decisions and oversight. Leadership retreats become far richer when people can see both their own wiring and the mix in the room.

Your Next Steps: Bring Jonno White to Your Team

Book Your Working Genius Workshop (Face to Face or Virtual)

If you are reading this and thinking, “This might actually help my team,” that is your cue. Whether you lead a school, a business, a church, a higher education institution, or a small immediate team, we can design a working genius workshop that fits your context.

We can run it face to face or virtual. We can focus on your senior team, your whole staff, your student leaders, or a mix. My role as one of the genius facilitators is to listen carefully, tailor the process, and then guide you through it in a way that feels human, practical, and hopeful.

Book Jonno White for Your Working Genius Workshop

Email: [email protected]

You can also download my Information Pack again as a simple starting point.

Closing Section

If You Want Better Collaboration, Higher Productivity, and Teams Who Love Their Work, Start Here

You do not need another complex framework that sits in a folder. You need a simple framework that people remember on Monday morning and can use in real conversations, real projects, and real decisions. That is what the working genius model is designed to do.

If you want better collaboration, higher team productivity, healthier team dynamics, and teams who actually enjoy the kind of work they do, I would love to partner with you. Whether you are leading senior executives or Grade 6 student leaders, there is a better way to tap into the natural ability and natural talents already in your world.

Ready to explore what the six types of Working Genius could unlock for your team, school, or organisation, without adding more noise to your life?

Start the conversation today: [email protected]