When Your Leadership Team Feels Like a Yoga Studio (And it aint doing anything for your growth)
The elevator doors opened on the 17th floor, and I stepped into what I can only describe as corporate nirvana. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed a stunning panorama—the city’s glittering high-rises, the snaking river with its elegant bridges, and in the hazy distance, the industrial ballet of the bustling port. It was the kind of view that real estate agents write sonnets about.
But here’s what struck me harder than the vista: the ……silence.
Not the productive hum of focused work as you would imagine. Not the buzz of creative friction. Just… silence. No animated phone calls. No heated debates over coffee. No laughter echoing from the break room. It felt less like a financial services firm and more like I’d accidentally walked into a mindfulness retreat. Any second now, someone would offer me herbal tea and ask me to remove my shoes.
The senior leadership team that greeted me matched the vibe perfectly—warm, friendly, and radiating the kind of serene energy that makes you wonder if they’ve all just returned from a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. Handshakes were firm but unhurried. Smiles were genuine but measured. Everything was.….very calm.
Then, exactly four minutes late, the boardroom door burst open.
And in flies: The Outlier.
A bright, contagious smile. An enthusiastic greeting that actually had bundles of energy behind it. A galvanising presence that seemed to physically shift the air in the room. He launched into a vivid, slightly chaotic account of that morning’s school run tribulations—something about a lost shoe, a breakfast bar eaten in the car, and a near-miss with a cyclist. The other leaders chuckled politely, but I could see it: he’d just injected 10,000 volts into a room running on 9-volt batteries.
I smiled inside and through: “Takes one to know one.”
The Problem They Couldn’t Name
Over espresso (beautifully brewed, naturally), the team laid out their challenge with the kind of measured precision you’d expect from people who’ve made peace with their Excel spreadsheets.
“We’re not innovating,” the CEO said, his tone suggesting he was commenting on the weather rather than an existential business problem.
“Our partnerships are steady. Business is… steady. Growth is incremental,” another leader added, as if ‘steady’ and ‘incremental’ weren’t euphemisms for ‘we’re being slowly boiled like frogs.’
No disruptive ideas. No exponential expansion. Nothing that would rock the boat—or even make a ripple. The entire organization existed in a state of productive stasis. And while you might be forgiven for thinking that a financial services boutique consultancy “should” be boring (fiduciary and governance responsibility and all that), we’re living in an era where AI is about to make financial services either very sexy or very extinct.
They knew something was wrong. They just couldn’t quite put their finger on what.
Then I looked at their Working Genius team map.
And it all started to make sense….
The Numbers Don’t Lie – They Do Explain Things
Here’s what the data revealed, and trust me, it was more telling than a confessional:
80% of the senior leadership team had their geniuses in the Implementation phase of work.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Only ONE senior leader—you guessed it, Mr. School Run Chaos himself—scored as an Inventor and Galvanizer. Every single other leader had Wonder and Invention in their “frustration zone”. Not competency. Not “we can do this if we really try.” Actual, draining, soul-sucking frustration.
The workforce mirrored this pattern, with 70% also parked firmly in the execution phase.
Now, before we dive into what this means for this particular team, let me give you a crash course in Working Genius for those playing along at home.
The Three Stages of Work (Or: How Anything Actually Gets Done)
IDEATION PHASE: (30,000-25,000 feet “work” altitude)
- Wonder: The genius loves to ask, “Is there a better way? What are we missing? Why are we doing what we do…?”
- Invention: The genius of idea-making that responds, “I have an idea! What if we tried this?”
ACTIVATION PHASE: (20,000-15,000 feet “work” altitude)
- Discernment: The genius of evaluation, “Will this actually work? How do we refine this? We should adjust ist slightly to work better”
- Galvanizing: The chief rallying the people officer, “Let’s do this! This is how the future cold look like if we do this! Who’s with me?”
IMPLEMENTATION PHASE: (10,000 feet to ground level “work” altitude)
- Enablement: The genius that supports people where they are, “How can I help make this happen? How can I help the team?”
- Tenacity: The genius that loves to finish stuff at high quality, “We’re crossing the finish line, people, let’s get this done!”
Every person has two geniuses (where they thrive), two competencies (where they’re capable but in the long run, not overly energised), and two frustrations (where they drain like a phone running 47 apps).
What This Meant for “Team Yoga Studio”
Let’s translate their genius profile into plain English:
Wonder and Invention were clearly the team’s frustrations.
This means the leadership team spent virtually “zero” time in the ideation phase. They weren’t asking the right questions because asking questions felt like pulling teeth. They weren’t generating innovative solutions because ideation sessions felt like mandatory root canals.
When you miss Wonder and Invention, you don’t just lack innovation—you lack a genuine appetite for it. You stop scanning the horizon. You stop questioning the status quo. You keep doing what you’ve always done because, well, it’s working fine. Isn’t it?
Discernment and Galvanizing were scattered between competency and frustration.
This is the activation phase of any work—where ideas get refined, decision are made and rallied around. Two leaders had Discernment in their competency zone, one had it as a genius. So they could evaluate ideas. But Galvanising? The ability to rally people around a vision and disrupt their comfortable routines? That lived almost exclusively with Mr. School Run.
Even when good ideas surfaced (rarely), they got stuck in analysis paralysis. And even when they were refined, nobody could muster the energy to champion them with any real conviction.
Enablement and Tenacity dominated.
Here’s where the team shined. 80% of the organization had geniuses in the implementation phase. These people were phenomenal at executing. They delivered faithfully to customers. They supported each other beautifully. They finished what they started with the kind of reliability that would make Swiss watchmakers weep with joy.
But here’s the thing about Enablement and Tenacity as dominant geniuses: They’re “responsive”, not “disruptive*”. They react to what’s already been decided. They implement what’s already been activated. They’re the ground crew, not the air traffic controllers deciding where the planes should go.
An organisation dominated by Implementation geniuses will keep the engine running smoothly, hitting targets, and making customers happy. What it won’t do is ask whether you’re flying to the right destination. Or whether you should be flying at all. Or whether there’s a faster aircraft you haven’t considered.
The Altitude Problem
The Working Genius model uses altitude as a metaphor, and with this team, it was painfully accurate.
Wonder operates at 30,000 feet—head in the clouds, pondering possibilities. Invention comes in at 25,000 feet—still high, but generating solutions. By the time you hit Implementation at 5,000 feet to ground level, you’re in execution mode.
This team was flying at 8,000 feet. Maximum.
They couldn’t see the horizon. They couldn’t spot the storm systems forming in their industry. They couldn’t imagine routes they’d never flown before. They had the best pilots in the world for landing the plane—but nobody in the cockpit willing to consider whether they should change course.
The one leader who could operate at altitude? He was quite exhausted. Trying to convince a room full of Implementation geniuses to get excited about blue-sky thinking is like trying to convince cats to enjoy swimming lessons.
The Blindspot That’s Hiding in Plain Sight
Here’s what’s insidious about genius imbalances: They feel “normal”.
This team didn’t think they had a problem with innovation. They thought they were “careful” and “measured.” They didn’t realize they were avoiding ideation—they thought they were being “practical.” The calm office environment didn’t feel like stagnation to them; it felt like professionalism.
Meanwhile, the one Inventor-Galvanizer was probably labeled “the chaotic one” or “not detail-oriented” or my personal favorite, “doesn’t respect the process.” His natural operating altitude was seen as a character flaw rather than an additional gift or capability.
This is how blind spots work. When 80% of your leadership team shares the same frustrations, those frustrations become “culture”. They become “how we do things here.” They become invisible.
And here’s the part that should terrify every senior leader reading this: “Your team will unconsciously hire people who look like you.”
Implementation geniuses hire other Implementation geniuses because those are the people who “get it,” who “fit the culture,” who “work the way we work.” Before you know it, you’ve built an organization that’s exquisitely designed to execute yesterday’s strategy with extraordinary efficiency.
The Misuse Tax
But wait—there’s more! (And by more, I mean more ways this goes pear-shaped.)
When you’re missing a genius on your team, you don’t just lack that capability. You “misuse” the geniuses you do have.
Missing Wonder meant:
- They failed to identify opportunities and problems until they became crises
- They lacked curiosity about unmet market needs
- They didn’t scan the competitive environment instinctively
- They were always reactive, never quite proactive
Misusing Invention meant:
- When forced to innovate, they’d jump to implementing inadequate solutions
- They’d get stuck in status quo thinking
- They’d lack the mental flexibility to generate novel approaches
- That one Inventor would bring ideas that got dismissed as “too risky” or “not really practical”
Misusing Discernment meant:
- They were overly reliant on data when gut instinct was needed
- They’d get stuck in analysis paralysis
- They couldn’t distinguish between good ideas that needed refinement and bad ideas that needed burial
Misusing Galvanizing meant:
- They failed to build momentum around good ideas
- Even when they had a strategy, nobody could rally the troops
- That one Galvaniser was burning out trying to inspire a room that didn’t really want inspiration
Overusing Enablement meant:
- They’d say yes to too many projects
- They prioritised harmony over outcomes
- They kept people appeased instead of focused on objectives
Overusing Tenacity meant:
- They’d rush to execution before ideas were fully baked
- They’d complete projects that should have been killed
- They’d emphasize finishing over questioning whether they should finish
See the pattern? Missing geniuses creates a cascade of dysfunction. It’s not just about what you can’t do—it’s about how the imbalance corrupts everything else.
The Solution (Or: How to Add Voltage to Your Yoga Studio)
So what did I tell this team? Here’s the candidly honest playbook:
1. Stop Pretending Competency Equals Genius
Two leaders had Wonder in their competency zone. My advice? Use it very intentionally. Not “when you feel like it” or “if it comes up naturally,” but structurally.
I recommended they back this up with a Wonderer from outside the SLT—someone in the organization who could ask uncomfortable questions without the political baggage. Give people with Wonder genius some context, point them at a problem, and get out of their way. They’ll return with questions you didn’t know you needed to ask.
2. Protect Your Lone Inventor (And Actually Listen)
One Inventor in a small SLT is enough—but only if you don’t exhaust them. For everyone else with Invention as a frustration: “Sit on your hands during ideation.”
This is hard. When you’re frustrated by ideation, your instinct is to shut it down fast, speed it up, or redirect to “practical matters.” Resist. Your job is to create space, not fill it.
And for the love of all that’s holy, when your Inventor speaks, “stop immediately evaluating”. Let them finish the thought. Write it on the whiteboard. Thank them. Then—and only then—move to discernment.
3. Weaponize Your Discernment (With Discipline)
Two leaders with Discernment in competency, one with it as genius. This is actually solid for activation—if they use it deliberately.
But here’s where it goes wrong: Discernment without Wonder and Invention just becomes sophisticated justification for the status quo. “We evaluated it, and the current approach is optimal” sounds rigorous but might just be bias confirmation.
The discipline: Force your Discerners to refine new ideas, not defend old ones. Make them sharpen the blade, not police the door.
4. Celebrate Your Implementation Dominance (While Acknowledging Its Limits)
Your 80% Implementation genius coverage is a total superpower—for execution. Own that. You will out-deliver, out-support, and out-finish most of your competitors.
But acknowledge the blindspot: You will keep delivering the same thing without innovation. You’re building a better buggy whip while someone else is inventing the automobile.
Your Implementation geniuses need to understand that their job is to be world-class at bringing other people’s visions to life. Not to resist those visions. Not to immediately critique them. Not to say “we’ve always done it this way.”
Their genius is the finish line. But they don’t necessarily get to choose which race you’re running.
5. Structure Your Meetings by Altitude
This was the game-changer recommendation.
Stop having “general team meetings.” Start having:
Brainstorm Sessions (30,000-25,000 feet)
- Led by your Inventor
- Wonder and Invention only
- Implementation geniuses are “guests”, not drivers
- Goal: Generate possibilities, not solutions
- Output: Questions and rough ideas
Problem Solutions Sessions (30,000-20,000 feet)
- Led by Inventor with Discernment support
- Refine and evaluate concepts
- Implementation geniuses can ask questions but cannot vote
- Goal: Develop workable strategies
- Output: Refined plan with clear decision points
Rally Sessions (15,000-10,000 feet)
- Led by your Galvaniser
- Inspire and push people to execute
- This is where Implementation geniuses fully engage
- Goal: Build momentum and commitment
- Output: Clear ownership and timelines
Tactical Sessions (5,000 feet to ground)
- Led by someone with Discernment (to prioritize)
- Implementation geniuses dominate here
- Goal: Execute flawlessly
- Output: Task completion
By separating meetings by altitude, you honor each genius at the right time. You stop letting implementation energy drag every conversation to ground level.
6. Hire for Your Gaps (Even If It Feels Uncomfortable)
This is the hard – but necessary:
Your next hire cannot be another Enablement-Tenacity genius. I don’t care how “cultural fit” they are. I don’t care how much you like them. You need altitude.
Specifically, you need Wonder and Invention. The truth is that people with those geniuses will probably annoy you. They’ll ask questions that feel tangential. They’ll propose ideas that sound half-baked. They’ll resist your urge to jump to implementation.
Hire them anyway!
And when they start making you uncomfortable with their “impractical” suggestions and their “lack of focus on execution,” remember: That discomfort is the point. That’s what it feels like when someone operates at an altitude you’ve been avoiding.
The Follow-Up (Six Months Later)
I checked in with the team six months after our sessions.
The office still had that stunning view. But something had shifted.
There was noise! Good noise. A debate happening in the break room. Someone laughing—genuinely laughing—on a phone call. A whiteboard in the hallway covered in scribbles and question marks.
The CEO smiled wryly. “It’s been… uncomfortable.”
Translation: They’d done the work.
They’d hired a Wonder-Invention genius (a 28-year-old who’d spent the first month asking questions that made the veterans cringe). They’d restructured their leadership meetings by altitude and phases of work. They’d given Mr. School Run permission to ideate and galvanise without having to justify every idea with an ROI calculation first.
And they’d launched two new service offerings—one of which leveraged AI in a way that made their competitors scramble.
“We’re not as calm as we used to be,” another leader admitted.
No. But they were flying higher. And in today’s market, calm at 8,000 feet is just another word for oblivious.
The Question for You
So here’s what I want you to do right now, senior leader reading this at your desk (or, let’s be honest, on your phone during a meeting that could’ve been an email):
Look around your leadership team.
Where’s your altitude?
If everyone in the room shares the same geniuses, you don’t have a leadership team—you have an echo chamber with business cards. You’re not complementary; you’re clones.
And before you congratulate yourself for being “aligned” or having “great chemistry,” ask yourself: “Are you aligned around excellence, or aligned around comfort?”
Because comfort at the wrong altitude isn’t peaceful. It’s turbulent.
The market doesn’t care how harmonious your team feels. It doesn’t reward calm. It rewards organisations that can ideate at 30,000 feet, activate at 15,000 feet, and execute at ground level with equal excellence.
The question isn’t whether your team can execute. Clearly, you can, or you wouldn’t still be in business.
The question is: “Who’s questioning whether you’re executing the right things?”
If the answer is “nobody,” you don’t need better execution. You need more altitude. More turbulence.
And maybe a little less yoga studio energy wouldn’t hurt either.
Want to understand your team’s genius profile?
Start by taking the Working Genius assessment with your leadership team. The conversation that follows will be more valuable than your last three strategic offsites combined. Trust me—I’ve seen it real-time.
