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“You’re trusted to carry the work, but not invited into direction-setting.”

Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever felt like your value on a team is defined only by how well you get things done—but not how well you think, create, or lead—you’ve likely experienced a form of workplace invisibility.

At Russo Leadership, we’ve seen this pattern show up across industries, teams, and levels. And one of the most powerful tools we’ve found for diagnosing and addressing this issue is the Working Genius model.

Let’s explore this challenge through the Working Genius lens, and what it reveals about your team’s health, trust, and long-term effectiveness.

When “Getting Things Done” Becomes a Trap

In Working Genius terms, the final stage of work—Implementation—is powered by the geniuses of Enablement (E) and Tenacity (T). These are the people who:

• Support and rally to help others get things done (Enablement),
• Push projects to the finish line with excellence and accountability (Tenacity).

These are the doers. The glue. The closers.

But here's the problem: When team members with these gifts are only invited in after all the strategy has been decided—after the direction has been set—they're reduced to task robots. They’re executing… but invisible. Trusted to carry, but not to shape.

That’s a problem—for them and for the team.

The Invisibility Spiral

Here’s how this dynamic often plays out:

1. A team overvalues the early-stage “thinking” geniuses (Wonder, Invention, Discernment).
2. They default to pulling in the “doers” only when it’s time to implement.
3. The doers get typecast: reliable, steady… and left out.
4. Over time, they stop speaking up. Why would they, if no one’s listening?

And invisibility sets in—not because they’re quiet, but because the system has silenced them.

Here’s What Gets Missed

This approach doesn’t just crush morale. It costs the team:

• The on-the-ground insight of people who know how things actually get done.
• The questions and feedback loops that come from geniuses like Enablement and Tenacity.
• The early buy-in that makes change stick.

Let’s be clear: Execution doesn’t mean mindless compliance. In healthy teams, the doers help shape what gets done, why it matters, and how to bring it to life.

What Crushed Looks Like (and Feels Like)

According to Working Genius research:

• Enablement craves appreciation but is crushed by being overlooked.
• Tenacity craves clarity but is crushed by ambiguity or sudden shifts.

Invisibility means these team members get:

• No seat at the table when decisions are made
• No voice when priorities shift
• No acknowledgment when their work made the idea real

They may still deliver—because that’s who they are—but with every cycle, their engagement fades.

How Leaders Can Fix It

If you're a leader, here’s how to break the “execution without voice” cycle:

1. Audit how early each Genius is brought into the work. Are your implementers at the table for ideation? Activation? Or only clean-up?
2. Invite them to weigh in. Ask: “What would make this idea easier or harder to execute?” “What do we need to anticipate?”
3. Value all six types of Genius equally. Vision without implementation is fantasy. Implementation without vision is burnout.
4. Use your team’s Working Genius profiles as a map—not a box. People want to be seen for more than just what they do well. See their Genius. Use it.

Final Thought: Visibility Is Not Just About Recognition

It’s about dignity. It’s about belonging. And it’s about building a team where every voice shapes the outcome.

If you or someone on your team is stuck in “execution without voice,” don’t assume they’re quiet. Assume they’ve been trained not to speak.

Then go make it safe—and strategic—for them to start again.

Want help using the Working Genius model to build stronger, more inclusive teams?‍

Let’s connect. At Russo Leadership, we help leaders turn insight into action and frustration into momentum.

Learn more about The 6 Types of Working Genius

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