At The Table with Patrick Lencioni (Patrick Lencioni)

How can we start to address unresolved challenges in our lives that impact people profoundly and sometimes in painful ways? 

In this episode, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson discuss the podcast's return after a six-month break, and a shift in content to include broader societal and cultural issues. Pat also shares his personal journey of self-discovery, focusing on addressing his own wounds and trauma, and explores how this deeply personal work relates to leadership and organizational health.

Topics explored in this episode: 

* (8:04) The Impact of Wounds on Leadership

* How fear can drive leaders. 

* (11:58) The Catalyst for Self-Discovery

* Pat’s realization that running from his issues was more painful than confronting them. 

* The temptation to deny your own wounds. 

* (16:34) The Universality of Wounds

* Everyone has wounds, such as neglect, shame, rejection, and abandonment. 

* Healing is a lifelong process. 

* (21:14) Encouraging Healing

* Addressing wounds sooner rather than later. 

This episode of At The Table with Patrick Lencioni is brought to you by The Table Group. We teach leaders how to make work more effective and less dysfunctional. We also help their employees be more fulfilled and less miserable. 

Subscribe to At The Table on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. 

Follow Pat Lencioni on LinkedIn and YouTube. 

Connect with Cody Thompson on LinkedIn. 

Do you know about our other podcast? You can subscribe to The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. 

Let us know your feedback on this episode via podcast@tablegroup.com.

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

Create your own competitive advantage.  This week, Pat and the team discuss unwritten rules, agility, and courage.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

Pat's book, The Advantage: https://www.tablegroup.com/product/the-advantage/

This week's unpaid ad: https://tinyurl.com/CuttingEdgeFirewood

Everyone's got stuff, and that stuff is a part of who we are.  This week, Pat, Beau and Tracy discuss why it's good to talk about our personal challenges at work, and how to do it safely. 

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Comparison is not only the thief of joy, but the thief of potential.  This week, Pat, Cody and Beau discuss the 10,000 hours rule and the intersection of joy, talent and practice.  

Too many people go through life not knowing when they should leave a job. There are a lot of reasons to keep a job, and a few really good reasons to dust off your resume.

Enough about quiet quitting.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the act of quitting and staying, and why this is neither a new concept nor a good thing for employees or the organizations they serve.  

Many of us are feeling signs of burnout and may be suffering from an addiction to adrenaline.  This week, Pat and Amy talk about the early signs of adrenaline addiction and how to reconnect with the real purpose of work.

Everyone is in sales.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy offer four important pieces of practical advice around selling that anyone can apply to both their work and their life.  

In the pursuit of truth, hard conversations have to happen.  So what are we afraid of?  This week, Pat, Beau and Karen discuss what it means to have courage as a leader.  

Ep. 157 - 'Start With Yourself' Self-Audit Worksheet: https://www.workinggenius.com/resources#additional-resources 

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

This week's episode comes from the Working Genius Podcast where, last week, we debriefed some assessment results live!  Our friends Tom and Rosylyn, who own a local business, sit down with Pat and Cody to discuss how their Geniuses show up in both their marriage and their work.

Being positive all the time isn't necessarily a good thing.  This week, the team talks about the importance of being genuine and the danger of artificial praise.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

To subscribe to the 3-Minute Reset: https://tinyurl.com/3minutereset

Bobby Herrera stops by the podcast to talk about leadership, struggle, and building a world-class culture of "climbers" at his company Populus Group.  

Bobby's book The Gift of Struggle can be found here: https://bobby-herrera.com/books/

Can one bad apple really spoil the whole bunch?  Pat and the team discuss the impact of even one team member who doesn't fit. Consulting corner is back!  Pat answers listeners questions.

For At the Table's 100th episode, Pat and Cody are back with an important reminder.  Go ahead, enter the danger.  

As heard on today's episode:

• Take the Working Genius Assessment at workinggenius.com 
• Become a Certified Working Genius Facilitator at workinggenius.com/certification 

Office politics are destroying your culture.  The team discusses the importance of saying what you mean and doing what you say.  

No matter what position or industry, everyone is in the business of pain relief.  Join Pat and Cody as they discuss the importance of connecting your job to the people you serve.  

Register for Pat's FREE virtual speech on the Six Types of Working Genius here: https://events.tablegroup.com/six-working-genius/?utm_source=podcast

People tend to think of work in two phases, ideation and implementation.  In this special Working Genius crossover episode, we discuss the critical "middle" stage of work - activation.

Pat and Cody design the world's worst job.

Pat and Cody explore why so many companies hire poorly. They present three qualities to look for in an interview that have nothing to do with technical expertise or experience, and they reveal the most dangerous hire that companies should avoid at all costs.

The model referenced in the podcast can be found at: https://www.tablegroup.com/books/ideal-team-player

Pat, Cody and Chris discuss the three biases that prevent leaders from truly embracing organizational health. And they explore how conditioned we are to think that the “smart” side of the equation is more important than “health.”

As a leader, it's tempting to try and make sure everyone in your organization likes you and approves of you.  However, good leaders know that this simply can't happen, and that's okay.  

What does it mean to be an unreasonable leader?  This week, the team talks about the leader's responsibility to set expectations and aim high.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Your organization's strategy should be simple and usable. Chris joins Pat and Cody to demystify "strategy".  They share examples of companies who get it right and provide a framework for developing three strategic filters that should provide the context for all decision-making.

Conflict and discomfort is necessary on a healthy team, but when exactly is it better to be deferential to the leader?  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the humanity of managers and the importance of humility in managing others.  

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

To order Jon Gordon's Newest Book, The One Truth: https://jongordon.com/book/the-one-truth/

Pat's newest movie recommendation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443536/

It's never been easier to get away with doing less.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss why we need to avoid falling into the trap of mediocrity.  

Little things change culture.  This week, Pat, Tracy, Beau and Matt talk about the popsicle hotline, a jar of jellybeans, and the DMV.  

Not that 'F' word.  This week, Pat, Beau and Tracy discuss the meaning of the word 'fun' at work.  

Despite how a 'never-ending meeting' might sound, progressive meetings are our favorite.  This week, the team discusses the efficacy of progressive meetings, and why bringing new people into the room is one of the best ways to refine any idea or project.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Strategic mistakes are not the root cause of business failure - they're a downstream symptom of organizational dysfunction.  This week, Pat and the team conduct a forensic analysis of businesses successes and failures including Ford, United Airlines, and Hertz.  

Hertz CEO Resigns After Big Bet on EVs Fails to Pay Off: https://tinyurl.com/HertzCEOResigns

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

We talk about organizational health every week.  In this episode, Pat and Cody share their thoughts on being sick.  

Pat is joined by Dr. Bill Morice from the Mayo Clinic to discuss the coronavirus crisis and leading a healthy organization in the midst of a pandemic

Everyone remembers their first day on the job.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy talk about the mistakes that most companies make when onboarding, and why it's so important to communicate (and recommunicate) the 'why' to your employees.  

This episode originally aired February 17, 2021.

We don't hate change, we just struggle with transition.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the real reason why people are afraid of change.

On this episode the team breaks down company culture. What do companies get right and why are so many organizations focused on perks? 

There are for-profit business and there are non-profit businesses.  This week, Pat, Cody, Tracy and Beau question why these two types of organizations are operated so differently, and discuss how they could both learn a thing or two from each other.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Navigating between virtual and in-person work shouldn't be an organizational problem or a policy issue; it's a unique challenge that needs to be addressed specifically at the team level.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy have what we hope to be our team's last conversation about "virtual work" (or as we like to call it, "work").

Work is a verb, and we're supposed to enjoy it.  This week, Pat, Tracy and Cody discuss the reasons why what we do matters far more than where we do it.  

Too many organizations allow their culture to be affected by their policies, while their policies should instead be informed by their culture.  This week, Pat, Cody and Beau discuss the dangers of letting our policies send the wrong message to our employees and customers.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

When we don't see our work as a vocation, we're constantly looking forward to our next vacation.  This week, Pat, Beau and Tracy discuss the Sunday blues and the idea of work as a calling rather than a transactional relationship. 

The career counselor is in.  This week, Pat, Cody and Beau talk about what they would do if they didn't work at the Table Group and offer some advice.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Just like old times.  This week, Pat and Cody discuss the dangers of artificial harmony.  

The team discusses frustration and anger and how a leader's desire to be "nice" can contribute.

Question #2: How do we behave? Jeff joins Pat and Cody to discuss values and how to create culture in organizations. They break down some of the best and worst company cultures they have encountered and make a case for who shouldn't belong in your organization.

This week - despite Tracy's best efforts - Pat and the fellas talk football.  Tune in to this special episode for a breakdown of Pat's new framework for predicting the success of NFL teams based on their leadership.  

NFL Leadership Ranking Notes

Check out Pat and Cody's short-lived "Sports Culture" podcast

Leaders have many responsibilities, but too often the most basic aspects of the role are overlooked.  This week, Pat and the team discuss employee engagement and provide some simple but necessary ways to make sure you're creating the right environment for your team.  

Questions for Leaders:

What do I know about the people that work for me? 

When’s the last time I asked them about these things?

Why does their job matter to somebody else (customers, clients, vendors, colleagues etc..)?

When’s the last time I reminded them of why their job matters?

How can I observe whether they’re being successful?

When’s the last time I let them know how they’re being successful?

Unfrustrate your meetings and see Pat 'At the Whiteboard' this November for a free live virtual event!  Info and registration:  workinggenius.me/atwnovreg 

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Pat and Cody have a candid and casual conversation about preparing to enter a "new normal." 

What is your genius?  This week, Pat talks with Cody and Tracy about his newest model, the Six Types of Working Genius.  We've never seen Cody this excited!  

Managing people is a fundamentally human endeavor, yet we tend to play it safe when it comes to building relationships.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the importance of accepting that risk.  

Conflict without trust is politics.  But what exactly is politics?  This week, Pat and the team discuss the implications of manipulative behavior in the workplace.  

Pat's NFL Leadership Ranking Notes: https://files.tablegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/05054954/NFL-Team-Rankings-Updated.pdf

Take the Online Team Assessment: https://www.tablegroup.com/product/online-team-assessment/

Listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Article - 7 Types of Manipulation: https://tinyurl.com/manipulationarticle

How do I kindly hold someone accountable?  How do I influence my boss?  Is there such thing as too much conflict?  This week on the podcast, we decided to have Pat and Cody field some of the most frequently asked questions related to organizational health, live!

Healing is possible within the context of work.  This week, the team discusses what we believe to be a fundamental reason for making our organizations healthy.  

Listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

Decisions should always be pushed to the lowest possible level, closest to where they will be making the most impact.  This week, the team discusses the influence of the customer on culture, strategy, and decision-making at the executive level.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

This week's unpaid ad: https://www.dutchbros.com/

It's always important to be intentional about the way we behave and apply our talents at work.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy make distinctions between virtues and values.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

The people that you surround yourself with probably have a greater impact on you than you think.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the importance of being intentional about the company you keep, and how you can apply this to the people you spend 40 hours with each week.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

See Pat 'At the Whiteboard' for a free live virtual event!  Info and registration: workinggenius.me/atwnovreg

A hat trick from Patrick.  This week, the team boils down what it takes to be a good leader into three simple concepts.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

It's simple, it's easy, and yet it's somehow a major competitive advantage.  This week, Pat, Cody, Tracy and Beau discuss the new 3-letter secret to success.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Conflict is never comfortable - and it isn't meant to be.  This week, Pat and the team discuss the nature of conflict, and how it can be used not only to more effectively achieve strategic objectives, but also to strengthen relationships within a team.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

This week's unpaid ad: Pickleball?

Contact us at podcast@tablegroup.com

Over the past year, teams have been spending less and less time together.  In this week's episode, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the idea of a 'teamwork drought' and the importance of off-sites in building trust among teams.  

The concepts of trust and conflict in the workplace are still just as simple as they were two decades ago.  This week, Pat and the team discuss their thoughts on 'psychological safety'.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

This week's unpaid ad: https://turo.com/

Pat, Cody and Chris talk about how every leader needs to perform their duties as 'Chief Reminding Officer' in order to create clarity on their teams, and why we tend to avoid that responsibility so frequently.  

How does a competitive advantage become an achilles heel?  This week, Pat, Cody and Beau sit down to discuss their perspectives on the Southwest Airlines situation.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Productivity is an art, not a science.  

Pat and Cody discuss success, performance and dignity. 

Innovation is offensive.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the difference between protection and possibility, and why successful companies need to adopt an offensive posture around innovation.  

If promoting a high-performing member of your sales team means losing your best salesperson and gaining an average sales manager, why do we continue to rely so heavily on these metrics?  This week, Pat and Cody discuss the mistakes that many organizations make when promoting and choosing their managers.  

Episode originally aired January 20th, 2021.

One hour coaching hack: how your team can give and receive invaluable coaching feedback in less than an hour.  Tune in to this week's episode to hear Pat, Cody and Tracy share some of their own feedback that has helped them grow in their work and life.  

Pat's new book, The Motive is out today!  Cody takes the host spot to dig into Pat's latest thinking on leadership and what might be his most important book yet. Listen and discover your motive.

Other than television shows based on their unethical and disastrous decisions, what do the founders of Theranos, WeWork, and Uber have in common?  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy discuss the dangers of leading for the wrong reasons.  

Every experience we have is either an asset or a liability.  This week, the team discusses survival and the importance of how we choose to deal with failure.  

The 49ers may have lost, but you can still use code TEAM25 until Wednesday, Feb 14 at midnight PT to earn 25% off all assessment purchases!

Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment: https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/#5dAssessment

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

Unpaid ad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crouton

In this first episode, Pat and Cody discuss why the smartest companies don’t always win. He presents organizational health as the greatest competitive advantage in business and takes us back to his first job to discuss where it all started.

Courage is more valuable than knowledge.  This week, the team discusses some of Pat's most recent thoughts about people and teams.  

With the flexibility of remote work and the 'great resignation,' the war for talent has never been more brutal.  This week, the team discusses the importance of a strong culture in retaining good employees.  

Pat and Cody discuss the benefits of small company culture and make the case that bigger isn't always better.

During this Christmas season, Pat, Cody and Tracy want to remind you about the importance of genuine appreciation and gratitude for those who make our jobs, and our lives, easier.  

How to be a hero and influence your boss.

Are you excited to be back in the office?  This week, we discuss the reality of transition, and that even though returning to the office is a positive thing, it can still be difficult.  

Tracy and Pat were having pop tarts when Pat invented the Issue Resolution Model.  They share the origin story and application of the model with Cody.

Issue Resolution Model PDF: https://www.tablegroup.com/download/issue-resolution-model/

What is the motor oil of the organizational machine?  This week, the team talks about the importance of relationships and shares some examples of your 'big little things'.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Please don't actually smell your customers.  This week, Pat, Cody, and Beau discuss why being in close proximity to customers and clients is necessary if we want our products and services to hit the mark.

The Working Genius Assessment for Students: https://www.workinggenius.com/students

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

Sometimes an apology is necessary.  This week, Pat, Tracy and Beau discuss forgiveness, and why the ability to apologize and forgive is essential for building trust on a team.  

To check out the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment: tinyurl.com/5dysfunctionsofateamassessment

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

What did you take away from your first work experience?  This week, Pat and team discuss their first jobs and the most important things they learned through those experiences, as well as the things they might have had to unlearn.  

Being a hero at work looks a little different than the heroes we see in movies.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy talk about why we tend not to recognize heroics within our organizations.  

This week on At the Table, the team discusses the importance of expressing appropriate emotion at work.  

For most of us, virtual meetings are now a regular part of our workday.  This week, Pat and the team take a forensic look at video conferencing and discuss some simple recommendations for improving our approach to virtual meetings.  

Summary Article - 8 Limitations and 4 Recommendations:  tablegroup.me/zoomarticle

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

Are we supposed to have friends at work? Why do we refuse to embrace the people we spend the majority of our day with? Pat and the team discuss work and friendship on this week’s episode.

Authority and humility are not mutually exclusive.  This week, the team talks about the role of a leader and the importance of perspective, dignity, and self-awareness.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: https://www.workinggenius.com/podcast

Unpaid ad: https://tinyurl.com/golfscramblerules

There are things we do that only others notice, but we tend to shy away from helping each other understand them.  This week, Pat and the gang discuss how important it is to address each others' blind spots.  

It was Mike Tyson who said "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."  This week, the team discusses flexibility and the importance of identifying and working towards a 'true north' over adhering to the details of a plan.  

Pat, Tracy and Cody reflect on their first three days back in the office and make some real-time observations about the transition.  

Merry Christmas from the Table Group!  This week, Pat, Cody, Beau and Tracy talk about a gift we can all give our coworkers, managers or direct reports that not only costs nothing, but can have a major impact on our relationships at work.  

To order Pat’s newest book: tinyurl.com/workinggeniusbook

To take the Six Types of Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

Beware of the novel, easy, and immediate.  This week, Pat and the team discuss why even the best companies, teams, and individuals ignore the simple, proven solutions in favor of comfortability and short-term results.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

How do you start your day?  This week, the team offers some practical personal advice related to stress and our morning routines.  

Conflict with trust is the pursuit of truth or the best idea.  Too many teams, families and friends stop short of the best answer because they "agree to disagree."  Pat and Cody suggest a different approach - convince or be convinced. 

In the war for talent, the best defense isn't money.  This week, Pat and Cody discuss employee retention through employee engagement, and three easy ways to create an environment that nobody wants to leave.  

Why are human beings so enamored with complexity? Pat and Cody answer this and explore the power of simplicity.

Podcast Anniversary Webinar Registration: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aufG1ABSTuiaQz9puUjvzw

Every meeting requires certain Geniuses.  This week, Pat, Tracy and Cody discuss the different types of meetings, and how to identify which Geniuses are appropriate and necessary.  

Too often, we waste time scheduling meetings around conversations that could happen immediately.  This week, Pat, Cody and Tracy issue a challenge to our listeners.  

Donkeys, unicorns, Theranos and a Panamanian fisherman.  

As millions of people look for work and employers are set to rehire, Pat and Cody discuss the three critical traits for hiring and interviewing that are far more important than anything on the resumé.

What is your company culture, and how can you protect it? This week, Pat and the team discuss the context of organizational values and how they are affected by the culture at large.  

To listen to the Working Genius Podcast: tinyurl.com/workinggeniuspodcast

To become a Certified Working Genius Facilitator: https://workinggenius.me/certpodcast23

To take the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment: https://www.tablegroup.com/product/online-team-assessment/