The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni
What is your Working Genius? The Working Genius podcast is designed to help people identify their natural gifts and find joy and fulfillment in their work and life. Leadership and teamwork expert Patrick Lencioni and his team explore the Working Genius model and provide practical advice for applying this framework individually, at our jobs and in our homes. What type of work makes you thrive? Are you burning out because your job requires you to work in your areas of frustration? How can teams and families better tap into one another’s gifts? This podcast answers all these questions and more.
Episodes
How can you use the Working Genius framework to reframe your traditional New Year’s resolutions so that they don’t lead to frustration or shame?
In episode 104 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson introduce the idea of a “New Year’s evolution” instead of a New Year’s resolution. They explain why resolutions built on shame and weakness tend to fail and how understanding your Working Genius creates a healt...
Are Working Genius pairings linked with Ideal Team Player virtues?
In episode 103 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore why Working Genius types cannot and should not be used to predict the three Ideal Team Player virtues (humble, hungry, and smart). They walk through tempting—but ultimately inaccurate—assumptions people often make when connecting specific geniuses to humility, hunger, or emotional intelligence. By cl...
Is there a correlation between a person’s Working Genius (WG) pairings and their emotional intelligence (EQ)? Also, how can you use your Working Genius results to strengthen your emotional intelligence?
In episode 102 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore how Working Genius and emotional intelligence intersect, and where they don’t. They explain that while no Working Genius type predicts EQ, the Working Genius model is...
How might a layoff create space for you to pursue work that energizes you rather than drains you?
In episode 101 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore why layoffs—while often painful—can become pivotal moments of clarity and reinvention. They also explain how the Working Genius framework provides a roadmap for choosing future roles that offer joy, energy, and long-term career sustainability.
Topics explored in thi...
What happens when we misunderstand or mistype someone’s Working Genius? Also, what changes when we finally understand the true genius behind someone’s behavior?
In episode 100 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore why an incorrectly identified Working Genius can create frustration, friction, and confusion among teammates. They also dive into factors that often lead to mistyping, and how understanding true genius unlock...
How does being an Inventor-Discerner shape your leadership style when guiding a team?
In episode 99 of the Working Genius Podcast, In this episode, Pat Lencioni and Cody Thompson welcome master facilitator Claire Laughlin to unpack the unique strengths and quirks of the Inventor-Discerner (ID) pairing. Together, they explore how people with this Working Genius pairing constantly generate, refine, and iterate ideas in real time. ...
How can you genuinely honor someone's working frustrations, beyond just being aware of them?
In episode 98 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick and Cody explore the idea of honoring working frustrations—the tasks that drain energy, even when you’re good at them. Using team member Tracy Noble as a case study, they discuss how competence without joy leads to burnout and how leaders can reorganize work to restore energy and dignity.
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How does your work or home environment shape the way you see your Working Genius?
Episode 97 of the Working Genius Podcast explores how environment and culture can dramatically influence how people view their own talents. Patrick Lencioni, Cody Thompson, and Matt Lencioni share personal stories and client examples where individuals misunderstood their results because of the strong pull of their surroundings. They also discuss how, w...
How can understanding your strengths and weaknesses through the Working Genius model lead to true confidence?
Confidence isn’t about pretending to be great at everything—it’s about knowing and accepting the truth about yourself. In episode 96 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick and Cody explain how the Working Genius framework provides a foundation for authentic confidence rooted in both strengths and weaknesses. They share pract...
What creative analogies can you use to help understand your joy and frustration at work?
In episode 95 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick and Cody revisit one of their earliest metaphors for the Six Types of Working Genius model: the coffee cup analogy. They explore how it explains joy, competency, and frustration in work—and why new analogies like batteries, bikes, and even shoes can add nuance to the conversation. Along the wa...
How can the Working Genius model prevent decision-making confusion?
In episode 94 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat, Cody, and guest Krista Kotrla unpack the concept of “crossing the decision line,” exploring how leaders can move from healthy conflict to clear commitments, avoiding the trap of endless discernment and re-decision. Through practical tools like end-of-meeting discipline, clarity over certainty, and understanding the n...
What makes galvanizing more disruptive than other Working Geniuses?
In episode 93 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore why galvanizing is the most disruptive of all the Working Geniuses. They unpack the nature of galvanizing as the only Genius that necessarily involves moving others, making it uniquely powerful—and often misunderstood. Through stories and reflection, they highlight the challenges and the essential val...
Are you unintentionally discouraging others by calling something “easy”?
In episode 92 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore the pitfalls of assuming that what’s easy and fun for you will be the same for others. They explore how working within your genius can make tasks feel effortless and how this can mislead us when advising or leading others. This episode is a reminder to value your own strengths and to honor the di...
What makes the Genius of Enablement (“E”) such a crucial part of team implementation?
Episode 91 of the Working Genius Podcast dives into the Enablement Genius with guest Tracy Noble, Chief Development Officer at The Table Group. Pat, Cody, and Tracy explore the subtle power of Enablement—how it brings relational glue to implementation and drives team cohesion. They also unpack the differences between Enablement and people-pleasing,...
How can recognizing the “lowercase” application of your Working Genius improve your contributions to projects and increase your job fulfillment?
In episode 90 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson explore the distinction between “uppercase” and “lowercase” expressions of the six Working Geniuses. Joined by Matt Lencioni, they unpack how to apply your genius even when it's not the dominant need in a situat...
How often do you assume someone’s behavior is a flaw in their character instead of a feature of their genius?
In episode 89 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson unpack the “Fundamental Attribution Error” and how it damages relationships at work and at home. They explain how people often misjudge each other’s actions as flaws rather than features of their unique Working Genius. By walking through all six ...
How can your understanding of Myers-Briggs add to your Working Genius?
In episode 88 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody dive into the relationship between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Six Types of Working Genius. They explore how MBTI describes who you are (the noun), while Working Genius describes what you do best (the verb). Through examples and insights, they show how combining both tools can improve ...
How can understanding and embracing your Working Genius help you redefine your concept of “work” and “retirement”?
In episode 87 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson take on the increasingly common desire to quit work or retire early, questioning whether it's truly the job people want to escape—or the lack of fulfillment in how they work. Pat and Cody also explore how Working Genius can offer clarity and...
What does “preemptive vulnerability” mean, why is it essential in leadership, and how can it build trust within a team?
In episode 86 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick and Cody explore the concept of "preemptive vulnerability"—the practice of leading with humility before you're forced to. They reflect on how leaders can build deeper trust and connection by proactively admitting weaknesses, asking for help, and owning mistakes. ...
Why is it dangerous to "fake it till you make it" when it comes to your Working Genius?
In episode 85 of the Working Genius Podcast, Pat and Cody explore the pitfalls of "faking it till you make it," particularly in the context of the six Working Geniuses. They discuss how pretending to possess certain geniuses—especially Galvanizing, Enabling, and Tenacity—can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction, even if it seems successful in the ...
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