Choosing the hard path at offsites

Why does recommitting to trust matter more than recommitting to strategy?

Episode 258 of At The Table episode explores the moments when teams and relationships reach a breaking point—where everything could unravel or deepen. Pat and Cody reflect on their own recent off-site, sharing how choosing vulnerability and recommitment led them to greater unity, clarity, and trust. They argue that the “messy” work of recommitting isn’t soft; it’s the most essential and transformative part of leadership.

Topics explored in this episode:

(03:17) Why the Cliff Always Feels Real

* Early moments in The Table Group’s history when setbacks could have ended everything but ultimately created stronger bonds.

* Parallels between organizational plateaus and long-term marriage.

(07:06) Messiness, Trust, and Misconceptions

* Why leaders shouldn’t judge their own teams for imperfection.

* Challenging the myth that offsites should be purely strategic.

(10:58) The Moment of Truth

* The “moment of truth” where a leader either risks more vulnerability or puts a ceiling on the entire organization.

(15:03) Recommitment as the Path to Fruitfulness

* Why trust—not strategy—is what makes or breaks performance, speed, and long-term health.

* How naming hard truths unlocked unity, clarity, and deeper commitment.

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

At The Table is a podcast that lives at the connection between work life, leadership, organizational health, and culture. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4hJKKSL), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6NWAZzkzl4ljxX7S2xkHvu), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube).

Follow Pat Lencioni on https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth, http://www.youtube.com/@PatrickLencioniOfficial, and https://x.com/patricklencioni.

Be sure to check out our other podcast, The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni, on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4iNz6Yn), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3raC053GF5mtkq6Y1klpRU), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/Working-Genius-YouTube).

Let us know your feedback via podcast@tablegroup.com.

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