The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni

102. Working Genius and Emotional Intelligence

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Dec 16, 2025

Explore the intriguing relationship between Working Genius and emotional intelligence. Discover how self-awareness plays a pivotal role in developing EQ. Learn why curiosity and a genuine desire to understand others are key. Hear strategies for offering constructive feedback that can elevate someone’s emotional intelligence. Unpack the importance of vulnerability and humility in building connections. This insightful discussion reveals that it's not about your genius type but your awareness that shapes your effectiveness in relationships.

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INSIGHT

Working Genius Doesn’t Predict EQ

Working Genius and emotional intelligence are independent; no WG pairing predicts EQ level.
Self-awareness, not wiring, is the critical first step toward higher emotional intelligence.

ADVICE

Start With Self-Awareness

Understand your Working Genius and frustrations to raise your self-awareness.
Use that self-knowledge as a foundation to improve how you show up and relate to others.

ANECDOTE

The Office As An EQ Case Study

The Office characters illustrate how lack of self-awareness creates humor and dysfunction.
Jim and Pam's reactions mirror how emotionally aware teammates tolerate others' blind spots.

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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 a powerful tool for developing the self-awareness and social awareness that foster emotional intelligence.

Topics explored in this episode:

(02:27) Is There a Link Between Genius Types and EQ?

* Pat clarifies that Working Genius and EQ are independent, emphasizing that self-awareness (not wiring) drives emotional intelligence.

(05:29) Self-Awareness, Rough Edges, and Workplace Behavior

* How understanding your working frustrations increases EQ.

* How low self-awareness manifests in everyday interactions.

(11:14) Social Awareness, Curiosity, and Understanding Others

* Why EQ requires not only self-awareness but also a genuine desire to understand others.

* Connecting curiosity to humility and vulnerability, noting how Working Genius accelerates relational understanding.

(17:35) Building Relational EQ

* How to lovingly offer feedback that raises another person’s emotional intelligence.

* How self-awareness and understanding others—not your Genius letters—are what transform your effectiveness and relationships.

This episode of The Working Genius Podcast 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.

The Six Types of Working Genius model helps you discover your natural gifts and thrive in your work and life. When you’re able to better understand the types of work that bring you more energy and fulfillment and avoid work that leads to frustration and failure, you can be more self-aware, more productive, and more successful. The Six Types of Working Genius assessment is the fastest and simplest way to discover your natural gifts and thrive at work: https://workinggenius.me/about

Subscribe to The Working Genius Podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4iNz6Yn), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3raC053GF5mtkq6Y1klpRU), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/Working-Genius-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, At The Table with Patrick Lencioni, on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4hJKKSL), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6NWAZzkzl4ljxX7S2xkHvu), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube).

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

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