The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni
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.
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
Mentioned books
7 snips
Dec 30, 2025 • 19min
103. Working Genius vs. the Ideal Team Player
Discover the crucial distinction between Working Genius and Ideal Team Player virtues. Delve into why humility, hunger, and emotional intelligence should guide team building before considering individual strengths. Learn why common assumptions linking certain genius types to specific virtues can be misleading. Real-life examples illustrate discrepancies in these correlations. Finally, uncover the recommended hiring order to better address team dynamics and avoid costly misinterpretations.
50 snips
Dec 16, 2025 • 24min
102. Working Genius and Emotional Intelligence
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.
39 snips
Dec 2, 2025 • 20min
101. Silver Linings After Layoffs
Layoffs can spark unexpected paths toward energizing work. The hosts dive into how many find themselves misaligned in careers due to convenience rather than passion. Using the Working Genius framework, they highlight transferable strengths and the importance of cultural fit. A fascinating story unfolds about a lawyer who transitioned to tech leadership by embracing his unique talents. Listeners receive practical advice on navigating career shifts, emphasizing the value of joy in the workplace and the courage to pursue better fits.
59 snips
Nov 18, 2025 • 18min
100. Square Peg Round Hole
Misunderstanding someone's Working Genius can lead to significant team friction. The hosts discuss how visible behaviors, like public speaking, can be misread, masking true motivations. Commonly mistyped geniuses, such as Wonder and Enablement, are explored, revealing how biases and environments influence perceptions. They caution against falsely claiming a genius you don’t possess, as it fosters unrealistic expectations and disrupts team dynamics. Understanding these nuances promotes better collaboration and enhances workplace enjoyment.
27 snips
Nov 4, 2025 • 28min
99. The ID Pairing with Claire Laughlin
Claire Laughlin, a master facilitator and coach in the Working Genius model, joins the conversation to explore the dynamic Inventor-Discerner pairing. She reveals how pressure sparks her creativity and explains the fast-paced 'ID Loop' where invention and discernment occur simultaneously. Claire discusses the unique charm and potential overwhelm that an ID can bring to teams. She also emphasizes the importance of grounding ideas in real-world problems to nurture creativity, showcasing practical applications of the Working Genius approach.
27 snips
Oct 21, 2025 • 17min
98. Honoring Working Frustrations
Explore the importance of honoring working frustrations and the hidden burnout that arises from competence without joy. The discussion emphasizes that recognizing what drains energy is a sign of respect. Hear about a team reorganization aimed at aligning roles with individual genius types. The hosts unveil the balance between short-term efficiency and long-term effectiveness. Practical steps to match tasks with people's strengths are shared, alongside lessons learned from personal burnout experiences.
46 snips
Oct 7, 2025 • 27min
97. The Impact of Your Environment
Explore how your work and home environment can skew perceptions of your talents. Discover stories from a Marine and a priest who misidentified their strengths due to cultural pressures. The hosts emphasize the importance of answering assessments based on joy rather than roles. They dive into the often-overlooked genius of 'wonder' and discuss how structured settings suppress true potential. Ultimately, clarity in your talents leads to newfound freedom and improved teamwork.
53 snips
Sep 23, 2025 • 20min
96. The Key to Confidence
Explore the unique relationship between confidence and self-awareness. Discover how admitting weaknesses can actually highlight your true strengths. The Working Genius framework offers valuable language for identifying and celebrating your gifts. Learn why humility goes hand in hand with authentic confidence, and how nurturing this in the next generation can ignite their potential. Tune in for insights that redefine what it means to be truly confident!
41 snips
Sep 9, 2025 • 17min
95. Beyond the Coffee Cups
This discussion creatively unpacks work experiences using analogies like coffee cups, batteries, and bicycles. The hosts explore how these metaphors illuminate the joy and frustration in various tasks. With energy comparisons to electric bikes, they reveal how personal preferences shape our engagement. They also emphasize the significance of aligning individual interests with work for greater fulfillment. By analyzing chores and meal preferences, the conversation highlights the intricate relationship between genius and personal likes.
94 snips
Aug 26, 2025 • 27min
94. The Decision Line with Krista Kotrla
Krista Kotrla, a consultant with The Table Group, specializes in transforming healthy conflict into clear commitments for leaders. In this conversation, she breaks down the 'decision line' concept, emphasizing how clarity trumps certainty in decision-making. Krista shares practical tools like end-of-meeting discipline and highlights the importance of decisiveness in leadership. They discuss real-world applications of these concepts and how storytelling can enhance team alignment and execution, making decisions more effective and engaging.
