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.

Topics explored in this episode:

(01:00) The Cost of Competence

* The danger of confusing skill with joy and how it drains energy over time.

(03:20) Understanding What Drains Us

* How some people excel at things they dislike, leading to burnout.

* Recognizing frustration is an act of respect, not weakness.

(06:00) Team Reorganization

* How team roles at The Table Group were restructured to align with genius types.

(09:00) Redefining Productivity and Human Dignity

* How long-term effectiveness outweighs short-term efficiency.

* Honoring frustrations is essential to dignity and joy in work.

(13:20) Applying Working Genius to Real Roles

* Cody shares practical ways to match people’s genius with job requirements.

* Pat reflects on his own burnout and how awareness of frustration fosters empathy.

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.

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, when you take the Working Genius assessment, it's essential to put aside what you think you should be doing and instead focus on what brings you joy and energy.

Topics explored in this episode:

(0:30) Environment and Perception

* How our environment can distort our Working Genius assessment results.

* Cody describes how people often answer based on workplace expectations instead of core joy.

(5:42) Stories of Misalignment

* Examples of people whose results were skewed by strong cultural or organizational environments.

* A Marine veteran and a priest are highlighted as cases where structure shaped inaccurate results.

(15:30) Wonder as the Overlooked Genius

* How Matt misidentified his geniuses because of college leadership roles.

* Why “wonder” can be undervalued in structured settings.

(20:43) Liberation Through Clarity

* The relief and freedom that come from discovering true geniuses.

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://spoti.fi/4iGGm8u), 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/3raC053GF5mtkq6Y1klpRU), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube).

Let us know your feedback via

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 practical insights on how humility, honesty, and self-awareness create confidence that impacts work, relationships, and life.

Topics explored in this episode:

0:30 – Defining Confidence

* Confidence is not arrogance, but alignment with truth about yourself.

* Humility and confidence complement each other by grounding people in reality.

3:40 – The Power of Admitting Weaknesses

* Acknowledging what you’re not good at frees you to celebrate your real strengths.

6:20 – Building Confidence Through Working Genius

* The Working Genius framework provides language for identifying gifts and frustrations.

10:55 – Humility, Gifting, and Evidence

* Confidence is strengthened when you recognize gifts as given, not earned.

15:30 – Confidence for the Next Generation

* Helping young people discover their genius accelerates confidence and direction.

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://spoti.fi/4l1aop0), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube).

Let us know your feedback via