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At the Table with Patrick Lencioni

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256. What is a Toxic Culture?

At the Table with Patrick Lencioni
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Sit across the table from one of the foremost experts in leadership and business. In his simple and approachable style, Pat tackles every topic related to the world of work (and some that aren’t). From culture to family to building world-class organizations, Pat brings his wisdom, humor, and insight together to provide actionable advice for leaders everywhere.

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Episode 256podcast microphone image
11/25/2025

What is a Toxic Culture?

How does working in a “toxic” culture affect your ability to perform and trust others? Also, if your organization has an unhealthy work environment, how can leaders begin the process of internal correction? In episode 256 of At The Table, Pat Lencioni and Cody Thompson unpack what “toxic culture” really means—and what it doesn’t. They explore how toxicity rarely starts at the bottom but usually traces back to the executive team’s dysfunction, lack of clarity, or tolerance for poor behavior. They also share the signs, causes, and antidotes of toxic workplaces, encouraging leaders to create environments rooted in honesty and accountability. Topics explored in this episode: (00:20) Defining “Toxic Culture” * The importance of defining “toxic” and challenging the assumption that perks equal health. (04:00) The Source of Toxicity * Toxic cultures almost always originate at the executive level, not among lower-level employees. (08:00) How to Diagnose Toxicity * Cody compares toxic environments to poor sleep—you can feel it without needing a metric. (13:00) What Toxic Cultures Look Like * Key signs: political behavior, tolerated poor performance, and confusion from unclear goals. * How even good leaders can accidentally create toxicity. (17:00) Healing and Hope for Teams * Every organization experiences some level of dysfunction—but honesty and ownership can fix it. * The idea of replacing the word “toxic” with “dysfunctional” or “political,” emphasizing that healing begins with truth. In this episode, Pat and Cody discussed the following study by the employment website, Monster: “Toxic Workplaces Are Worsening: 80% of U.S. Workers Now Say Their Job Hurts Their Mental Health”; https://www.monster.com/career-advice/job-search/news-and-insights/mental-health-in-the-workplace-poll-2025 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 [email protected]. This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.

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Episode 255podcast microphone image
11/11/2025

Efficiency vs. Humanity

What happens when innovation outpaces our moral compass? In episode 255 of At The Table, Patrick and Cody wrestle with the tension between technological innovation and human dignity in the workplace. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, they ask whether efficiency has become more important than humanity. This episode invites leaders and consumers alike to seek a moral “true north”—one that values people over profit and connection over convenience. Topics explored in this episode:  (02:57) Innovation Without a True North * Concern that the rise of AI could fundamentally displace human work. * Innovation must be guided by ethics and human-centered purpose, not just economic efficiency. (07:15) The Role of Leaders  * The need for leaders to assess whether their choices serve humanity. (10:10) The Role of Consumers * Consumers voting with their wallets and resisting convenience that devalues human connection. (14:27) The Convenience Crisis * How people increasingly prioritize ease over meaning. (18:45) Dignity, Work, and the Future * The deeper value of work beyond income—as a source of dignity, growth, and relationship. 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 [email protected].  This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.

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Episode 254podcast microphone image
10/28/2025

Virtual Politics

Have your remote teams been unknowingly breeding politics through silence and distance? In episode 254 of At The Table, Pat and Cody explore how remote work can unintentionally foster politics and erode trust within teams. They unpack why virtual communication creates space for misunderstanding and suspicion—even among well-intentioned people. They also offer practical advice for building connections, restoring trust, and maintaining healthy team dynamics across distance. Topics explored in this episode:  (00:00) Understanding Virtual Politics * How “virtual politics” can be thought of as the subtle mistrust that grows when people work apart. (03:30) How Distance Fuels Assumptions * How lack of information makes people fill in the gaps—often with negative assumptions. (06:27) Building Proactive Trust * How frequent, small check-ins can keep trust alive. * Why men and women sometimes handle connection differently and how teams can structure regular contact. (09:43) Efficiency vs. Relationship * How Zoom culture prioritizes efficiency over connection.  * Pat introduces the concept of “wasting time well” as essential for maintaining team health. (11:52) The Ladder of Inference  * Pat explains the “ladder of inference” and how remote work accelerates false assumptions. 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 [email protected].  This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.

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Episode 253podcast microphone image
10/14/2025

Trust Must Be Exercised

Are you unintentionally eroding trust by avoiding hard conversations? Also, what happens to your team when trust goes unexercised? In episode 253 of At The Table, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson unpack why trust isn’t something to simply build and preserve—it must be used, stretched, and tested to grow stronger. They explore how leaders unintentionally erode trust by avoiding honest curiosity, mistaking it for suspicion.  Topics explored in this episode:  (00:00) Curiosity vs. Suspicion * How simple questions like “What are you working on?” can build or break trust. * Why avoiding questions to “protect” trust actually weakens it over time. (04:59) Trust Isn’t a Museum Piece * Unused trust is like a car that’s never driven—beautiful but purposeless. (09:56) Healthy Relationships Aren’t Fragile * How conflict and tension signal healthy trust, not dysfunction. * The importance of exercising trust through candid conversations. (13:28) Trust and Remote Leadership * How distance and fear of misinterpretation can make trust decay faster. (17:16) Leaders Must Take the First Risk * Pat challenges leaders to stop being afraid of awkwardness and exercise trust first. 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 [email protected].  This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.

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Episode 252podcast microphone image
09/30/2025

Where There’s Smoke…

What happens to a culture when leaders ignore problems? In episode 252 of At The Table, Patrick and Cody explore the leadership principle of running toward the fire. They discuss why leaders often ignore the “smoke” of personnel or cultural issues, hoping problems will resolve themselves. Instead, they argue that credibility, trust, and organizational health are built when leaders courageously confront issues before they spread. Topics explored in this episode:  00:35 – Seeing Smoke * Leaders set the tone by how they respond to problems. 03:33 – Defining the Fire * Personnel problems are the most commonly ignored fires in organizations. 06:03 – Why Leaders Avoid the Fire * Confrontation feels messy and uncomfortable, especially when emotions are involved. 09:45 – The Cost of Avoidance * Ignoring smoke damages credibility, weakens leadership muscle, and sets a bad cultural example. 12:20 – Regaining Credibility * Leaders can only rebuild trust through visible action, not promises. 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://spoti.fi/4l1aop0), 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://spoti.fi/4iGGm8u), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/Working-Genius-YouTube).  Let us know your feedback via [email protected].  This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.

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