In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with organizational health pioneer Patrick Lencioni for a rich, honest conversation about work, faith, family, and why leadership is far more about responsibility than reward. Pat shares how, at 59, he hit pause to confront long-buried wounds, and how that season of healing reshaped the way he leads, loves his family, and serves the people around him.
Pat traces the origin story of The Table Group, his longtime fascination with the workplace, and how his Catholic faith now sits at the very center of his work. From parenting moments that involve teenage traffic tickets to power being shut off at home, he uses real life to illustrate why vulnerability, forgiveness, and humility are non-negotiables, whether you're leading a company or a family.
Eric and Pat dig into two of Pat's most influential ideas: meaningful conflict and vulnerability-based trust. They unpack why conflict-avoidant leaders quietly damage teams, how attachment styles show up in meetings, and why the simple words "I was wrong, please forgive me" might be the most powerful leadership tool we have. Pat also explains the Six Types of Working Genius, how his wiring differs from Eric's, and why our gifts and gaps are designed to pull us toward deeper dependence on one another.
The conversation closes with a look at culture, both at work and at home. Pat connects his "chaos family" framework with The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, explains how to spot a company's real values by watching executives, and revisits his book The Motive to ask why we pursue leadership in the first place. He finishes with the simple spiritual disciplines that now bookend his day and quietly anchor everything else.
In this episode, you'll learn:
· What it looks like to surrender your career to God's will and rediscover work as ministry
· How vulnerability, forgiveness, and "owning your stuff" build deep trust on teams and in families
· Why healthy conflict is about the pursuit of truth, not winning arguments
· How the Working Genius model reveals your gifts, your frustrations, and your need for others
· Practical ways to discern the real culture of an organization, beyond the words on the wall
· The five core responsibilities many leaders quietly abdicate (and how to reclaim them)
· Simple daily rhythms of prayer that can transform how you lead, love, and live
This episode is dedicated to Pat's journey. This conversation is what we make it. This, is Counsel Culture.
Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.thetablegroup.com
