The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

chevron_right

CNLP 785 | Patrick Lencioni Opens Up About His Dark Night of the Soul, How Work Can Heal You, And Leading Next Gen Leaders

whatshot 102 snips

Feb 12, 2026

Guest

Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni, founder of The Table Group and bestselling leadership author, shares a candid mini-bio and recent five-month sabbatical. He talks about how work can be a place of healing. He explores vulnerability, mentoring next-gen leaders, integrating whole-person leadership, and how personal wounds shape leadership.

01:20:24

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Work As A Healing Community

Patrick Lencioni argues work is a primary place people go to heal because we were made for community.
Colleagues who see daily progress can participate in one another's healing more than distant family alone.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Pray And Be Vulnerably Honest

Pray before difficult staff conversations to purify your intentions and choose grace or accountability wisely.
Be vulnerable in feedback by sharing personal stories to open others to receive correction.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Mentor Younger Employees Actively

Treat young employees as people to mentor, not problems to avoid; offer direct guidance on life and work skills.
Withholding corrective feedback to avoid discomfort is not love; candid coaching is a gift that enables growth.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Why work is a place to heal

02:00 • 57sec

chevron_right

Integrating whole-person leadership

02:57 • 4min

chevron_right

Practical mercy, boundaries, and accountability

06:48 • 2min

chevron_right

Vulnerability as a leadership tool

08:43 • 3min

chevron_right

Mentoring young employees like family

Core values give permission to speak into lives

16:12 • 2min

chevron_right

When to go deeper with long-term teammates

17:52 • 3min

chevron_right

Owning failures and apologizing at work

21:21 • 4min

chevron_right

Receiving hard feedback about security

25:04 • 3min

chevron_right

Teams can deepen through uncomfortable talks

28:30 • 3min

chevron_right

Patrick's dark night and need to step away

What the dark night felt like

35:09 • 4min

chevron_right

Key wounds uncovered: performance and perfection

38:39 • 7min

chevron_right

Therapy, spiritual direction, and daily prayer

45:30 • 6min

chevron_right

Small gestures and community kept him going

51:54 • 5min

chevron_right

Returning to work with renewed perspective

Changed relationship to success and control

57:46 • 3min

chevron_right

Company held together and showed love

01:00:50 • 2min

chevron_right

Looking forward day-by-day with gratitude

01:02:50 • 8min

chevron_right

Using wounds to help others and write with joy

01:10:40 • 5min

chevron_right

Advice to leaders: expect ongoing work

Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars

Patrick Lencioni

#10571

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

The three big questions for a frantic family

Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni's "Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family" uses a fictional family's struggles to illustrate common challenges faced by families trying to balance work, family, and personal life. The story highlights the importance of shared values and priorities in achieving a fulfilling family life. The book emphasizes the need for open communication and intentional decision-making to avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Lencioni's fable-style narrative makes complex issues relatable and accessible to a wide audience. The book offers practical advice and insights for families seeking to improve their relationships and overall well-being.

#1649

• Mentioned in 26 episodes

The Motive

Patrick Lencioni

In 'The Motive,' Patrick Lencioni delves into the critical reasons behind a leader’s motivation through a narrative involving two rival CEOs. The book highlights the difference between reward-centered leaders, who seek personal gain, and responsibility-centered leaders, who prioritize the needs of their teams and organizations. Lencioni identifies five key responsibilities that leaders often neglect: developing a leadership team, managing direct reports, having tough conversations, running effective meetings, and consistent communication with employees. The book encourages leaders to reflect on their motives and adopt a service-oriented approach to leadership, emphasizing that true leadership is about serving others rather than seeking personal rewards.

#1267

• Mentioned in 31 episodes

How the Mighty Fall

Jim Collins

In 'How the Mighty Fall', Jim Collins explores the reasons behind the decline of once-great companies. Through a four-year research project, Collins identifies five stages of decline: Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success, Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More, Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril, Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation, and Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death. The book offers leaders practical advice on how to detect early signs of decline and reverse their course to avoid failure. Collins emphasizes that decline is often self-inflicted and that understanding these stages can help companies avoid or recover from decline.

#1366

• Mentioned in 30 episodes

Boundaries

When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

Dr. John Townsend

Henry Cloud

In this book, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend provide biblically-based answers to help readers set healthy boundaries with their spouses, children, friends, parents, co-workers, and even themselves. The authors discuss how to establish clear personal property lines, manage digital life, and address common questions about setting boundaries. The book aims to help readers achieve a balanced lifestyle by understanding and implementing healthy boundaries in all areas of life.

#11302

• Mentioned in 5 episodes

Diary

John Evelyn

Patrick Lencioni opens up about his dark night of the soul and his recent five-month sabbatical.

Plus, we discuss how we go to work to heal and the joys and challenges of leading next-gen leaders.

🔗 Show Notes

📩 On The Rise Newsletter

🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet

🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy

🎥 Watch on YouTube

Follow @careynieuwhof

Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork

❗️Connect with other podcast listeners about each episode of my podcast, including me. You'll get exclusive insights by asking questions, sharing insights, and learning how others are applying the content in real life.

Join for free: https://careynieuwhof.com/shownotes

HAYSTACK

Haystack is an AI-powered search engine for everything you've ever preached. Your congregation can ask real questions like "Why does God allow suffering?" and get answers from their pastor.

Book your demo by grabbing a spot on their calendar at thehaystack.ai. Mention this podcast and they'll import your sermon library for free. You'll see how it works with your own content before committing to anything.

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP LIVE

September 21–23, 2026, I'm hosting The Art of Leadership LIVE in Nashville, Tennessee.

If you've been thinking about applying, now is the time. Once Super Early Bird pricing expires, rates go up for good.

Visit theartofleadershiplive.com to secure the best pricing.

GLOO CONTENT STUDIO

Gloo Content Studio is designed around one simple idea: one message can power a whole week of ministry.

Reclaim your Mondays and extend the impact of your preaching at gloo.com/carey.

Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Home Top podcasts Popular guests Top books