The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni

Your Company’s Genius featuring Matthew Lencioni

46 snips

Mar 24, 2026

They test whether companies can have a dominant Working Genius pairing and compare how culture and customer experience reveal those strengths. They contrast fast-food brands to show differing operational geniuses and analyze coffee chains through curation and consistency. They debate media formats like Shark Tank, examine founder-driven company traits, and offer practical tips for activating diverse team strengths.

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INSIGHT

Organizations Have Dominant Genius Pairings

Companies often exhibit a dominant Working Genius pairing rather than a single letter.
Patrick and Cody realized pairings (e.g., DT, GE) explain organizational behavior better than single letters during model development.

ANECDOTE

In-N-Out Shows Execution With Kind Service

In-N-Out exemplifies an ET company: relentless execution with warm service but minimal product change.
Patrick recounts asking In-N-Out executives about a turkey burger and being told they won't change the menu.

INSIGHT

Customer Intimacy Comes From Encouragement

Chick-fil-A and Dutch Bros lean into GE: enthusiastic encouragement plus service.
Cody notes both prioritize customer intimacy and encouragement over pure operational minimalism.

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How can you tell which Working Genius pairing defines the company where you work?

In episode 109 of the Working Genius Podcast, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson explore whether organizations have a dominant Working Genius pairing just like individuals do. Joined by Matthew Lencioni, they test the idea against well known brands and unpack how culture, customer experience, and leadership all point to a company’s natural strengths and blind spots.

Matthew Lencioni is part strategist, part behind the scenes operator, and fully immersed in the world of Working Genius. As a key voice at The Table Group, he helps translate big ideas into practical applications, while also keeping Patrick and Cody honest when their theories start getting a little too comfortable.

Topics explored in this episode:

(00:00:33) Can a company have a genius?

Patrick introduces the idea that organizations may have dominant Working Genius pairings just like individuals do.
Cody explains that company culture and customer experience often make those pairings visible to employees and customers alike.

(00:05:44) Comparing big brands

Patrick and Cody compare In N Out and Chick fil A to show how similar companies can operate from very different genius pairings.
They argue that In N Out reflects efficient service and execution, while Chick fil A leans more heavily into encouragement and relational energy.

(00:10:40) Starbucks, Shark Tank, and the role of discernment

Patrick and Cody examine Starbucks as a company shaped by discernment and tenacity through curation and operational consistency.
They also debate Shark Tank’s pairing and conclude that its format centers on evaluating opportunities and driving action.

(00:16:57) What WI companies struggle to do

The discussion shifts to wonder and invention, with Patrick and Cody noting that WI organizations may generate brilliant ideas without carrying them into activation or implementation.
They caution that employees with strong WI may need the right environment or the right role to feel fully used and energized.

(00:22:09) Founders, company bias, and practical implications

Patrick and Cody discuss how a founder’s genius can shape a company’s culture, using Dave Ramsey and The Table Group as examples.
Patrick closes by warning leaders not to push out employees with different geniuses, since companies need a fuller range of strengths than their dominant pairing alone provides.

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

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Stay Connected with Cody Thompson

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The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni

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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).

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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.