All It Takes Is A Goal

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ATG 267 | We Wanted to Love Coming to Work Every Day: Building a Business Without Burnout with Patrick Lencioni

Feb 2, 2026

Guest

Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni, founder of The Table Group and bestselling author known for The Five Dysfunctions and Working Genius, tells how he built a small, values-driven firm. He explains choosing mission over scale, protecting creative time, saying no to growth that dilutes purpose, and using clarity questions to guide decisions. He also shares family support that made risk-taking possible.

48:25

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Episode notes

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ADVICE

Use Clarity Questions To Say No

Decide your strategy by answering core clarity questions before saying yes to opportunities.
Use those answers to reject initiatives that violate your values or strategic anchors.

insights

INSIGHT

Small Size As An Unfair Advantage

Staying small can be an unfair competitive advantage because it allows experimentation without immediate monetization pressure.
Empowering many independent consultants expanded The Table Group's footprint while preserving intimacy and control.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Anchor Strategy In Purpose And Values

Define your purpose, values, strategic anchors, and priorities to shape decisions and preserve culture.
Use those anchors to refuse growth that would sacrifice intimacy or the joy of coming to work.

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

Why Pat left corporate life to start a firm

02:01 • 3min

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Starting small and loving the work

04:49 • 3min

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Early book success and accidental growth

07:49 • 2min

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Choosing mission over maximizing revenue

09:34 • 2min

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An unfair advantage from staying small

12:03 • 1min

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Defining strategy with clarity questions

13:21 • 3min

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Family priorities and risk-taking support

16:05 • 4min

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How Five Dysfunctions broke out

20:15 • 2min

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The unpredictability of breakout moments

22:26 • 2min

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Saying no: using strategic anchors

24:40 • 2min

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Protecting creative work while leading

27:01 • 2min

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Mistakes new leaders make

29:11 • 4min

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Pat's creative process and storytelling

33:18 • 5min

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Working Genius applied to family life

37:57 • 5min

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Would Five Dysfunctions change today?

42:33 • 2min

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Books Pat recommends for leaders

44:47 • 2min

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Where to find Pat and Working Genius

• 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.

#453

• Mentioned in 66 episodes

Built to Last

Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Jerry I. Porras

James C. Collins

Jim Collins

Jim Collins and Jerry Porras's "Built to Last" examines the characteristics of visionary companies, those that have sustained exceptional performance over long periods. The authors identify key principles that contribute to long-term success, including a strong core ideology, a focus on innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement. They analyze a range of companies across various industries, identifying common patterns and best practices. The book provides valuable insights for leaders seeking to build enduring and successful organizations. "Built to Last" has become a classic in the field of business strategy.

#4912

• Mentioned in 10 episodes

EntreLeadership

Dave Ramsey

In 'EntreLeadership,' Dave Ramsey shares his insights on how to merge the skills of an entrepreneur and a leader to create a successful business model. The book is based on his own experiences and provides practical tips on various aspects of business, including running a debt-free startup, the value of to-do lists, and perfecting the pitch. It aims to revolutionize the way readers think about business by offering a unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit and leadership principles.

#157

• Mentioned in 137 episodes

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

A Leadership Fable

Patrick Lencioni

This book explores the fundamental causes of team failure and organizational politics through a narrative about a fictional company, DecisionTech, Inc. It outlines five dysfunctions: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. The book provides practical advice and real-world examples to help teams overcome these dysfunctions and become high-performing teams.

#19

• Mentioned in 391 episodes

Good to Great

Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

Jim Collins

In 'Good to Great,' Jim Collins and his research team investigate why some companies achieve long-term greatness while others do not. The book identifies key concepts such as Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, and the Flywheel Effect. These principles are derived from a comprehensive study comparing companies that made the leap to greatness with those that did not. The research highlights that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but rather a result of conscious choice and discipline. The book provides practical insights and case studies to help businesses and leaders understand and apply these principles to achieve sustained greatness.

Patrick Lencioni built a multimillion-dollar business, sold 10 million books, and became one of the most influential leadership voices in the world. But here's what you might not know: he never had a five-year plan, turned down opportunities to scale, and prioritized loving his work over maximizing revenue. In this episode, Pat shares the behind-the-scenes story of building The Table Group, why he kept his team at just 15 full-time employees while empowering thousands of consultants, and how saying no to growth actually gave him an unfair competitive advantage. You'll discover why his wife gave him their house fund to start the business, how he protects time with his family despite constant opportunities, and why one of their core values is "we want to love coming to work every day." If you're building something or thinking about starting, this conversation will completely reframe how you think about success.

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