Are you creating a workplace environment that feels like a cage or a park?

In episode 261 of At The Table, Patrick and Cody unpack a powerful metaphor—“cocaine water”—to explain the dangers of isolation at work. Drawing from a well-known behavioral experiment that involves cages and parks, they connect addiction, loneliness, and disengagement to modern workplace culture. The conversation makes a compelling case that real connection at work fuels not only productivity but also dignity, healing, and human flourishing.

Topics explored in this episode:

(00:00) Embracing Humility and Vulnerability

* Importance of admitting lack of understanding

* Challenges in societal pressures

(07:32) The Power of Simplicity

* Importance of clear and understandable explanations

* The impact of simplicity in business settings

(14:45) Personal Accountability and Mentorship

* Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through personal accountability

* Role of organizational mentors in reinforcing basic principles

* Parallels between personal and organizational growth

(21:19) Success Through Simplicity and Discipline

* Requirements for organizational success

* Test of true understanding and leadership

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 podcast@tablegroup.com.

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

Are you creating a workplace environment that feels like a cage or a park?

In episode 260 of At The Table, Patrick and Cody unpack a powerful metaphor—“cocaine water”—to explain the dangers of isolation at work. Drawing from a well-known behavioral experiment that involves cages and parks, they connect addiction, loneliness, and disengagement to modern workplace culture. The conversation makes a compelling case that real connection at work fuels not only productivity but also dignity, healing, and human flourishing.

Topics explored in this episode:

(01:23) The Cocaine Water Experiment

* A behavioral experiment shows how isolation drives destructive choices, while community changes behavior.

* The concept of a “rat park” illustrates how connection can eliminate addiction entirely.

(04:08) Isolation and Remote Work

* Reframing the remote-work debate as a question of human connection rather than location.

(07:52) Dignity and Productivity Are Not Opposites

* Connection improves results, satisfaction, and performance simultaneously.

(13:54) Why Humans Need Multiple Communities

* People are designed for varied relationships, not constant isolation or constant proximity.

* Healthy work provides experiences worth bringing home and sharing with others.

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 podcast@tablegroup.com.

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

If you’re achieving at a high level while ignoring the health of your inner life, how can you reset?

In episode 259 of At The Table, Pat and Cody explore why high achievement can be a warning sign rather than a badge of honor. They explain how leaders often use success to compensate for fear, insecurity, or unresolved personal issues. The conversation underscores that true leadership effectiveness begins with inner health long before it shows up in organizational results.

Topics explored in this episode:

(00:30) The Real Cost of High Achievement

* High achievement often masks deeper personal wounds and unmet internal needs.

* Why leaders must address their spiritual, emotional, and relational health before chasing success.

(03:15) The Inner Circle of Influence

* How Stephen Covey’s “circle of influence” applies to a leader’s need to focus first on their internal well-being.

* How fear can become the engine driving unsustainable achievement.

(05:35) Organizational Health Begins With Leader Health

* Warning signs: neglecting physical health, spiritual life, or family relationships despite outward business success.

(09:27) Pat’s Personal Journey With Identity and Achievement

* Pat opens up about decades spent tying his sense of worth to professional success and learning to shift toward internal wholeness.

(14:25) Beware the High Achiever in Yourself and Others

* Encouraging leaders to pursue hobbies imperfectly, embrace being “not the best,” and refuse to let performance define identity.

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 podcast@tablegroup.com.

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