Podcast Summary: The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni

Episode 87: "Quit Your Job" and Start Living Your Genius
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Host: Patrick Lencioni (A)
Co-host: Cody Thompson (B)

Episode Overview

This episode, provocatively titled “‘Quit Your Job’ and Start Living Your Genius,” challenges listeners to rethink the traditional distinction between “work” and “retirement.” Patrick Lencioni and co-host Cody Thompson argue that the key to joy and fulfillment is aligning your daily activities—at any age or career stage—with your unique Working Genius (the model’s six types of work-related gifts). Rather than seeing retirement as an escape from work, they advocate for “retiring in place”: redesigning your job, tasks, or even home life to tap into what energizes you, starting now—not some distant day in the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rethinking Work and Retirement

• Redefining Retirement:
  Pat opens with the idea that people shouldn’t wait for retirement to do what they love; instead, they can “retire in place” by making current roles more energizing (00:01, 01:16).
• Fulfillment Beyond the Paycheck:
  Retiring isn’t about not working, but about engaging more deeply with what brings you joy, whether you’re paid for it or not (03:52).
  • “All of life, we do activity… There are certain things, activities that you can do… that actually can give you joy and energy.” —Cody (03:53)

The Impact of Working Genius on Work Satisfaction

• Case Study: Pat’s Father’s Retirement:
  Pat shares how his father lost a sense of purpose after retiring because he stopped engaging in activities that matched his Working Genius (ET—Enablement and Tenacity) (02:20).
  • “He could have done almost any job and found joy in it. He was that kind of guy. But he didn’t because he thought, ‘Well, I’m retired, I’m not supposed to do that.’ And I think it really hurt him.” —Pat (02:51)
• Applying Working Genius at Any Job:
  Even jobs with defined tasks offer some leeway to focus on what gives you energy—whether by redesigning your role or having honest conversations with managers (05:03, 09:58).
  • “Maybe what you need to do is go sit down with your boss… and say, ‘Hey, this is what I love, and I’m really good at. How can I do more of this here?’” —Pat (05:03)

Activities, Not Titles, Bring Joy

• It’s Not About Your Job Title:
  The hosts clarify that Working Genius isn’t a prescription for a specific job, but a lens for approaching any job (11:43).
  • “People will take Working Genius and… expect, like, ‘Hey, where’s the page… that tells me what job I should get based on my Working Genius?’ There isn’t a title for you. It’s the way you organize or show up to the job…” —Cody (11:43)
• Examples from Coaching and Teaching:
  Cody shares how coaching his daughter’s basketball team energizes him because it matches his genius (galvanizing), while administrative tasks would drain him—tasks his wife enjoys due to her own genius (08:56, 14:34).
  • “They all thought, ‘That’s such a sacrifice for you.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, no, actually this is fun for me. I enjoy it.’” —Cody (08:56)
  • Similarly, teachers—regardless of subject—can leverage their Working Genius to teach in the way that brings them energy (13:08).
    • “I’m a teacher. OK, well, what kind of a teacher? Well, I’m a DE teacher, which means I’m the enthusiastic encourager… I’m an ID teacher. I’m going to be creative and come up with new ways. They’re all valid as long as we know who we are.” —Pat (13:08)

Customizing and Sharing Work for Maximum Fulfillment

• Team Synergy Through Genius:
  Both hosts note how sharing tasks that energize you—and delegating ones that drain you—to teammates or family fosters collective “early retirement” (15:27).
  • “We can both quit the part of the job that we hate. Let me do the part that I love, and let me give to you the part that you love that doesn’t suit my needs.” —Cody (15:27)
• Organizational Ripples:
  When one person shifts into a role better suited to their genius, it opens opportunities for others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of increased energy and fulfillment in teams (15:34).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Starting Now:
  “Don’t wait for retirement to retire in place and adjust what you’re doing to fit what gives you energy.”
  —Pat (00:01)

• On Misconceptions About Retirement:
  “Everybody thinks the finish line is when I don’t have to ‘work’… but it actually gives us a container to think about activities that bring joy, regardless of what context you’re in.”
  —Cody (03:53)

• On Redefining Work:
  “We wanted to get people’s attention, but it doesn’t mean you have to leave the company where you work… Maybe what you need to do is go sit down with your boss… and say, ‘How can I do more of this here?’”
  —Pat (05:03)

• On Not Making Hobbies Into Jobs:
  “If somebody said, ‘You have to become a professional golfer… I will pay you the same amount of money you’re making right now to golf every day,’ I would be miserable because I like it because it’s a hobby.”
  —Pat (06:50)

• On Task Sharing in Teams and Families:
  “Let me do the part that I love, and let me give to you the part that you love that doesn’t suit my needs… everybody’s doing the thing that they enjoy, and it’s early retirement.”
  —Cody (15:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01 — Introduction to the theme: “Retire in place” and living your genius now
• 02:20 — Story of Pat’s father’s retirement and loss of purpose
• 03:53 — Cody discusses the misconception of work vs. retirement; all of life is about activity
• 05:03 — How to talk to your boss about reshaping your role to fit your Working Genius
• 08:56 — Cody shares his joy in coaching basketball; shows practical application outside work
• 09:58 — Even less flexible jobs allow small adjustments to fit your genius; Pat’s bank teller example
• 11:43 — Why there’s no “perfect job” for your Working Genius; it’s a way of working, not what you do
• 13:08 — Application of Working Genius in teaching, and de-emphasizing job titles
• 14:34 — Collaborative task sharing; making roles more energizing for everyone
• 15:34 — Organizational ripple effects: When one person shifts, others can too

Closing Thoughts

The episode delivers a powerful message: Instead of waiting for retirement, start reshaping your work and life now so they energize you. Use the Working Genius model to find and advocate for the activities that spark your joy, both at your job and in daily life, sharing tasks with others whose genius complements your own. It’s not about quitting your job or finding the perfect title—it’s about “retiring in place” by honoring your individual gifts and helping others to do the same.

Final advice:
"Figure out a way to start retiring now — and better to do it now. Ten years ago would have been good. This is the next best time."
—Pat (15:34)