Podcast Summary: "The Impact of Your Environment"
Podcast: The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni
Episode: 97
Date: October 7, 2025
Host(s): Patrick Lencioni, Cody Thompson
Producer/Guest: Matt Lencioni
Episode Overview
In this episode, Pat, Cody, and producer Matt explore how our environment—workplace culture, family, and personal experiences—can mislead us about our natural "Working Genius." They share stories illustrating how external expectations may cause people to misidentify their true sources of joy and energy, and offer practical advice for uncovering your genuine genius beyond the roles and responsibilities forced upon you.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Influence of Environment on Assessment Results
- Pat (00:38): The hosts discuss how the environment may skew Working Genius assessment results, leading people to misidentify their true geniuses or frustrations.
- People often unconsciously answer assessment questions through the lens of their current work or family responsibilities, rather than their core, natural inclinations.
- Cody (01:28): "Try your best to not let the environment you spend most of your time in dictate how you answer the questions."
Quote [02:22 | Pat]: "It's hard to remember, what would I do if I could do it the way I like? Because it's been so long since I exercised that muscle."
2. Reward Structures and Their Impact
- Schools, workplaces, and even families tend to reward certain "geniuses"—often execution-focused traits like Enablement (E) and Tenacity (T).
- This reward structure can pressure individuals to "game" the test or internalize values that aren't actually energizing to them.
Quote [04:06 | Pat]: "If you had had me take this when I was really young...I probably would have tested out as an ET which is my working frustration, because I got really good at those things and got rewarded for them."
- Cody (04:35): Education, in particular, rewards "getting things done," making students believe that detail orientation and punctuality are their strengths, even if these are forced behaviors.
3. Consequences of Misidentification
- People who mismatch their true genius live in "tension," experience lack of confidence, and may feel unfulfilled or burnt out.
- The longer someone spends conforming to an environment that values the opposite of their natural genius, the harder it becomes to identify their true strengths—even retirement-age individuals may finally discover themselves only after leaving such environments.
Quote [10:09 | Cody]: “Kind of spent [his] whole life conforming to what was rewarded and celebrated in that environment. It wasn't till he was retired that he took Working Genius...”
4. Real-Life Examples
- Case 1 (Military): A woman tested G/alvanizer–T/enacity while in the Marine Corps, rewarded for execution and galvanizing. After leaving, she realized her real genius was W/onder–D/iscerner—opposite qualities rarely rewarded in the military.
- Quote [07:50 | Cody]: “At the time she was in the Marine Corps...what they rewarded in that environment is can you rally people...So she tested that way. Later, after getting out of that environment, realized...she really loves the process of asking big questions and utilizing wonder.”
- Case 2 (Priest): A disciplined priest scored as E/T (high execution) but his sister noted this didn't match her lifelong experience of him. Likely, his real genius included W/onder or I/nvention—attributes that his environment under-valued.
- Case 3 (Producer Matt): Matt initially thought he was D/iscerner–G/alvanizer based on past leadership roles at school, but discovered through reflection and the assessment he’s actually W/onder–D/iscerner.
5. Why 'Wonder' is Often Overlooked
- W/onder (W), a less observable and less commonly rewarded genius, is frequently missed or suppressed, both by individuals and their environments.
- Pat, Cody, and Matt observe that all their “misidentification” stories involve Wonder being unseen or unrewarded.
Quote [16:37 | Pat]: "W is the mystery meat of working genius, and that is so many people have never been rewarded for or even recognized for being a wanderer. So it's often the one that gets overlooked."
- Wonder is internal, undervalued in execution-focused environments, and can be hard to confidently self-identify, especially when forced for years to operate outside it.
6. Organizational Implications
- Geniuses misaligned with their company's culture can still contribute and be successful, provided leaders recognize and value the diversity of genius on their team.
- Acknowledging employees’ true geniuses allows managers to use everyone’s strengths versus squashing them into a mold.
Quote [11:37 | Pat]: "...if you know what your working geniuses are, even in those environments that have a propensity toward one thing, if you go to your superiors, they would want to know who you are so they can better manage you."
- Every team, marriage, and organization needs all six geniuses functioning to thrive.
7. Force-Fitting and Its Pitfalls
- When people are forced (or force themselves) into roles based on the expectations of their environment rather than their genius, frustration and underperformance follow.
- Both team structure and self-identity suffer, with unnecessary friction, judgement, or guilt.
Quote [20:44 | Cody]: "If it doesn't feel right, go ahead and explore the results...Because the way that you're leaning into wonder and discernment now and the value you're adding, as opposed to early on when we had it wrong, that is miles difference."
8. Reflections and Advice
- View results with open curiosity—if an assessment doesn’t “feel right,” validate with trusted others or by introspecting about what actually brings joy and energy.
- Freeing yourself from environmental expectations—whether you’re a parent, leader, or employee—leads to greater authenticity and fulfillment.
Quote [25:25 | Pat]: "A lot of liberation in understanding who we are."
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Pat (02:22): "...it's been so long since I exercised that muscle."
- Cody (04:35): "...the system of education is set up for tenacity...you kind of take these assessments and tests as if you’re wanting to get results that the environment is telling you that they value."
- Matt (23:03): "It was definitely the freedom...permission to ask the questions that I was wanting to ask and slow things down instead of speeding things up all the time."
- Pat (16:37): "W is the mystery meat of working genius, and that is so many people have never been rewarded for or even recognized for being a wanderer."
Important Timestamps
- 00:36 – Episode theme introduced: The impact of environment on self-assessment.
- 04:06 – Pat shares a personal example of being conditioned to answer as an ET.
- 07:50 – Cody’s Marine Corps example and dramatic shift in genius over time.
- 10:09 – Example of a retiree discovering a lifelong misidentification.
- 14:24 – Matt’s journey and how role context clouded his genius identification.
- 16:37 – Discussion on why ‘Wonder’ is the most easily overlooked genius.
- 20:44 – The cost of force-fitting someone into the wrong genius.
- 23:03 – Matt describes the relief and permission that comes from true alignment.
- 25:25 – Pat’s closing reflection on liberation and self-understanding.
Episode Takeaways
- Be conscious of environment—it can cloud the assessment of your innate strengths.
- Be wary of reward structures that tempt you to adopt “successful” traits over true gifts.
- Don’t force it—if results don't fit, take time to reflect, check with close friends, or revisit after environmental changes.
- All six types are needed; environments that only reward one or two are incomplete.
- Getting it right is freeing—your well-being and contribution both increase.
Listen with a “shoes off” mindset—courageously unleashing who you are at your core is the first step to working with joy and energy.