REWIND: The Power of Vulnerability and Self-Discovery in Leadership featuring Patrick Lencioni

**Patrick Lencioni** (0:00)
When you're a CEO or a head of sales or a manager of anything, you are called to love the people under your chart. I felt like I was never enough. And I thought maybe when I got to be 25, it would be enough. Oh no, it's 35, 45, 55 And it's like, oh yeah, I'm still not enough. It's time to realize I'm enough. The best way you can develop a relationship is by being vulnerable, by trusting your heart to somebody. Find those people around you, let them know where you are, and let them love you through it. Selling is serving, but it requires that we're actually willing to say, I love you enough to do something that would be hard for me, which might be, I'm not going to close this deal because I don't think it's good for you. It really starts with people need to know that their leader is willing to say, I know who I am, I know my good things, I know my drawbacks, I know that I've done good things, I know I've made mistakes. And when a leader can do that, the power that unleashes in the organization, because then other people say, yeah, me too. Every company is smart enough. I mean, we have the internet now, everybody knows everything. But what differentiates us, what's the Heart reply?

**SPEAKER_2** (1:02)
Welcome to the Culture From the Heart Podcast on the From the Heart Business Network. In a business world where employees and customers crave authenticity and trust, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are on a mission to find and showcase heart-centered executives and the companies they lead. You are about to hear an inspiring conversation with a visionary leader that's bringing heart into the workplace, empowering employees, serving their clients, and uplifting communities, all to create true success. This is Culture From the Heart. The movement starts here. Let's begin.

**Darrell Amy** (1:42)
Welcome to Culture From the Heart. I'm your co-host, Darrell Amy, here today with Larry Levine and we're joined by one of our favorite authors and leaders, Patrick Lencioni. He's the founder and president of the Table Group, the Organizational Health People. Pat, it's great to have you here.

**Patrick Lencioni** (1:56)
I can't wait to talk to you guys. This is going to be so fun. I love what you do.

**Larry Levine** (1:59)
Oh, thank you. We've been looking forward to this.

**Darrell Amy** (2:02)
Once we get started, Pat, you know the question that every guest on Culture From the Heart answers. I'm really curious to hear your answer to what does Culture From the Heart mean to you?

**Patrick Lencioni** (2:11)
Well, you know, it's so funny because the idea that culture would be anything else. It's like, it's not culture from the mind. And you know, when we talk about organizational health, essentially what we're talking about is, it's the heart of the organization, which is its greatest competitive advantage. And every company is smart enough. I mean, we have the Internet now, everybody knows everything. But what differentiates is what's the heart look like? What, what? And so that's the centerpiece of what a human being is, and that's what a company is. And, and when you sell, it's not the features and functions, it's, it's about how you come across and how you connect with people and what they believe to be true. So, you know, culture and heart acts, to me, it's like I can't imagine the two words existing independent of one another.

**Larry Levine** (3:01)
Oh, this is, this is so good because we're, we're just heart-centered people that believe that culture does start at the heart. But as we unpack this, Pat, where do you see this going awry? Or where do you see the disconnects sometimes in the organizations you work with where they're not connecting at a heart level?

**Patrick Lencioni** (3:22)
You know, I think what happens is that when, when people are not vulnerable, I mean, when all of the stuff we do, it starts, you know, the five dysfunctions routine, we talk about trust. I mean, trust is at the heart of all human relationships. And oftentimes what's lacking is when a person can't be vulnerable, that you can't build trust with them. And that's true if you're selling to people, that's true if you're leading people, it's if you're in a personal relationship with somebody. And I think so when we find leaders in companies that have a hard time being vulnerable, they think that it's all the intellectual side of business. They're going to get through on that. And every great company that sustains success for any length of time does so because it's about the culture and it's about the heart. Now, you have to be smart enough, but in 27 years of doing what I do, I've never been into gone to a company and said, they're just not smart enough. Many times gone in and said, they're not healthy enough. Where's the underlying passion and the reason? And so I think it goes awry when leaders are not comfortable being vulnerable and then they create a culture that's not vulnerable and then trust breaks down and then it all becomes about transactional relationships and even kind of manipulation around ideas, not around human beings.