
264. Give It Up
From At The Table with Patrick Lencioni by Patrick Lencioni
March 17, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 264
About this episode
Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson discuss how leaders can improve by stopping detrimental behaviors.
What is one behavior you repeat that may be undermining your leadership? In episode 264 of At The Table, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson discuss how leaders can grow by identifying habits such as interrupting others, avoiding conflict, or deflecting discomfort with humor. Leadership advice often focuses on adding new tools, strategies, and frameworks, but sometimes the most powerful improvement comes from stopping a behavior that undermines your team. By practicing “addition by subtraction,” leaders can create healthier teams simply by removing one recurring behavior. Topics explored in this episode: (00:00:00) The Idea Of Leadership Subtraction Patrick Lencioni introduces the concept that leaders can improve by stopping behaviors rather than constantly adding new practices. The hosts frame the discussion around the Lenten tradition of giving something up and apply that idea to leadership. (00:02:11) Personal Leadership Habits That Get In The Way Patrick reflects on his tendency to interrupt others and explains how impatience and quick thinking contribute to that habit. Cody shares his own leadership tendency to use humor in uncomfortable situations and how that can sometimes…
People in this episode
Host: Patrick Lencioni
Guest: Cody Thompson
Topics covered
- leadership
- behavior change
- team dynamics
- conflict resolution
- personal growth
Keywords
- leadership
- habits
- interruption
- conflict
- humor
- trust
- team health
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