What happens to a culture when leaders ignore problems?

In episode 252 of At The Table, Patrick and Cody explore the leadership principle of running toward the fire. They discuss why leaders often ignore the “smoke” of personnel or cultural issues, hoping problems will resolve themselves. Instead, they argue that credibility, trust, and organizational health are built when leaders courageously confront issues before they spread.

Topics explored in this episode:

00:35 – Seeing Smoke

* Leaders set the tone by how they respond to problems.

03:33 – Defining the Fire

* Personnel problems are the most commonly ignored fires in organizations.

06:03 – Why Leaders Avoid the Fire

* Confrontation feels messy and uncomfortable, especially when emotions are involved.

09:45 – The Cost of Avoidance

* Ignoring smoke damages credibility, weakens leadership muscle, and sets a bad cultural example.

12:20 – Regaining Credibility

* Leaders can only rebuild trust through visible action, not promises.

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://spoti.fi/4l1aop0), 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://spoti.fi/4iGGm8u), 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.

252. Where There's Smoke...

At The Table with Patrick Lencioni