243. Overcoming the "I’m Not Enough" Trap
At The Table with Patrick Lencioni
Patrick Lencioni
4.8 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 27 May 2025
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why do so many successful leaders struggle with the feeling of "not being enough"? And how can leaders shift away from a scarcity mindset?
In episode 243 of At The Table, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson explore the pervasive feeling of inadequacy among leaders. They discuss how a "not enough" mindset can drive individuals to seek validation through constant achievement. The conversation emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, self-awareness, and shifting from a fear-based to a joy-based approach to life and work.
Topics explored in this episode:
(0:49) The Prevalence of "I'm Not Enough"
* Many leaders share a common feeling of inadequacy, often tracing it back to their youth.
* This feeling can create a cycle of constantly striving to prove yourself, hindering your ability to find satisfaction in accomplishments.
(5:04) The Impact of Vulnerability
* Sharing your feelings of inadequacy with others can normalize these experiences, encouraging them to acknowledge their own struggles and seek support.
(9:07) The Scarcity Mindset
* Believing "I'm not enough" can lead to a scarcity mindset, affecting your perceptions of time, success, and resources.
(14:23) The Illusion of Control
* The pursuit of control over outcomes can lead to anxiety and prevent you from embracing the present moment.
(18:36) Finding Peace in the Journey
* Reframing your perspective can help you foster a sense of peace.
* Embracing the journey and finding joy in the process can lead to greater fulfillment than solely focusing on the result.
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 and http://www.youtube.com/@PatrickLencioniOfficial.
Connect with Cody Thompson https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-thompson-a5918850.
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 [email protected].
This episode was produced by Story On Media:
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Yeah, I don't feel like I'm enough. I don't like it. I definitely want to get better at this. |
| 0:07.0 | And I want to perform better, not because I feel like I have to, but because I want to be who I'm supposed to be. |
| 0:15.9 | Welcome to At the Table, the podcast that lives at the intersection between culture, leadership, and |
| 0:21.0 | organizational health. I'm Pat Linchone, your host, joined by my co-host Cody Thompson. How are you |
| 0:26.4 | doing today, Cody? Just great, Pat. All righty. We're going to talk about something really, |
| 0:32.2 | really deep and thoughtful, I think. That's the goal here. And what are we calling this episode? |
| 0:38.8 | Deep and thoughtful is not on everybody's bingo card for us all the time. But we'll give it a shot. |
| 0:45.4 | The episode is, I'm not enough. That's right. So, Cody, a few months ago, we did our last |
| 0:52.1 | audio-only podcast, which was kind of the kickoff of our new |
| 0:56.4 | season of podcasts, if you will. And in that, I talked a little bit about what I've been doing |
| 1:00.1 | for the last seven or eight months. At that point, it was six months. And having to do with trauma |
| 1:05.9 | and youth and spiritual and personal development and all that stuff. Well, I've never received so many pieces of feedback from so many different kinds of people |
| 1:14.8 | that could relate to that. |
| 1:16.8 | And it was really wonderful, and I appreciate it. |
| 1:18.3 | I want to say thank you to everybody that reached out. |
| 1:19.9 | It was very kind. |
| 1:21.7 | And what's interesting, over the past few months, |
| 1:25.2 | every time I talk to a leader who's either heard that or somebody |
| 1:29.5 | that it just comes up, I think almost every single time the leader will say to me, |
| 1:34.3 | you know, I think I have that too. And I can relate to that and I think that might be me. |
| 1:42.6 | And it's really interesting. And the thing that they say is, and at the same |
| 1:49.8 | refrain, I hear this from everybody, they say, I feel like I'm not enough. And they usually trace |
... |
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