In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni depicts a fictional, yet realistic, executive team in disarray. Aptly subtitled “A Leadership Fable”, the tale follows a newly-appointed CEO in her quest to unify a broken group of managers into a cohesive team with functioning, professional relationships.
Far from a touchy-feely story of training exercises involving falling off a platform into their co-workers arms, the team learns why it is so important to trust one another. Making the point that trust is the root from which every important action stems, Lencioni spells out a simple formula for success. It is not easy, as he tells us, but it is simple. Hard work and dedication are always necessary parts of any improvement or advancement, but never more so than when dealing with very different personalities. We all know the Apprehensive Anthony, Negative Nelly, and Arrogant Amanda types, and Lencioni describes the firm, consistent manner in which they should be handled for the good of the team.
Written in an easy-to-follow story format, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team provides valuable insight into why it is difficult for individuals to accomplish results when not working as part of a cohesive team. The Leadership Fable follows a progression that begins with a problem familiar to many:
- Part One: Underachievement, depicts a team that is not working as such, and in turn, the company is faltering.
- Part Two: Lighting the Fire, details the sometimes incendiary process of implementing a meaningful change.
- Part Three: Heavy Lifting, narrates the sometimes arduous task of performing consistent actions to achieve lasting results.
- Part Four: Traction, finally demonstrates measurable results.
The last several sections of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team specifically detail the five dysfunctions and their symptoms. Finally, there is an assessment included to be used for diagnosing your team’s particular problem areas and suggestions for overcoming each dysfunction. The lasting message of Lencioni’s tale is best articulated by the author himself:
Patrick Lencioni, Author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
“As much information is contained here, the reality remains that teamwork ultimately comes down to practicing a small set of principles over a long period of time. Success is not a matter of mastering subtle, sophisticated theory, but rather of embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence.”
With this book, you’ll be able to develop a group training session to introduce every member of your team to the theories in this helpful tale, or use it in every day practice as a manual to reinforce the constructive work habits that breed success. Read this best-selling book today and implement its suggestions to get your team on the road to success!
