The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 11,614 ratings · 862 reviews

In "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, "The Five Temptations of a CEO" and "The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive." This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams.
Kathryn Peter...more

ebook, 240 pages

Published June 3rd 2010 by Jossey-Bass (first published January 1st 2002)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 28, 2010 Jonas Moore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, management

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is a book I enjoyed which Pat Lencioni wrote the foreword for. I found Lencioni's foreword intriguing (apparently I was the one person who hadn't heard of him). So, I decided to check The Five Dysfunctions out, and am so glad that I did.

This book explores the fundamental causes of organizational politics and team failure. Lencioni does an outstanding job showing a team that's going through some typical, real-world sticking points, yet is able to maneuver through them s...more

33 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Cassandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone interested in team dynamics

Recommended to Cassandra by: employer

Shelves: work

This was the first selection in my company's optional six-book book club, centered around management-type topics. Management is something I have no desire to get involved with, but I'm always game for a book club and I wanted to gain better insight into why the relatively healthy dynamics where I work now differ so strongly from those at every other job I've ever worked. And how to perserve these dynamics and flourish in them. Based on my prejudices and the (partial) title "The Five Dysfunctions...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2010 Esmeralda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: interpersonal, management, fable

To pharse things positively:

1. Trust one another in order to admit mistakes and ability to be vulnerable.

2. Have an ability to engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas. It is important for people to air disagreements and walk out without collatoral damage.

3. People need to commit to unified goals and plans of action. There needs to be some level of personal investment in order for dramatic, positive change.

4. People need to hold one another accountable for plans. They need to be able to confro...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Vam Norrison rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm relatively new to the corporate world and observe heavy reliance on inane hierarchical-pyramid models and very linear "cycles" designed to describe organizations, relationships, goals, processes, progress and, ultimately, success. 'Five Dysfunctions' is a great example. While I'd love to rip into this book's awkward narrative structure, cartoonish characters, and childish melodrama, I'm certain many already have. If this book is to be considered a fable, it is only for its oversimplification...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2009 jack added it · review of another edition

forced to read this one for work. did some awful group work with it also. really not that helpful in a bullshit retail situation.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2009 Jacob rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bear with me. I am doubly skeptical of models as methods versus tools (I will explain later) and of corporate literature. With that bias, this book would have been lucky to get three stars from me. Please keep that in mind.

What I mean by a model as a method versus a tool is that when a model is presented to help people try and understand how something functions I have no problem with it. Meyers-Briggs personality test is a great example. Fun to take and compare with people and get an idea of whe...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2008 Neil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been in corporate America for just under 4 years now. In my time, I've never really bought into the majority of management strategies I've seen because well, they blatantly do not work; and if they do, its at an absurd cost of employee retention, dissatisfaction and needless overwork.

Passive aggressiveness, no accountability, scared of conflict... I see it too often, and I'm constantly frustrated by it. And just when I thought I was alone, I read this book and was completely blown away. Eve...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2013 Cassandra Giovanni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Cassandra by: mom

Shelves: longman

There were two functions to this novel, the first being a "fable" meant to portray the management point of the dysfunctional team, and the second part being a review of the concepts that were illustrated in the fable. To the first part, as it was supposed to be fictional, I would only give 2 stars. Overall, the writing was overly simplistic, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic, and the characters were basically unrealistic and arrogant (a word that was used far too many times to describe ot...more There were two functions to this novel, the first being a "fable" meant to portray the management point of the dysfunctional team, and the second part being a review of the concepts that were illustrated in the fable. To the first part, as it was supposed to be fictional, I would only give 2 stars. Overall, the writing was overly simplistic, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic, and the characters were basically unrealistic and arrogant (a word that was used far too many times to describe other characters while the main character was noted as "confident" even though she was many times the very same thing). This was a juxtaposition to the whole second part of the novel, while it was small, that was a review of the concepts. The writing in this area was far superior lending to a 3 star rating. This contrast of writing between the two functions made me wonder if the author felt that fictional writing should be slushy, or if they honestly were just more adept at analytical writing than story-telling. If the latter where true, that is what they should stick to; however, I must point out that in both areas of the novel there were issues with coordinating conjunctions. What was more surprising to me was the fact that at one point the character steps back and realizes that she shouldn't use the word but to begin one of her sentences because of the connotation that it holds. I wonder why the author didn't realize that it was used the same way throughout the novel, even amongst his own analytical writing. In the second section where the concepts are reviewed the writing is better, the points are much more clear and the basis of the novel is well thought out. I did see some similarities to concepts in Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, such as mutual respect. I could watch the interactions in the fable and apply the skills I learned from Crucial Conversations to work through the issues at hand. I believe that the concepts in the novel are a good basic rendering of dysfunctions of a team (lack of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results), many of which I can see occurring in organizations that I have worked for, but that the book lacks in-depth instructions of how to truly handle these issues. It shows one how to recognize these innate truths and how to allow others to see these issues are causing dysfunction, yet it lacks the length to go into how to deal with these. It also seems to be meant for a corporate raider who possibly isn't a part of the problem but is there to facilitate the correcting of the problem. From my experience, and as Crucial Conversations shows , many times all that are involved are a part of the problem, including executives. I think this book is a good foundation, but a more thorough book like Crucial Conversations is required to truly understand and correct the problem. Overall, I think this book would be good for a person who needs to learn by seeing an example of dysfunction; however, the fable part of the novel was lacking in fictional writing finesse. (less)

like · see review

Mar 23, 2013 Rahim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've seen this book on so many 'management' lists, I finally decided to read it now that I'm taking up a new team. I wish I could find all the people who recommended this book as a 5, and filter out any of their recommendations in the future. The book has a couple of tidbits, but it isn't worth the time. The fable part is childish and basic enough for a 4th grader to understand. The exercises at the end are very basic - although as a starting point, they are useful I suppose. The book also conti...more

like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading other business improvement books, I was a little bit shocked by how much I enjoyed this one. It is a book about the different characteristics that lead to a strong and effective leadership team. What really is different is that it is told in the form of a parable where different dysfunctions are present, and a new and seemingly unconventional leader takes the helm of the company and leads them to improved relationships and productivity. The five dysfunctions are: absence of trust,...more After reading other business improvement books, I was a little bit shocked by how much I enjoyed this one. It is a book about the different characteristics that lead to a strong and effective leadership team. What really is different is that it is told in the form of a parable where different dysfunctions are present, and a new and seemingly unconventional leader takes the helm of the company and leads them to improved relationships and productivity. The five dysfunctions are: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. It advocates establishing trust to help foster active discussions to more fully evaluate ideas before they are executed. I liked some of the comments on how to run meetings:
“…do two things: be present and participate. That means everyone needs to be fully engaged in whatever we’re talking about…if there is ever a time when that (issues that would be better handled off-line) happens, when we thing that we’re wasting the group’s time by dealing with issues that should be dealt with outside the meeting, then everyone here should feel free to speak up.”
These notions definitely resonate with me since I’ve been in a lot of meetings lately where just about everyone is checked out. This book advocates a little more meetings than I would probably prefer, advocating multi day annual planning meetings, two day quarterly staff meetings, weekly two hour staff review meetings, and ad hoc topical meetings. Depending on the role, it can be beneficial to ensure that time is also devoted to accomplishing other tasks; this might be better suited for higher-level workers.
Overall I liked this book and thought it highlighted real issues that exist in my workplace, and additionally proposed solutions for fixing those problems. This is a very easy, engaging, and quick read, and while I did not entirely agree with how highly the author values meetings, I thought it had a lot of great material for improving the types of ideas that come out of meetings and ways to eliminate the roadblocks that keep us from making the best use of our discussion time.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 05, 2012 Josh Meares rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Aaron Giesler

Good book ... well, good ideas anyway. Just like I like the idea of a business novel/fable. I've just yet to see one that is written by a real writer with ... you know ... characters and action and stuff. Still, it's more interesting than the usual business book.

What sets this book apart is not the sophistication of its ideas. It's not the clarity of the presentation or the detail of its implementation. Each idea on its own is commonsensical. But, the combination of ideas, in particular, the com...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Robert Chapman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leadership

I read this book 10 years ago when it was first released. Back then I was at a point in my career where the lessons of this book were not really applicable to my circumstances. I decided to give it another read as I remembered it to be a good book and since its release it has also gained a reputation as one of the better books on the topics of Leadership and Organizational Development.

The book tells a story to illustrate the dysfunctions using the setting of an executive team in a fictitious com...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 20, 2012 Parcoast rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second "fable" by Lencioni that I have read, and I find his books enjoyable and useful for several reasons.

1. The "fable" format works, and I feel a little better about adding them to the Fiction Room blog since they include actual fiction. They are highly consumable and fairly concise. That is what I want in a business book. It is still work, after all, and I would like to get the info I need, along with examples of how to try it out, and then get back to my own recreational readin...more

like · see review

May 09, 2012 Loy Machedo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What the book is about?
1. A fictional tale of the corporate personality & process challenges people face on a day-to-day basis.
2. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand manner with each character being portrayed in a manner that anyone can relate to.
3. Divided into two parts - the first part being attributed to the fictional story and the second part being dedicated to the non-fictional and at times academic style of teaching and preaching.
4. A call-to-action on the 5 dysfunctions of a team...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 23, 2011 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This is a one of the best business novels out there. I love the idea of introducing concepts through a storyline of a fictional organization. The only thing better would be if it were based on actual events that was told in story form.

Kathryn is a CEO who takes over a company struggling with its market share and profit. She has the courage to attack the difficult issues rarely losing her composure and delivers criticism in a way that it mostly encourages discussion and positive conflict. I canno...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rebecca by: Merrie

Shelves: nonfiction

This was helpful, I think. I liked the suggestions for nonintrusive team-building exercises re personal histories and work contributions (below). If you don't have time to read this, the 5 dysfunctions are:
(1) absence of trust (manifests as invulnerability),
(2) fear of conflict (manifests as artificial harmony),
(3) lack of commitment (manifests as ambiguity),
(4) avoidance of accountability (manifests as low standards),
(5) inattention to results (manifests as status and ego).

Personal history...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Isaac Yuen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Usually books about leadership, teamwork, and organizational culture bore me to death, but this one is different; I finished it in around two hours, and it was an interesting read all the way through. As the description notes, Lencioni crafts a fictional but realistic story around a high-tech Silicon Valley startup in crisis: although they have better technology, expertise, and initial investments, in recent months they have been rapidly ceding their advantage to competitors. A new CEO renowned...more Usually books about leadership, teamwork, and organizational culture bore me to death, but this one is different; I finished it in around two hours, and it was an interesting read all the way through. As the description notes, Lencioni crafts a fictional but realistic story around a high-tech Silicon Valley startup in crisis: although they have better technology, expertise, and initial investments, in recent months they have been rapidly ceding their advantage to competitors. A new CEO renowned for her experience in building teams is brought in to shake things up; the story revolves around her dealings with the various personalities within the company and her attempts to steer the company around.

The five dysfunctions of a team outlined in this book are quite simple, and their results are also outlined:

1.) Absence of trust LEADS TO need for invulnerability
2.) Fear of conflict LEADS TO fear of conflict
3.) Lack of commitment LEADS TO ambiguity
4.) Avoidance of accountability LEADS TO low standards
5.) Inattention to results LEADS TO individual status and ego over the team

I’m not going to go into too much detail here; read the book. Many of us have seen and been part of touchy feely team-building exercises. Chances are they work for a little while, and then we settle back into our old habits. Lencioni even admits that "while there are certainly some benefits derived from rigorous and creative outdoor activities involving collective support and cooperation, those benefits do not always translate directly to the working world.”

But he contends that it is teamwork - not finance, not strategy, not technology - that is the ultimate competitive advantage, because it is at once so powerful and so rare. So it’s worthwhile to focus on building one properly if you have a group of highly skilled people who have to constantly work together. (This emphasis on teambuilding might not be relevant for short term “hot groups” that are just put together for short durations to get a task done and then disbanded afterwards).

This storytelling approach works wonders for material that might otherwise be too fluffy or abstract; I was under the impression that it was a bunch of short fictional examples to depict specific concepts, but I was pleasantly surprised at the long continuous tale. Its uninterrupted length gives the reader an opportunity to relate to the various characters within the story, and keeps him/her engaged throughout. Indeed, I immediately began to associate those fictional characters to past team members in the real world: the insufferable know-it-all, the socially inept and tactless, the genius introverts, the awesome dude that fills whatever role that needs doing to get the job done. They’re all here.

On a personal level, I also recognized my own personal dysfunctions in team situations, and will seek to work on them in the future. Two examples:

1.) On many teams, I just want to get my stuff done, without regard for the performance of the overall team. Putting the individual ego aside is tough to do without someone holding you accountable.
2.) I actively avoid interpersonal conflict, even when it would be prudent and constructive to engage in it. It’s a character flaw.

In summary, I highly recommend the book. It’s a super easy read, simple but engaging (a difficult thing to pull off), and very relevant if you spend any time slogging it out with a group of individuals instead of working as a team. I’m sure we’ve all been there.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2011 Daniel Silvert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Five Dysfunctions of a Team
As a consultant who has worked with hundreds of teams in organizations large and small, I can attest that model outlined in “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is both accurate in it’s root diagnosis of team dysfunctionalism, and is as pervasive as human nature itself. As with all of Lencioni’s books, he opens with a fable and concludes with the model that is the basis for the story’s solution. In the fable, a new CEO is confronted with a dysfunctional executive team and...more Five Dysfunctions of a Team
As a consultant who has worked with hundreds of teams in organizations large and small, I can attest that model outlined in “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is both accurate in it’s root diagnosis of team dysfunctionalism, and is as pervasive as human nature itself. As with all of Lencioni’s books, he opens with a fable and concludes with the model that is the basis for the story’s solution. In the fable, a new CEO is confronted with a dysfunctional executive team and pressure from the board to execute a quick turn around. As she feels out how the current culture impacts collaboration, idea generation, and execution, the CEO gradually works through each stage of the Five Dysfunctions model to re-position the company for success.
The model in pyramid form:

Lack of trust: In this bottom stage, team members are hesitant to open up about their fears or insecurities about a project.

Fear of Conflict: Fearing retribution or political consequences, team members avoid rigorous debate over the issues and decisions that matter most. This can be reinforced by local legends: “The last time somebody challenged the boss’s idea, he wasn’t around for long afterwards.” Healthy, constructive conflict – or candor – is key to surfacing the best ideas. Fear of conflict snuffs out the creative process.

Lack of Commitment: Lack of vigorous debate does not prevent decisions from being made. Low team involvement in how decisions are shaped and carried out leads to weak buy- in.

Avoidance of Accountability: When commitment is low, excuses are readily available when results are not achieved. “We all knew this was un-realistic to begin with, now you’re going to hold us accountable?”

Inattention to Results: At this pinnacle stage, team members are investing valuable time and energy in the politics of self-protection. Obsessive email trails are stored for easy retrieval, stories are honed that explain where the break down occurred and by whom. It’s every ‘team’ member for him or herself. The collective concept is crushed.

In highly functional teams the pyramid, inverted, is just as relevant: High levels of trust leads to healthy, constructive candor in the service of unearthing the best ideas. Fully engaged team members feel high levels of commitment, because while their particular idea may not have won, they’re perspective was heard and respected. This feeds a focus on individual and collective accountability to achieve the goals agreed upon, which requires near total focus upon delivering results.

Lencioni captures the human essence of teamwork and connects the dots from trust to profit. Highly recommended.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2011 Campryenwater rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Campryenwater by: The Wall Street Journal Book Rankings

I love reading a book where the material can be implemented almost immediately. The tips offered in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is this type of book.

The content adheres directly to the title and gives the five dysfunctions of a team through the eyes of a fictitious software company experience a challenge. The activities the team embarks on are similar to what you find in today’s corporate culture with the proverbial “off site” meeting. During this time, the author shares the team dysfunctio...more

like · see review

May 25, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm usually not a fan of managerial leadership books, but I actually enjoyed this one. Perhaps it was the genre (an extended fable about a woman named Kathryn,who assumes the role of CEO of the fictitious DecisionTech, Inc in Silicon Valley). Lots of good, common sense about leadership and team-building, with a focus on the inter-personal dynamics at play.

The 5 dysfunctions (and their corresponding behavioral manifestations) are accessibly presented in a Pyramid (with dysfunction #1 being the b...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 28, 2011 Todd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: business-management, life-management

Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable was presented to me as the CEO’s handbook. Indeed, it is. Every CEO who desires his company to produce results greater than expectation should read this book. Read it, re-read it, dog ear pages, highlight, underline and put notes in the margin. Apply what you learn and then reread it. Don’t leave this book on your night stand partially read. In fact buy copies for your team members and make them read it too. The Five Dysfunc...more Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable was presented to me as the CEO’s handbook. Indeed, it is. Every CEO who desires his company to produce results greater than expectation should read this book. Read it, re-read it, dog ear pages, highlight, underline and put notes in the margin. Apply what you learn and then reread it. Don’t leave this book on your night stand partially read. In fact buy copies for your team members and make them read it too. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team must be required reading.

As Lencioni explains:

Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it so powerful and so rare.

Teamwork! It sounds simple enough. How many of us have grown up in our careers being preached at endlessly about teamwork? There is no “I” in team and all that. Yet, how many of us share the experience that many of the teams of which we are members are not only dysfunctional, but simply fail to produce the desired results? Probably just about every one of us can say this.

The power of a fully functioning team cannot be understated. Lencioni goes on to quote a friend, “If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

But, this book is not just useful for those of us with business management concerns. This is more than a CEO handbook, it’s a life handbook. Regardless that the author wrote this book with business management in mind everyone can use this pertinent and valuable information for any team, in any setting, at any time. Our lives are composed of membership in multiple teams. Families, coaches, teachers, rabbis, ministers and clerics of all religions can benefit from the material presented.

Lencioni’s prose is crisp and well paced. The business or general reader will find it easy to read quickly rapidly flipping pages. This may be the book’s only real fault as the reader may incorrectly assume the information is simple and they would be correct – it is simple, deceptively simple and on this point I urge caution. As a favorite professor of mine from college used to state, “You always need to read a book at least twice. The first time somewhat quickly so you can see what happens and then the second time more slowly to absorb the information and knowledge it is imparting.” As I stated earlier this book requires more than just a couple of reads.

The Five Dysfunctions, like so many books in the business category, are written for a sixth grade reading level making it accessible to your average MBA or CEO. However, the simplistic writing style does not negate that powerfully useful information and techniques offered.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 10, 2010 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Patrick Lencioni classified 5 dysfucntions of a team:
1. Abesent of trust
2. Fear of conflict
3. Lack of commitment
4. Avoidance of accountability
5. Inattention to result

The story is little bit strange to me as the recruit or promotion of a senior management seems to be so open and become a company decision instead of teh CEO make it final. It is not important for the theme of this book, just make me feel strange when reading this section. Is that cultural difference I found?

However, I woul...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 20, 2009 Francis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a parable about a management group at a high-tech firm that has to face and ultimately overcome its ingrained dysfunctional behaviors in order to come together as a team and lead their company out of a crisis. Told from the point of view of a newly-hired CEO who has come to fix the crisis at a startup that, despite having great technology, cannot seem to gain traction in the market and is losing ground. The new CEO has to assess and diagnose the team's dysfunctional dynamics, and id...more

like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Josh Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leadership

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Patrick Lencioni tells a compelling story in his book The Five Dysfunction of a Team to illustrate the problems with impede teams and the strategies which can help to overcome them. In easy, flowing prose Lencioni tells the story of Decision Tech, Inc and its new CEO Kathryn. Kathryn is abruptly hired to turn around Decision Tech, a company with loads of talent and potential that seems to perpetually underachieve. Lincioni describes the early days of Kathryn’s ten...more The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Patrick Lencioni tells a compelling story in his book The Five Dysfunction of a Team to illustrate the problems with impede teams and the strategies which can help to overcome them. In easy, flowing prose Lencioni tells the story of Decision Tech, Inc and its new CEO Kathryn. Kathryn is abruptly hired to turn around Decision Tech, a company with loads of talent and potential that seems to perpetually underachieve. Lincioni describes the early days of Kathryn’s tenure and her unconventional approach of passively listening, learning and then calling for a series of two-day off-site meetings for the board. He describes each member of the executive team in some detail, describing their background, experience, talents, and their characteristic relationships with the other members of the team.
The primary narrative thread through the book follows Kathryn’s presentation over the course of several offsite meetings along with her executive team’s reaction as they struggle to adopt and internalize her message. At the retreat, Kathryn describes the five dysfunctions of a team. The first and fundamental dysfunction is the absence of trust. Lencioni via Kathryn explains that only in an atmosphere of trust can a team “admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal (p.44).” At the offsite, Kathryn explains that mutual trust is essential to teamwork. After absence of trust, Kathryn moves to the final dysfunction, inattention to results. She explains the results in view are those goals the team has collectively. She argues that when an individual places their personal ambition ahead of the success of a team, failure is inevitable. To help address this, Kathryn challenges the team to identify measurable, common goals. She helps them, not without challenges, to reorient from measuring success based on personal or departmental metrics to overarching goals with the success of the entire company in view. In order to move from lack of trust to the achievement of these common goals, Kathryn explains that the team must overcome the final three dysfunctions, Fear of Conflict-Artificial Harmony, Lack of Commitment-Ambiguity, and Avoidence of Accountability-Low Standards. Kathryn teaches that there must be an environment of trust in which disagreements can be aired. She explains that once each person has had the opportunity to have input in the decision making process, buy in to the final decision will be greater, even if the decision is not the preference of the individual. With a robust commitment, clear tasks may be assigned, team members may be held accountable, and goals may be collectively pursued.
In addition to Kathryn’s presentation of the content, Lencioni illustrates the disfunctions as he describes the interactions and conflicts of Decision Tech’s executive team. Martin, the firm’s chief engineer, initially attempts to skip Kathryn’s off-site in favor of an important sales opportunity, Mikey is passive-aggressive and terribly divisive, and Nick is focused on advancing his own career to the exclusion of the company. Through Lencioni’s narrative, the reader is able to see how these real to life actions illustrate the dysfunctions and how Kathryn addresses them. Among other things, Lincioni’s book succeeds because each of his characters is intriguing, multi-dimensional, and realistic. The solutions to the company’s problems are not immediately obvious and often the character’s responses to Kathryn’s actions are unexpected. In this compelling read, Lencioni clearly teaches his readers the principles necessary for effective teamwork and demonstrates how to lead a team toward this type of synergy.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 Grant rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good book that emphasizes the need for trust, accountability and team goals in order to make a team function. As an executive, I found it spoke truthfully to the difficulties and realities of personalities. I also responded well to the attitude that people almost ALL of the time WANT to make the effort for a team and meet goals as a team and can subsume their desires for the good of a team WHEN they are needed.

As recently as last night I had occasion to utilize some of the thoughts in the boo...more

like · see review

Jul 20, 2012 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is pop-business at its most simplistic...didactic leadership material light enough to be a beach read (which I did!). The characters in the "fable" were nearly just caricatures of a modern day executive team. The CEO is an old school matriarch come to save the modern organization gone worthless, and her schemes to make wise her lost executives are more and more cloying with every convenient payoff. The problem I worry is that many will read this book simply looking for ways to compare or ca...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 27, 2013 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: business

Example of what a client wants his book on marketing to be like. At first, I found it completely boring, and the story-telling seemed contrived. I wasn't going to read it, but then I opened to a page in the middle and got intrigued by Mikey, the team-wrecking brat. What was her problem? How did she get this way? What would become of her? The more I skipped around and watched her struggles on random pages, the more I wanted to know, so then I actually started reading it in order.

I guess this is...more

like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Cristian Strat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good team work takes common sense and an uncommon amount of discipline.

The five dysfunctions of a team highlighted in the book are: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

Rather than being told about these dysfunction in the usual style of management books, we're presented with a fairly entertaining fable about a newly appointed CEO attempting to save a company from collapse. Some parts of the story are a bit contrived but...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2012 Mike rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, borrowed, library

I've heard about this book since the beginning of time. So I finally broke down and borrowed a copy from the library.

The "leadership fable" portion of the book was very readable and pretty much flew by. That's because pretty much every other page was the end of a chapter or otherwise largely blank. This is a book that will not take you very long to get through.

I wonder if it's really possible to boil down all of the complex issues that people working in teams may face to a set of five simple, ea...more

like · see review

Mar 26, 2011 Marleigh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First line: "Only one person thought Kathryn was the right choice to become CEO of DecisionTech, Inc.

Summary: Lencioni identifies five problems with executive teams, which he presents through a story (fable) and then analyzes.

Spoilers! In as much as reference books can have spoilers.

The 5 dysfunctions are:
1. Absence of trust. Where trust is comfort with showing vulnerability and admitting mistakes to teammates.
2. Fear of conflict. Teams need to be able to have passionate debate and walk away...more

2 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (20)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

Patrick Lencioni - THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM

Add a comment

Genres

Business

332 users

Leadership

213 users

Non Fiction

124 users

Self Help

20 users

Psychology

11 users

Self Help > Personal Development

11 users

Academic > School

7 users

Adult

6 users

Sociology

5 users

Reference

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, consultant and founder and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to helping organizations become healthy. Lencioni’s ideas around leadership, teamwork and employee engagement have impacted organizations around the globe. His books have sold nearly three million copies worldwide.

When Lencioni is not writing, he consults to...more

More about Patrick Lencioni...

Books by Patrick Lencioni

Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...about Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Management Fable About Helping Employees Find Fulfillment in Their Work

The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: The Four Disciplines at the Heart of Making Any Organization World Class

The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable

Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable about Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Five Dysfunct...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Five Dysfunctions ...

“Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they're doing it because they care about the team.” — 28 people liked it

“Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.” — 26 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
avg rating	preview: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable Goodreads rating: 3.92 (11614 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8466332-the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1276699518l/8466332.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8466332-the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni[/url]

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website