The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

by Patrick Lencioni

“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.”

“Great teams do not hold back with one another,” she said. “They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.”

“Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”

“The key, of course, is to define our goals, our results, in a way that is simple enough to grasp easily, and specific enough to be actionable.

“Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.”

The first dysfunction is an absence of trust among team members.

This failure to build trust is damaging because it sets the tone for the second dysfunction: fear of conflict.

A lack of healthy conflict is a problem because it ensures the third dysfunction of a team: lack of commitment. Without

Because of this lack of real commitment and buy-in, team members develop an avoidance of accountability, the fourth dysfunction.

Failure to hold one another accountable creates an environment where the fifth dysfunction can thrive. Inattention to results occurs when team members put their individual needs (such as ego, career development, or recognition) or even the needs of their divisions above the collective goals of the team.