The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Quotes

“Though it always amazed her, Kathryn knew from past experience that the departure of even the most difficult employees provoked some degree of mourning and self-doubt among their peers.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“No, trust is not the same as assuming everyone is on the same page as you, and that they don’t need to be pushed. Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they’re doing it because they care about the team.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Some people are hard to hold accountable because they are so helpful. Others because they get defensive. Others because they are intimidating. I don’t think it’s easy to hold anyone accountable, not even your own kids.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Kathryn paused for effect before delivering her next line. “Let me assure you that from now on, every staff meeting we have will be loaded with conflict. And they won’t be boring. And if there is nothing worth debating, then we won’t have a meeting.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“You have tension. But there is almost no constructive conflict. Passive, sarcastic comments are not the kind of conflict I’m talking about.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“It’s the lack of conflict that’s a problem. Harmony itself is good, I suppose, if it comes as a result of working through issues constantly and cycling through conflict. But if it comes only as a result of people holding back their opinions and honest concerns, then it’s a bad thing. I’d trade that false kind of harmony any day for a team’s willingness to argue effectively about an issue and then walk away with no collateral damage.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“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.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Trust is not the same as assuming everyone is on the same page as you & that they don't need to be pushed. Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they're doing it because they care about the team.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

“Yeah, in my last company we called it ‘disagree and commit.’ You can argue about something and disagree, but still commit to it as though everyone originally bought into the decision completely.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Harmony itself is good, I suppose, if it comes as a result of working through issues constantly and cycling through conflict. But if it comes only as a result of people holding back their opinions and honest concerns, then it’s a bad thing.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Trust is the foundation of real teamwork. And so the first dysfunction is a failure on the part of team members to understand and open up to one another.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“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.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“It is ironic that so many people avoid conflict in the name of efficiency, because healthy conflict is actually a time saver.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

“When team members do not openly debate and disagree about important ideas, they often turn to back channel personal attacks, which are far nastier and more harmful than any heated argument over issues”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

“All great relationships, the ones that last over time, require productive conflict in order to grow.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

“The most important action that a leader must take to encourage the building of trust on a team is to demonstrate vulnerability first.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

“More than any policy or system, there is nothing like the fear of letting down respected teammates that motivates people to improve their performance.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“The most important action that a leader must take to encourage the building of trust on a team is to demonstrate vulnerability first. This requires that a leader risk losing face in front of the team, so that subordinates will take the same risk themselves. What is more, team leaders must create an environment that does not punish vulnerability.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“I am going to be pretty intolerant of behavior that demonstrates an absence of trust, or a focus on individual ego. I will be encouraging conflict, driving for clear commitments, and expecting all of you to hold each other accountable. I will be calling out bad behavior when I see it, and I’d like to see you doing the same. We don’t have time to waste.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Let me assure you that from now on, every staff meeting we have will be loaded with conflict. And they won’t be boring. And if there is nothing worth debating, then we won’t have a meeting.” The”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Our ability to engage in passionate, unfiltered debate about what we need to do to succeed will determine our future as much as any products we develop or partnerships we sign.” It”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“All great relationships, the ones that last over time, require productive conflict in order to grow. This”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“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.”
― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“She explained. “Once we achieve clarity and buy-in, it is then that we have to hold each other accountable for what we sign up to do, for high standards of performance and behavior. And as simple as that sounds, most executives hate to do it, especially when it comes to a peer’s behavior, because they want to avoid interpersonal discomfort.”
― Jossey-Bass, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Consensus is horrible. I mean, if everyone really agrees on something and consensus comes about quickly and naturally, well that’s terrific. But that isn’t how it usually works, and so consensus becomes an attempt to please everyone.” “Which usually”
― Jossey-Bass, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“The next dysfunction of a team is the lack of commitment and the failure to buy in to decisions.” She wrote the dysfunction above the previous one. “And the evidence of this one is ambiguity, ” which she wrote next to it. Nick was reengaging now.”
― Jossey-Bass, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“If you really think about it, meetings should be at least as interesting as movies.”
― Jossey-Bass, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Well, some teams get paralyzed by their need for complete agreement, and their inability to move beyond debate.” JR spoke up. “Disagree and commit.”
― Jossey-Bass, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

“Trust is the foundation of real teamwork. And so the first dysfunction is a failure on the part of team members to understand and open up to one another. And if that sounds touchy-feely, let me explain, because there is nothing soft about it. It is an absolutely critical part of building a team. In fact, it’s probably the most critical.”
― Jossey-Bass, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable