The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Most of the organizations where we live and work are marked by under-performing, often dysfunctional teams. Lencioni provides a powerful theory about the five behavioral tendencies that corrupt teams. His insights are at once both groundbreaking and simple, and they are presented in a way that can be applied in any organization - immediately. The five dysfunctions: Recognition corrupts Results. The desire for individual credit erodes the focus on collective success. Popularity corrupts Accountability. The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable for their behaviors. Certainty corrupts Clarity. The fear of being wrong prevents members of teams from making decisions in a timely and definitive way. Harmony corrupts Conflict. The desire for preserving harmony eliminates the occurrence of productive, ideological conflict. Invulnerability corrupts Trust. The fear of being vulnerable in front of team members prevents the building of trust within the team. The book begins with the fictional story of a woman who becomes CEO of a struggling, high-profile Silicon Valley company with a dysfunctional executive team and turns things around. Following the story is an analysis of the five corruptions, diagnostic questions to help readers assess their organizations, and a teamwork model giving them action steps to overcome the corruptions.

About the Author:

Patrick Lencioni, is the president of The Table Group, a San Francisco Bay Area management consulting firm that specializes in organizational and executive development. In addition to his writing and consulting, he is a sought-after speaker on topics related to leadership and management. He has been a columnist and contributor to a variety of newspapers and magazines. Over the years, he has worked with hundreds of executive teams and CEOs-all victims, at one time or another, of the five temptations.