Book Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (J-B Lencioni Series)
By Patrick Lencioni
Book Review by Terry Maples
The book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team begins with these words: “Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” Patrick Lencioni’s practical volume highlights the five dysfunctions that plague human efforts to develop genuine teamwork.
Lencioni conveys his ideas with an intriguing and insightful leadership fable. DecisionTech hired Kathryn Petersen as its new Chief Executive Officer. She inherits leadership of a company that boasts the best financial resources, the best people, and the best technology, yet DecisionTech lags behind two other competitors in the market. Kathryn knows little about this industry, but she possesses keen insight into human nature and the potential for people to work together in teams.
Wisely, Kathryn uses the first few weeks of her new job to listen and observe. Soon she notices how dysfunctionally the members of her executive team operate. Through powerful storytelling, Lencioni introduces us to each member of the executive team. We quickly realize that each of these high-level leaders brings much to DecisionTech, but as a group the executives know little about working together to accomplish team goals. The underlying tension is palpable.
Kathryn prepares to share her observations about what is and isn’t working at DecisionTech. She schedules the first executive meeting at a restaurant. Chief Technologist, Martin, challenges her leadership by scheduling a sales meeting he deems more important at the same time as the executive meeting. Kathryn exhibits astute leadership as she averts the potential sabotage. Repeatedly, Kathryn shows us how great courage is necessary for effective leadership of a team.
In reality, Kathryn did not inherit a team at DecisionTech. The executive team was not a team but a group of individuals. The leadership fable gives insight into what is required to move from being a group of individuals who work for the same company to becoming a highly functioning team. Teamwork requires the contribution of each team member and success is tied to team goals.
Most of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team relates the story of DecisionTech’s journey under Kathryn’s leadership. Eventually, on page 185 we see the model that informs the fable. Lencioni offers a Team Assessment tool related to the five dysfunctions, then provides a great overview of them: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. For each dysfunction, Lencioni offers useful examples of healthy and unhealthy team behaviors. Finally, he gives practical tips for how to overcome each dysfunction.
This leadership fable, written about a for-profit company, applies beautifully to faith communities as well. The weekend after reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, I shared the principles with my church staff at our annual retreat. We quickly and unanimously identified and agreed on the dysfunctions most evident in our team. More importantly, we immediately began to apply the principles of healthy functioning as we addressed a current staff challenge.
I highly recommend this book to every church staff. The fable is captivating, the principles are intriguing, and the possibilities for change are inspiring. The time has come to move from being groups of individuals who merely work next to each other to becoming highly effective, cohesive teams that powerfully impact on the kingdom of God. When church staffs work hard to become teams, the journey results in greater trust, more open and honest communication, a clear sense of direction, and greater capacity for risk-taking.
