My Book Review on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

I found the book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni, a fascinating, easy-to-read book that takes us on a story of a newly appointed CEO, Kathryn Petersen, whose task is to fix and lead an underperforming organization.?

The first thing that I liked about what Kathryn did was to take the time to survey the landscape of the c-suite. She took the time to see how the executives interact, how they produce deliverables, how they manage their tasks and projects, how they communicate, and observe other leadership characteristics. I think it's imperative to take the first step in leadership by surveying the landscape no matter what your role is. It provides you with a pulse on how things operate and function within the team and organization. Doing this provides insight into what works and what doesn't work.

Ms. Petersen then organizes the c-suite to participate in a series of leadership all-day group meetings where she attempts to help bring to light the pitfalls of how they function as leaders and as a team. It is through these meetings that she introduces the five dysfunctions of a team:

• Absence of trust – The unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group.
• Fear of conflict – Shying away from constructive debate in favor of artificial agreements.
• Lack of commitment – Pretending to buy into group decisions produces unclear expectations.
• Avoidance of accountability – Standards are set low when leadership doesn't hold others accountable.
• Inattention to results – Prioritizing personal success, ego, and status before the team's success.

Through discussions with her team, Kathryn guides them to uncover how each of the five dysfunctions exists within the c-suite and how it hampers their ability to lead the organization.

I thought the five dysfunctions were an excellent foundational set of attributes to evaluate how well a team works together. Without addressing each of them, the ability of a team to achieve their goals is going to be more difficult. Katherine required everyone in the c- suite to attend no matter what other obligations at work they had because addressing the team's issues was a top priority. These leadership meetings allowed the team to reset, recognize the problems, and come together on the following steps to moving forward as a more united team. I can see how this is vital for a team to embark on success rather than the same tried path of inefficiency. Therefore, I learned that it is imperative to take the required steps in a team's work-life to address the team's issues.

I also learned from the book that as a leader, you sometimes have to take the first step to demonstrate things like being vulnerable or sharing authentic feedback. Sometimes the leader has to break the ice and set the tone for others on the team to follow. After all, you can't expect something from the team if you can't do it as the leader. I can see how sometimes you have to take the leap of faith and trust the team. I can also see how you might have to be the first to give honest feedback to engage the group in having a debate about something. You have to be authentic in your commitments because you don't want to mislead your teammates; their time and efforts are valuable. You also have to be able to hold people accountable because you can't let an issue grow into a bigger problem. Lastly, as a professional, you have to be able to set aside your ego and buy into the team mentality.

The other lesson that I learned from the book is when Kathryn suggested that Mikey, the Head of Marketing, leave the company because the person is not in alignment with the organization's goals. Sometimes you have to make the hard call to tell someone that there isn't a good fit and give them the option to take their talents and skills to another place or change their attitude to fit into the team's culture. It was interesting to see how Kathryn shared her thoughts on this and then allowed Mikey to decide whether to stay or leave.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent book for any one part of a team to read. It was packed with lots of great leadership advice and an easy read. It reinforced many leadership lessons that I have learned in the past, and it also introduced me to new leadership lessons that I can incorporate into my life.

Image courtesy of Jackalope West.