The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

A Leadership Fable

By: Patrick Lencioni

Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

In keeping with the parable style, Patrick Lencioni begins by telling the fable of a woman who, as CEO of a struggling Silicon Valley firm, took control of a dysfunctional executive committee and helped its members succeed as a team. Story time over, Lencioni offers explicit instructions for overcoming the human behavioral tendencies that he says corrupt teams (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results). Succinct yet sympathetic, this guide will be a boon for those struggling with the inherent difficulties of leading a group.

Building a cohesive team is not complicated, declares Lencioni. Departing from the dry, theoretical writing of many management books, he presents his case in the context of a fictional organization, and in doing so succeeds at communicating his ideas. The scenarios are recognizable and can be applied anywhere teamwork is involved, whether it is a multinational company, a small department within a larger organization, or a sports team. At the end of the story, the main points are summarized, and clearly expressed suggestions and exercises are offered to help bring about change. Concise and easy to follow, this program is recommended for anyone who is a member of a team that needs improvement.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is also available in print from Wiley.

©2002 Patrick Lencioni
(P)2002 Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"A gripping analysis of what makes teams work effectively. This fine work is a must-read for any leader that has come to grips with the fact that no one makes progress - much less succeeds - alone." (James Amos, president and CEO, Mail Boxes Etc.)

Great ideas but don't follow them blindly

Great read worth reading or listening to. Ideas are great but don't necessarily follow them. Blindly. Would be great to hear how these were implemented within a team in practise as I think they are good but inherently people are selfish and serve their self interests so aligning to a team goal and rewarding at that level will still pose some of the same issues as if the team isn't hitting that goal then it will revert to selfish desires and politics will start.

Excellent book

Very useful lessons on how to address the proper functioning of the team. I really enjoyed this book.

Standing Ovation

As someone getting ready to take an executive position within my organization, this book is one that I will reference over and over again. Fantastic story-telling ability, great for application, and easy to digest. Highly recommended for leaders AND members of teams.

Great leadership fable to revisit

A great fable to revisit once in awhile. The characters are relatable, but the scenarios are few. The story keeps you interested and flows well.

Start here if you want to be a better leader.

Good business books are rare, the business book publishing machine is content to churn out time wasters... but not this book. The 5 principles are presented in a way that help a person see and then diagnose dysfunctions that undermine high performance. If you are a team leader and things are not clicking for you and your team then this is probably the best 3 hours you can spend to help turn it around. I am a team leader, and this book has helped me. Thank you Patrick Lencioni.

Eye opening

I love that this book looked at the perspective from all the different people on the team. It also offered suggestions for improvement that could be used easily in any company. It was an easy listen and entertaining. I’m not likely to forget what I read because it was a story and not a textbook.

Ideal reading for any Leader

I was required to read this for a Leadership Meeting at work. While I prefer fiction by far, this book was very captivating and will definitely make me a better Manager, Leader, and Mentor. It was a credit well spent!

Quick "read"

I really enjoyed this book. I also bought a hard copy, as the last few chapters provide worksheets. But the Audiobook was a nice listen on my way to work. I would recommend this (audio or hard copy) to anyone who works in a team. The Narrator had a nice, steady voice. I would listen to other books read by him. It wasn't a difficult book to get into.

The reader brought it to live

This book made all the difference when I had to listen to it and not read it!

Best team building book I have read in 5 years.

The story was spot on and easy to follow! The last part where all the dysfunctions were being analyzed and suggestions on applications was very helpful

More content

This is a great book and gave me great insight but I felt it is lacking application and content.