Most of the organizations where we live and work are marked by under-performing, often dysfunctional teams. Why? Because teamwork is an unnatural phenomenon, one that can only be achieved through an understanding of the basic human tendencies which cause group politics and self-interest. Unfortunately, too many leaders, and the consultants who serve them, focus on contrived exercises and tangential theories which do not address the core issues at the heart of 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. This book is the equivalent of The Five Temptations of a CEO for teams ? and comes at a time when every company is grappling with how to create and innovate through group effort, rather than individual contributor effort.

Portrait

Patrick Lencioni is president of The Table Group, a San Francisco Bay Area management consulting firm, and author of the best-selling books The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive and The Five Temptations of a CEO. In addition to his work as an executive coach and consultant, Pat is a sought-after speaker. Prior to founding The Table Group, he worked at the management consulting firm Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation, and Sybase, where he was vice president of organizational development. He is on numerous advisory boards and sits on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Over the years, Pat has worked with hundreds of executive teams and CEOs-all struggling, at one time or another, with the potential for dysfunction among their teams. Pat lives with his wife, Laura, and their twin boys, Matthew and Connor, in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can reach him at The Table Group's web site, www.tablegroup.com, or at patricklencioni@tablegroup.com.