Coming soon · Book Profile
Five Dysfunctions Lencioni
Through a business fable about a struggling Silicon Valley startup and its new CEO, the book reveals five interrelated dysfunctions that undermine teams and shows how to overcome them.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Teamwork, not strategy or technology, is the ultimate competitive advantage precisely because it is so rare. In this classic leadership fable, Patrick Lencioni tells the story of Kathryn Petersen, a seasoned executive who takes over a dysfunctional, politically toxic startup and painstakingly rebuilds its executive team. As readers become absorbed in the human drama of egos, sarcasm, silence, and slow-motion decision-making, they learn a simple but profound model: teams fail because of an absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. The book pairs a compelling narrative with a concise, practical model section that includes a team assessment and concrete tools, making it an accessible playbook for any leader or team member who wants to transform a group of talented individuals into a genuinely cohesive, high-performing team.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A leader or team member who wants to transform a group of talented but disconnected individuals into a genuinely cohesive, high-performing team.
- The problem
- Their team underachieves despite talent and resources—decisions stall, politics fester, and results lag behind competitors. They feel frustrated, powerless, and worried that great teamwork is impossible to actually achieve.
- The plan
- Build vulnerability-based trust by opening up about weaknesses and mistakes.
- Engage in unfiltered, productive conflict around ideas.
- Achieve commitment through clarity and buy-in, not consensus.
- Hold one another accountable for behaviors and deliverables.
- Focus relentlessly on collective, measurable results.
- The payoff
- A cohesive team that trusts, debates honestly, commits clearly, holds each other accountable, and wins together. · Higher morale, lower turnover, faster decisions, and superior results.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- The Chrysanthemum and the Sword · Ruth Benedict
Quoted in the epigraph to highlight the long-standing problem of cultures misunderstanding one another due to a lack of knowledge about their core characteristics.
- The Moral Animal · Robert Wright
Quoted in the epigraph to support the idea that humans are 'puppets' of deeper forces and that understanding the 'puppeteer' (i.e., the Culture Code) is a form of liberation.
- Incredibly American · Marilyn R. Zuckerman and Lewis J. Hatala
Mentioned as a book developed from the author's work with AT&T and the American Quality Foundation on the American code for quality.
- Group Process and Productivity · Ivan Steiner
The book's concepts of 'process losses' (like social loafing) and the non-linear relationship between group size and productivity are foundational to Hackman's arguments about designing an enabling team structure.
- The Social Psychology of Organizations · Daniel Katz and Robert Kahn
Cited for the concept of 'equifinality,' which underpins Hackman's assertion that there is no one single 'right' leadership style, but rather many paths to creating effective conditions.
- Paradoxes of Group Life · Kenwyn Smith and David Berg
This work is cited to support the idea that groups are complex, non-obvious systems where leaders must manage inherent tensions (e.g., individual vs. group, authority vs. democracy), a core theme in Hackman's analysis of leadership.
- Leadership without Easy Answers · Ronald Heifetz
Cited to support the view that leadership is an emotionally demanding and risky activity that requires courage and the ability to manage anxiety, rather than just applying technical solutions.
- Experiences in Groups · W. R. Bion
Cited as foundational work on the unconscious dynamics of groups, especially their reactions to authority, which informs Hackman's perspective on the challenges of exercising leadership.
- Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances · J. Richard Hackman
Written by one of the book's authors, it provides the broader research foundation and theory on team effectiveness in general, upon which the specific study of senior leadership teams is built.
- The Functions of the Executive · Chester Barnard
The authors cite Barnard's classic work to ground their 'functional' approach to leadership, which emphasizes that what leaders *do* to create the right conditions is more important than their personal style.