Book Review: Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Team Building . Team building involves the selection, training and motivation of a group of people working toward a common goal. Gina Gardiner is the Official Guide to Team Building. Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators, by Patrick M. Lencioni, is a valuable resource for people interested in Team Development and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Praise for Patrick Lencioni

"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 H. Amos Jr., president and CEO, Mail Boxes Etc.

"Every manager and executive will recognize themselves somewhere in this book. Lencioni distills the problems that keep even the most talented teams from realizing their full potential. Even more important, he shows—in prose that is crisp, clear, and fun to read—how to solve them."

—Geoffrey A. Moore, chairman, The Chasm Group; author, Crossing the Chasm, Inside the Tornado, and Living on the Fault Line

"This book is as thought-provoking, insightful, and rich with ideas as The Five Temptations of a CEO. I’ve used it with my team and it works!"

—Phillip J. Hildebrand, executive vice president and chief distribution officer, New York Life Insurance Company

"Compelling and incisive, this will become the definitive guide on how to build and manage successful teams."

—Jean Kovacs, president and CEO, Comergent Technologies

"As practical, readable and compelling as his other books. I’m sure this will be another business classic."

—Richard Carr, president and CEO, TEC International

After her first two weeks observing the problems at DecisionTech, Kathryn Petersen, its new CEO, had more than a few moments when she wondered if she should have taken the job. But Kathryn knew there was little chance she would have turned it down. After all, retirement had made her antsy, and nothing excited her more than a challenge. What she could not have known when she accepted the job, however, was just how dysfunctional her team was, and how team members would challenge her in ways that no one ever had before.

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams.

Kathryn Petersen, DecisionTech’s CEO, faces the ultimate leadership crisis: uniting a team that is in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Lencioni’s riveting tale serves as a timeless reminder that leadership requires as much courage as it does insight.

Throughout the story, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions that go to the very heart of why teams—even the best ones—often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.

Just as with his other books, Lencioni has written a compelling fable with a deceptively simple yet powerful message for all those who strive to be exceptional team leaders.