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 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 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 bestselling 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.
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"Great book about teamwork. Illustrates a lot of what I've experienced as a team member. This was recommended to me by one of the people interviewed for Secrets of Analytical Leaders, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it on Safari Books Online. Nothing I'd need to keep but it does have a few very good illustrations and parables I hope to use in my work."
— Maashu (4 out of 5 stars)
" It was very helpful for me as I have just become a ceo in a company that needs a change. so it was bang on and very helpfull "
— Gideon, 11/4/2023" The narration of the story was done in a remarkably impactful manner. It captured my attention throughout as I was hearing the voice of each subject through the narrator. Great way to make the material interesting and captivating. "
— Thabi, 6/7/2023" A must read for leaders in the educational setting. "
— Michael, 2/3/2014" Well written discussion about team work. If your company needs to build a team, this is quick read. "
— Aunt, 2/2/2014" Loved this book! The ideas and concepts are expertly written in a clear and easily digestible format. Recommend for anyone interested in the psychology of groups and group dynamics. Easy convertible to outside the workplace. "
— Jaime, 1/24/2014" This book was AWESOME! It is a really quick read (It took me about 4-5 hours). Everyone who is a leader should read it. The concepts behind the book can be applied to teams outside of the corporate world as well. I definately recommend it! "
— Katrina, 1/21/2014" I liked the fable format of this book. It was an interesting way to present the concept of the 5 dysfunctions. While they are presented in a corporate framework, I think they are applicable to any type of team building. "
— Janelle, 1/20/2014" really simple but hard to apply. I think it is a solid model and would love to try it out on my team. "
— ben, 1/14/2014" I had to read this book for work and was not looking forward to it. I was pleasantly surprised, though. I liked that the information was delivered in a story format. While Lencioni does not have a future as a novelist, the story was a quick and easy read that kept me engaged. "
— Cathy, 1/14/2014" A good quick read for business books. The author writes up the first part of the book as a story so it makes the concepts less dry. The 2nd half of the book has helpful hints on how to build trust and provides tools/methods to improve team communication. "
— Emily, 1/11/2014" Great book super easy read with very applicable principles "
— Cj, 1/8/2014" Easy to read and a great message. Gave me a lot to think about as I develop my own team. "
— Diana, 12/23/2013" Interesting read for insights into work relations. "
— Katie, 12/11/2013" It felt too generic. The story didn't feel real or believable. I didn't get anything different or enlightening out of this book. "
— Ardell, 12/8/2013" Fabulous. A great read for any leader interested in building an effective team that achieves results. "
— Cora, 12/4/2013" Gives a great foundation for what a "team" needs to understand and do to work as a team. "
— Debie, 6/4/2013" Great book for anyone in business. "
— Laura, 5/12/2013" While I've read this book many times, it's still a good basis for how a team should operate. "
— Laura, 2/28/2013" Liked the fable part of it, almost read like a soap opera! "
— Tania, 6/4/2012" Very readable, very quick, very relevant. "
— Casey, 3/11/2012" This information shouldn't be this novel, but, unfortunately, it is. "
— Thomas, 2/19/2012" pretty good for a work read "
— Teresa, 1/3/2012" This was an easy to read book which conveyed key principles in an easy to remember format. "
— Angie, 11/4/2011" I liked the described model (trust -> conflict around ideas -> commitment -> accountability -> results), but didn't like the artificial story. The managers including the CEO superstar in that story are performing in my opinion bad (that is not the point of the book, but it is distracting). "
— Marek, 6/23/2011" This information shouldn't be this novel, but, unfortunately, it is. "
— Thomas, 5/17/2011" Really good book about how people can work together constructively. I want to read his other books. "
— Linda, 5/15/2011" NOthing earth shattering but a great story of Kathryn who comes in to chage the parameters of what a team thinks of good and right. <br/> <br/>My take away from the book: The importance of a foundation of trust on a team. "
— Jmajors, 5/9/2011" Great book on the fundamentals of what makes a good team. I really liked the way each principal built upon the one before it, and Lencioni's style of teaching through a story was very helpful. Not a dry read at all. Highly recommended for anyone who manages or is a contributor to a team! "
— Nathan, 4/5/2011" Super easy read with some great management lessons. "
— Sam, 3/30/2011" I read this for a work book group. I will say that it is one of the more readable business books we've been assigned, but I still can't say I'd recommend it to anybody.<br/><br/>Business books are touchy-feely cheesy self-help books designed for guys. "
— Shelly, 3/29/2011" Might really connect with younger team members...very nice.... "
— Mary, 3/23/2011" Great book... easy read. Life changing. "
— Richard, 3/17/2011" Good book on the softer skills in leadership. Engaging with a simple model and some practical ideas. "
— Bryan, 3/6/2011Patrick Lencioni is founder and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to helping leaders improve their organizations’ health since 1997. His principles have been embraced by leaders around the world and adopted by organizations of virtually every kind including multinational corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, professional sports teams, the military, nonprofits, schools, and churches. Lencioni is the author of ten business books with over six million copies sold worldwide. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, and USA Today, among other publications.