The Five Dysfunctions of a Team; a leadership fable
Patrick Lencioni - Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2002

As its title indicates, this is very much a fable, a story about team dynamics and, more importantly, a guide to building well-functioning teams.

In this tale, Lencioni uses the example of Kathryn Petersen, newly appointed CEO of a technology company and the challenge she faces in moulding a team from the highly dysfunctional executive group she inherits. Kathryn explores with them the five key elements in which teams fail to deliver and, ultimately, how these can be channelled into delivering results for a sustainable business.

The five dysfunctions are:

• Absence of Trust
• Fear of Conflict
• Lack of Commitment
• Avoidance of Accountability
• Inattention to Results

What first inspired me to pick up this book was the fact that its message is so universal; there are players in Kathryn's "team" who we can all identify and identify with.

In spite of the fact that I first read this fable 2 to 3 years ago, I continue to refer back to this book for its simple truths and guidelines.

Other fables from Lencioni which are equally worth reading include:

• The Five Temptations of a CEO
• The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive

All written in the same style and all with simple yet powerful messages for business owners, managers and executives and the people who work for them!

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