The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni

This book is good, but not that good. The first problem is that this book is an allegory. While this is a helpful method of teaching, it also tends to oversimplify problems and their proposed solutions. Teamwork, especially at the leadership level, is one of the most challenging problems that companies face. This is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is leadership egos — something that the author does a very nice job of describing and deconstructing.

However to apply the principles presented in this book would be difficult unless you are an especially creative or powerful leader. Most leaders don’t have the opportunity to fire people or remove them for the team (something that happens not once, but twice in this book). While I agree that this can be the most effective method of improving team dynamics, for a lot of leaders, it isn’t a realistic option for most people.

I did appreciate, however, how much the author focuses on trust and the willingness to have, and work through, conflict. This is true of any relationship, including co-workers, friendships and even marriage. This book is an easy, enjoyable read, but it runs the risk of simply being a platform for Lencioni’s consulting firm. Please give us more depth or consider marketing this as a case study.