Recently, a colleague of mine was bemoaning about how new pop culture business books come out and everyone thinks they are these brilliant insights into life, when in actuality they are just the same stuff presented in a different way. She's right. She was particularly talking about the book Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. I was curious so I picked it up from the library. I was happily surprised with the book. It's a great book about an incredibly dysfunctional executive team and how they turn themselves around. I loved that it was written as fiction with a message - a leadership fable. I learn really well through stories so this worked for me. It's a short book, quick read, and great stuff.
As my friend said, there isn't anything new in this book, but the concepts are presented in a unique way that really make sense. It helps put the concept of teambuilding and the value of a team into a more concrete, graspable format. As Lencioni says, "...genuine teamwork in most organizations remains as elusive as it has ever been." I couldn't agree more. The more I work with different types of groups the more I see the behaviors outlined in Lencioni's book.
The book is less than $6 at half.com. What would happen if your whole team read this book then committed to doing the tough work to become a real team? I can imagine amazing results!
