What does leadership mean to me?
Working effectively and harmoniously with others can be a challenge for any team. Common issues such as conflicts, misunderstandings, lack of engagement, low performance, or missed deadlines can hinder the team's potential for success. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is my favourite book that lays out a model of five dysfunctions that commonly prevent teams from reaching their full potential and provides practical solutions to overcome them.
The book is written as a fable, following the story of a new CEO who takes over a struggling company and tries to transform its dysfunctional executive team. The five dysfunctions of a team are: the absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.
The first dysfunction, absence of trust, is the foundation of any team. It means that team members are willing to be vulnerable with each other by admitting their mistakes, weaknesses, and fears. Trust is necessary for team members to hide their true selves, avoid constructive feedback, and hesitate to ask for help.
The second dysfunction, fear of conflict, stems from a lack of trust. This means that team members avoid engaging in healthy and productive debates about important issues. Instead, they resort to artificial harmony, passive-aggressiveness, or personal attacks. Without conflict, team members will not challenge each other, explore different perspectives, or make the best decisions.
The third dysfunction, lack of commitment, is the consequence of fear of conflict. It means that team members do not buy into the team's vision, goals, and plans. They may nod in meetings but do not fully support or agree with the team's direction. Without commitment, team members will lack clarity, accountability, and ownership of their work.
The fourth dysfunction, avoidance of accountability, is the outcome of a lack of commitment. This means that team members do not hold themselves or each other accountable for their actions and results. They may make excuses, blame others, or ignore poor performance. With accountability, team members will maintain their standards, tolerate mediocrity, and uphold the team's reputation.
The fifth dysfunction, inattention to results, is the ultimate dysfunction of a team. It means that team members do not focus on the collective goals and outcomes of the team. They may be distracted by their agendas, ego, status, or recognition. With results, team members will see the team's purpose, value, and impact.
To overcome these dysfunctions, Lencioni suggests that team leaders and members need to build trust, embrace conflict, foster commitment, enforce accountability, and focus on results. This can be achieved by creating a safe and supportive environment where team members can share their personal stories, experiences, and challenges. Team members can also establish norms and rules for healthy and respectful discussions, involve themselves in the creation and communication of the team's vision, mission, values, and goals, define and measure the team's key performance indicators, align the team's goals and activities with the organization's strategy and objectives, and celebrate and share their successes and learnings while identifying and solving their problems and challenges.
Sources (13/01/2024)
- The 5 Dysfunctions Of A Team: summary, review and hidden limitations .... https://xquadrant.com/5-dysfunctions-of-a-team/.
- The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary. https://www.supersummary.com/the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team/summary/.
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Book Summary by Patrick M. Lencioni. https://www.shortform.com/summary/the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team-summary-patrick-lencioni.
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Summary - Briefer. https://briefer.com/books/dysfunctions-team/pdf.
- goodreads.com. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21343.The_five_dysfunctions_of_a_team.