The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

I found the book interesting and informative. I liked the style in which it was written. I found I could easily relate to the characters and situations. I was happy that the story style made the book completely understandable. I enjoyed the book and didn’t feel like my time was wasted at all.

A worthy read.

The Pixel Dreams Team owes much of our organizational health to Mr. Lencioni. Let me bring your attention to the 1-star reviews on Amazon:

1. “Art” criticizes the ‘newness’ of the book. As in, their review does not concern the content of the book at all.
2. “that guy” is scandalized by the shocking revelation that The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable is not a true story.
3. “Dinah W. McFarlane” is experiencing what one can only describe as a bruised ego. Apparently, the simplicity of the story insults her intelligence.

Is that enough to convince you that this is a worthwhile read? No? Then let me make it unquestionably clear: If your entire team has not read Five Dysfunctions of a Team, you are not operating at 100%. Throughout the book, Lencioni reveals the power of trust, disagreement and accountability, among other things, in a team. I implore you to read and apply this in your organization. The results may surprise you, much like “that guy” was surprised by Lencioni’s fictitious tale.

If you are part of a team, then this is a must-read book. It is very well written and easy to read. The book is written in a way that walks you through a story filled with dysfunctional characters. It then demonstrates how they work through the principle lessons to become a successful team. You become attached to the story and constantly want to find out what’s next. I specially love this because you aren’t just reading facts, you’re experiencing through the narrative, how they affect a team.

I can’t over emphasize the importance of Organizational Health. One of my favourite quotes from this gem of a book:

“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” – Patrick Lencioni

227 pages, the first 185 being a fable about a well funded startup with A Players that despite their talent, funding, and tech advantage – seem to be losing.

A mandatory read for all team members, especially the leaders.