Discount The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

This book was given to me by the company I work for during a Leadership Development course for all managers. We discussed a short summary of the book (provided before attending the class), but were not given a copy of the book until we arrived in class. The summary sounded a bit intriguing, but does not do the book justice. I found the approach and theme of this book to be not only useful; it was also a very fun read.

I took this book to the hospital with me a few days after attending the company leadership class to read in the waiting room while my wife was having surgery. In truth, I did this because I felt obligated to browse the book after attending the class and being given the book as a follow-up reference. I fully expected to set it aside in lieu of a more interesting magazine in the waiting room. After a couple pages of reading I was hooked and I read it cover to cover without ever considering putting it down.

Written as a fable, Mr. Lencioni tells a story that will allow any reader to find some of their own traits in the characters of his book, and to identify behaviors of the book's characters with real people that we all have to deal with in our daily lives.

This is a book that is now a permanent part of my personal library. I found many things that I have already applied and when I feel more proficient in using them, I will refer to this book to identify more things to help me be a better manager and team builder.

Although many of the principles are fundamental and seem like they should be obvious to anyone, they are so fundamental that very few people could identify them if given weeks and no other responsibilities. That is what makes this book so remarkable, but do not think for a minute that what Mr. Lencioni illustrates in this book is easy to apply, it takes a very deliberate and conscious effort to address these things as well as a real desire to be a more effective leader. If you think you work with a phenomenal team that could not be any better, I would offer that this book and the principles it addresses will make your team and your effectiveness as a leader even better.

There is no challenge in reading this book, it will engage you right away, the challenge you will face is practicing and applying the simple concepts it highlights.
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