The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team: A Leadership Fable

Having concluded the story of Kathryn and DecisionTech, Lencioni shifts the focus of the book to the components of “The Model” and explains what “The Fable” has dramatized—namely, that the five dysfunctions are not isolated, but rather impact each other.

The first dysfunction is the absence of trust, which arises from team members’ unwillingness to be open to and vulnerable with one another and is the root of all team conflicts. The lack of trust also causes fear of conflict, the second dysfunction, which in turn prevents teams from engaging in necessary and productive conversations, even when there are difficult decisions that must be made.

The third dysfunction is lack of commitment, which is related to a team’s inability to have open and honest discussions. This leads into the fourth dysfunction, the avoidance of accountability. When team members are not held accountable for their actions, they are unable to progress. The fifth dysfunction is inattention to results. Without a clear and actionable plan to achieve team goals, individuals may prioritize their own aims over those of the group.

In order to build a cohesive team, Lencioni suggests five counterpoints to the dysfunctions: (1) Team members need to trust one another in an atmosphere that fosters openness and vulnerability; (2) conflict is crucial for healthy debates and robust decision-making; (3) commitment to decisions and action plans ensures alignment and progress; (4) holding one another accountable for delivering on commitments promotes responsibility and progress; (5) achieving collective results means emphasizing the importance of shared visions and goals. He also describes factors that exacerbate a given dysfunction, suggestions for overcoming each dysfunction, and indicators that the dysfunction has been dealt with. He ends the book by reinforcing the daily habits that lead to good teamwork.