3.5

Easy read while flying to a work event.

Must-read for anyone who leads, manages, or collaborates within a team setting. 

Presented as a leadership fable, the book uses storytelling to illustrate the root causes of team failure and offers a clear, actionable framework for building cohesive, high-functioning teams.

The story follows Kathryn, a new CEO brought in to rescue a struggling tech company. Through her journey with a dysfunctional executive team, we walk through the five core dysfunctions that hinder collaboration and results:
1. Absence of Trust – When team members are unwilling to be vulnerable, it erodes the foundation of teamwork.
2. Fear of Conflict – Avoiding healthy debate and disagreement stifles innovation and leads to artificial harmony.
3. Lack of Commitment – If people don’t voice opinions or feel heard, they won’t fully buy into decisions.
4. Avoidance of Accountability – Without commitment, holding each other accountable becomes uncomfortable or impossible.
5. Inattention to Results – When individual ego or departmental goals take precedence, the collective results suffer.

The model is intuitive, and the author does a great job showing how these dysfunctions are interconnected. It’s not just theory—he offers practical strategies to identify and overcome each dysfunction in real-world settings.