“Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.”- Robin Sharma
Over the last quarter, I have introduced a number of my clients to the work of one of our thought leaders, Patrick Lencioni, and in particular his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Throughout the book, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions that go to the very heart of why teams—even the best ones—often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team.
- Absence of trust
- Fear of conflict
- Lack of commitment
- Avoidance of accountability
- Inattention to results
My approach is to introduce the book and give the leadership team time to read it. Then at the teams Quarterly Strategy Retreat, I recap the book, guide the team through a 38-item team assessment, and then lead a couple of exercises to tease out the dysfunctions. This is a hugely powerful exercise to improve even the best leadership teams.
This week, Tim Ferris released a podcast interview with
Jim Collins. Many of you will be aware that Jim, and particularly his work in
his book Good to Great provide
some of the foundations of the Scaling Up Framework, Tools and Methodology. Jim Collins is a
student and teacher of what makes great companies tick, and a Socratic advisor
to leaders in the business and social sectors. He has authored or coauthored
eight books that have together sold 10+ million copies worldwide,
including Good to Great, Good to Great and the Social
Sectors, Built to Last, How the Mighty Fall, Great
by Choice, and his newest work, Turning the Flywheel. In
2017, Forbes selected Jim as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.
Here is a link to the podcast—I
highly recommend it.