The Five Dysfunctions of a Team uses a fable to explain why even the best teams struggle to work together and offers actionable strategies for them to overcome distrust and office politics.

Teamwork can easily turn into a nightmare.

Politics, ego, and mistrust can get in the way of building a well-performing team.

However, an efficient team is greater than the sum of its parts, especially in the business world.

Exceptional teamwork can give a company the competitive advantage it needs to beat its rivals.

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni uses a fictional tale to bring us truthful insights into what makes a good team.

We learn about a struggling Silicon Valley startup DecisionTech under the leadership of new CEO Kathryn Petersen.

2 years earlier, it looked like a promising start-up with passionate investors and leaders.

Today, it's falling apart because of poor management.

The executives were not working together, and the team members struggled to take on responsibilities or come to agreements.

Through their story, we can draw the five main possible sources of team dysfunction:

1.Absence of trust

2.Fear of conflict

3.Lack of commitment

4.Avoidance of accountability

5.Inattention to results.

We also find out helpful strategies to overcome these dysfunctions and avoid their tragic fate.

Because, as Lencioni puts it, teamwork is the 'ultimate competitive advantage.'