Building great teams: Lessons from Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors
by Wendy Beltzner, Senior Director
Leadership Development and Training Strategy
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing world, great teamwork is more than a “nice-to-have”—it’s a core ingredient for a thriving, successful organization and one of the most widely sought-after skills of leaders. But building a truly cohesive, high-performing team requires more than a generic teamwork checklist. Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors model offers a straightforward yet profound roadmap for fostering a dynamic and resilient team culture. Let’s walk through the five behaviors and explore how they can be applied to build a great team that goes beyond just getting things done.
1 Trust
The foundation of any successful team is trust. Lencioni emphasizes the importance of vulnerability-based trust, where team members feel comfortable sharing their challenges, doubts, and even mistakes. This level of openness goes beyond mere professional trust; it fosters a safe environment where team members don’t feel the need to protect themselves or hide their true thoughts.
How to Build Trust:
- Start with icebreaker activities or team-building exercises that encourage sharing personal stories and interests; get to know your players.
- Lead by example; team leaders can openly share their own mistakes and lessons learned.
Promote feedback by encouraging team members to give constructive, open, and honest responses without fear of judgment or repercussions.
2. Conflict
Productive conflict is the next critical behavior. When there’s trust, team members feel safe to engage in productive, respectful debates without fear of harming relationships. Rather than avoiding conflict or letting it fester, great teams address issues directly to reach better, more informed decisions.
How to Encourage Healthy Conflict:
- Normalize disagreement by encouraging diverse perspectives and reminding team members that constructive conflict is essential for growth.
- Set ground rules for conflict, such as no interrupting, active listening, and focusing on ideas rather than individuals.
Designate a “devil’s advocate” to challenge ideas in meetings, helping the team see new angles and make more robust decisions.
3. Commitment
After an open exchange of ideas, the team needs to make clear decisions and commit to a plan of action. Commitment is about unity—where even if individuals don’t entirely agree, they actively support the team’s decisions.
How to Build Commitment:
- Ensure every team member has had a chance to voice their opinion before final decisions are made. Feeling heard fosters buy-in.
- Set clear goals and establish who is accountable for each part of the plan.
- After each meeting, summarize the key decisions and next steps to eliminate any confusion or ambiguity.
4. Accountability
Accountability is the cornerstone of consistent, high-quality results. Lencioni’s model underscores peer-to-peer accountability, where team members feel empowered to hold one another to high standards without relying solely on the team leader.
How to Encourage Accountability:
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and deadlines so everyone knows who is responsible for what.
- Encourage regular check-ins and progress updates, creating a system where accountability is continuous.
- Recognize and celebrate achievements while constructively addressing any unmet commitments as a team learning opportunity.
5. Results
The final behavior is a shared focus on achieving team-wide results. When teams are aligned to common goals and committed to one another, they focus on collective success rather than individual accomplishments. This shared commitment helps the team move forward cohesively.
How to Drive Results:
- Set clear, measurable goals and track progress as a team.
- Reward team success, not just individual achievements, to emphasize the importance of collective goals.
- Review the team’s performance periodically, assessing whether they’re aligned with their goals and discussing ways to improve.
Ready to Transform Your Team?
Building a cohesive team through Lencioni’s Five Behaviors is not an overnight process, but the journey is worth the investment. Teams that trust one another, engage in healthy conflict, commit to decisions, hold each other accountable, and focus on collective results consistently outperform their peers. They’re resilient in the face of challenges, adaptive to change, and, most importantly, a joy to be part of.
If you’re ready to put these principles into practice, consider attending an MRC workshop led by a certified Five Behaviors coach. In these interactive sessions, you’ll dive deep into each behavior and learn actionable techniques to strengthen your team. You’ll walk away with a customized approach that you can start applying immediately for real, transformative results.
Start building your foundation for a stronger, more unified team today! For additional details and how to begin, please contact Wendy, MRC’s certified Five Behaviors Coach:
Wendy Beltzner, Senior Director
Leadership Development and Training Strategy
Cell: 484.358.6935
E-Mail: wendy.beltzner@mrcpa.org