The Role of the Leader in Five Team Behaviors

Last week, I attended a briefing on a new team training program called The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team.  It is based on building teams that are the opposite of the one in Lencioini’s business fable The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (see video post), which has also been the basis of other team training programs.  The new program includes a version of the

Everything DiSC profile and for that reason it emphasizes the need for a skilled facilitator to help the team understand what their different member styles are and how that affects team dynamics, as well as decision making and problem solving.  A skilled facilitator is always a good idea when introducing a new concept or technique to a team. 

After thinking about the program, I thought it would be interesting to look at the two models as they relate to the common team development pyramid and also show what the leadership role is to move existing teams from dysfunctional (aka BAD) to cohesive (aka GOOD).  The pyramid starts with the foundation of trust and moves the team upward towards results.

Dysfunction Model	Role of Leader	Cohesive Team Model
Absence of Trust = The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team.	Go first to show openness and willingness to trust others in group.	Trust One Another = Be transparent and honest with one another to build vulnerability-based trust.
Fear of Conflict = The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive ideological conflict.	Watch and listen to group for conflict situations.	Engage in Conflict Around Ideas = team members are able to engage  in unfiltered, constructive debate of ideas.
Lack of Commitment = The lack of clarity or buy-in prevents team members from making decisions they will stick to.	Force clarity and closure to gain commitment and assign actions.	Commit to Decisions = members are able to offer opinions and debate ideas so they will be more likely to commit to decisions.
Avoidance of Accountability = The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable.	Confront difficult issues as they arise in group.	Hold One Another Accountable =  everyone is committed to a clear plan of action and become more willing to hold one another accountable
Inattention to Results = The pursuit of individual goals and personal status erodes the focus on collective success.	Focus group on collective outcomes.	Focus on Achieving Collective Results = The ultimate goal of team building is to get results.