The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
by Patrick Lencioni · 2012
In a nutshell
Patrick Lencioni shows that organizational health—minimal politics, clarity, high morale—is the ultimate competitive advantage. Essential for scaling companies.
Overview
Patrick Lencioni argues that organizational health—not strategy, finance, or marketing—is the ultimate competitive advantage.
The Four Disciplines
1. Build a Cohesive Leadership Team
- Trust among executives
- Healthy conflict
- Commitment to decisions
- Peer accountability
- Focus on collective results
2. Create Clarity
- Why do we exist?
- How do we behave?
- What do we do?
- How will we succeed?
- What is most important, right now?
- Who must do what?
3. Over-Communicate Clarity
- Repeat key messages 7x
- Multiple channels
- Cascading communication
- Reinforce constantly
4. Reinforce Clarity
- Hiring
- Performance management
- Rewards and recognition
- Dismissals
Organizational Health Indicators
- Minimal politics
- Minimal confusion
- High morale
- High productivity
- Low turnover
For Founders
- Health > smart
- Clarity prevents chaos
- Leadership team sets the tone
- Over-communication is impossible
Published by Jossey-Bass 2012. Non-fable format (unlike Five Dysfunctions).
Reference
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business — publisher / official page. Summary adapted from the Awesome Startup Books collection.
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