Also by Patrick Lencioni

The Five Temptations of a CEO

The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Death By Meeting

Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars

The Truth About Employee Engagement

The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family

Getting Naked

The Advantage

The Motive

This is dedicated to Tracy Noble, who guided me through the process of writing this book, and who lives humble, hungry, and smart every day.

If someone were to ask me to make a list of the most valuable qualities a person should develop in order to thrive in the world of work—and for that matter, life—I would put being a team player at the top. The ability to work effectively with others, to add value within the dynamics of a group endeavor, is more critical in today's fluid world than it has ever been. Few people succeed at work, in the family, or in any social context without it.

I'm sure that most people would agree with this, which is why it's a little surprising that great team players are somewhat rare. I think the problem is that we've failed to define what being a team player requires, which leaves the concept somewhat vague, even soft.

It's not unlike teamwork itself, which still gets more lip service than practical attention. In my book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, I explained that real teamwork requires tangible, specific behaviors: vulnerability-based trust, healthy conflict, active commitment, peer-to-peer accountability, and a focus on results. Thankfully, with enough coaching, patience, and time, most people can learn to embrace those concepts.

However, I must admit that some people are better at being team players, at embracing those five behaviors, than others. They're not born that way, but either through life experiences, work history, or a real commitment to personal development, they come to possess the three underlying virtues that enable them to be ideal team players: they are humble, hungry, and smart. As simple as those words may appear, none of them is exactly what they seem. Understanding the nuances of these virtues is critical for applying them effectively.

During the past twenty years of working with leaders and their teams, I've seen time and again that when a team member lacks one or more of these three virtues, the process of building a cohesive team is much more difficult than it should be, and in some cases, impossible. We've been using this approach for hiring and management at The Table Group since our founding in 1997, and it has proven to be a remarkable predictor of success, as well as a reliable explanation of failure. As a result, we've come to the conclusion that these three seemingly obvious qualities are to teamwork what speed, strength, and coordination are to athletics—they make everything else easier.

The ramifications of all this are undeniable. Leaders who can identify, hire, and cultivate employees who are humble, hungry, and smart will have a serious advantage over those who cannot. They'll be able to build stronger teams much more quickly and with much less difficulty, and they'll significantly reduce the painful and tangible costs associated with politics, turnover, and morale problems. And employees who can embody these virtues will make themselves more valuable and marketable to any organization that values teamwork.

The purpose of this little book is to help you understand how the elusive combination of these three simple attributes can accelerate the process of making teamwork a reality in your organization or in your life so you can more effectively achieve the extraordinary benefits that it brings.

I hope it serves you well.

After twenty years, Jeff Shanley had experienced more than his fair share of the Silicon Valley. The hours. The traffic. The pretentiousness. It was time to make a change.

To be fair, it wasn't really the work that Jeff had grown tired of. In fact, he had enjoyed an interesting and successful career. After a few jobs in high-tech marketing, at age thirty-five he cofounded a technology start-up. Two years later, he was fortunate enough to get demoted when the board of directors hired what they called a grown-up CEO. During the next four years, that CEO, Kathryn Petersen, taught Jeff more about leadership, teamwork, and business than he could have learned in a decade of business school.

When Kathryn retired, Jeff left the company and spent the next few years working at a small consulting firm in Half Moon Bay, over the hills from the Silicon Valley. Jeff thrived there, and was on the verge of becoming a partner. But during that time, he and his wife began to grow tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses, which happened to be the name of the family that lived in the over-priced bungalow next door.

Jeff was definitely ready for a change. Where he would go and what he would do next was a mystery to him. He certainly didn't expect the answer to come via a phone call from his uncle Bob.

Robert Shanley had been the most prominent and diversified building contractor in the Napa Valley for three decades. Whether it was a winery, a school, or a shopping center, if it was being built in Napa, there was a decent chance that Valley Builders was involved in some significant way.

Unfortunately for Bob, none of his kids was interested in taking over the family business, instead choosing to be restauranteurs, stockbrokers, and high school teachers. And that's why Bob called his nephew to see if he knew anyone who might be interested in running the company in a couple of years when Bob retired.

It wasn't the first time that Bob had turned to his nephew for advice. Jeff had helped him on a few occasions in the past, and actually consulted to the executive team a year earlier on a substantial project around teamwork, which was one of the firm's values. Jeff had focused his efforts on building more effective teams at the highest levels of the company.

Bob loved the work Jeff did, and often bragged about his nephew during family reunions, usually saying something to the effect of “this boy is my best advisor.” His cousins teased Jeff, pretending to resent their father's favoritism.

Bob thought so much of Jeff that he had absolutely no expectation that his ambitious nephew in the exciting world of high tech would ever be interested in working in construction. Which is why he was so stunned when Jeff asked, “Would you consider hiring someone without industry experience? Someone like me?”

Within the month, Jeff and Maurine Shanley had sold their tiny home in San Mateo and moved their two children and one dog to the northern end of Napa—the town, not the valley. Jeff's commute to the Valley Builders office was about four miles, and even if he drove the speed limit, it took just seven minutes.

It was during those minutes that Jeff experienced an initial wave of remorse. Though everything on the domestic side of his decision had been going well, learning the nuances of the construction industry proved to be more of a challenge than he expected. Or, more precisely, it was the lack of nuance that was the problem.

Everything in construction seemed to come down to physical, material issues. Gone were the days of theoretical debates and pie-in-the-sky planning. Jeff now found himself learning about concrete matters having to do with everything from air conditioning to lumber to, well, concrete.

But soon enough, Jeff not only got used to this new way of working, he actually came to prefer it. Straightforward conversations about tangible things may have been less sophisticated than high tech, but they were also more gratifying. And he was learning more than he could have imagined from his uncle, who never finished college but seemed to have a better understanding of business than many of the CEOs Jeff had worked with in technology.

After eight weeks of observation and learning, Jeff came to the conclusion that the move to Napa was the right one and that the stress of his previous life in the Silicon Valley was over.

He was wrong.

Bob Shanley had never been a cautious man, which was one of the reasons his firm had done so well. He had been decisive and bold in growing the company when others were hedging their bets. Aside from the occasional and inevitable economic downturns, most of Bob's decisions had yielded significant long-term benefits.

The firm had more than two hundred people on staff, making it one of the larger employers in the area. Those employees, ranging from entry-level construction workers to architectural engineers, were generally well compensated and, more important to Bob, had generous benefits plans. Though bonuses varied from year to year depending on the region's economy and the success of Bob's business development, no one who worked at Valley Builders felt underpaid.

Employees weren't the only people who depended on VB's financial success. A small group of family members, whom Bob called “private shareholders,” had a financial stake in the company. These were Bob's wife and kids, as well as a few of his siblings who helped him launch the company more than three decades earlier. One of those siblings was Jeff's dad, who had relied on the financial windfall to help fund his retirement.

During those first months on the job, Jeff had focused almost exclusively on learning the operations of construction. This consisted primarily of studying the day-to-day tactical and financial nature of the business, everything from materials acquisition and scheduling to permitting and labor costs. Bob decided to wait a few months to teach Jeff about the longer-term strategic issues related to the company's overall financial health and new business development. Though Jeff certainly asked a few questions about those issues, Bob assured him that he would sit down with Jeff to review that part of the business as soon as his nephew felt comfortable in the blocking and tackling of the construction industry.

Jeff had no idea how soon that day would come and what a shock that conversation would be. For that matter, neither did Bob.

Sitting down for lunch at an upscale BBQ restaurant near the Napa River, Bob got right to the point.

“Here's the deal. I am ridiculously happy that I hired you. You've already been a blessing to me and the company.”

Jeff felt as gratified by this feedback as any he had heard in his career, probably because it came from a family member. But he could tell his uncle had more to say.

“In fact, I'm not going to wait a year to put you in charge. We're going to do it right away.”

Caught completely off guard by the announcement, Jeff pushed back. “Whoa. I don't think we should get ahead of—”

Smiling, Bob waved his hand and interrupted. “Don't start telling me you're not ready, because I already know that.”

Jeff was confused.

“I don't want you to be ready, Jeff. I want you to be excited. And a little nervous. That's good for you.”

Something about his uncle seemed off to Jeff. “Well, I think I'll be plenty excited and nervous in six months. Why don't we just—”

“Because we can't,” Bob interrupted again, this time in a much more serious tone. He paused and struggled to get out the next sentence. “Jeff, my doctor says I have a serious heart condition. The kind you don't recover from. I don't understand half the words the doctor uses. Something about ischemia and angina. All I know is that he says I need surgery and that my life needs to change. Immediately.”

Just then the waitress shattered the moment when she came over to take their orders. Recovering himself immediately, Bob promptly ordered a salad with no dressing and a glass of water. Then he teased Jeff.

“But if you don't get the ribs, I'm going to kick your ass right here.”

Jeff laughed, and ordered the ribs. As the waitress walked away, he asked Bob the big question: “Are you going to be okay?”

“If surgery goes well and I do what the doctor tells me, I should be fine. But it's going to be hard for me. Which is why I have to step away from the business.” Bob paused. “I can't believe I just said that. I think I'm still in shock that I won't be there next week. But I have to leave, because I'm not good at doing things halfway.”

“When is your surgery?”

“A week from tomorrow, unless something changes and they can get me in sooner.”

Jeff was stunned.

Though he was showing his trademark confidence and humor, Bob was clearly taking all of this very seriously.

“Honestly, Jeff, I don't know what we'd do if we hadn't hired you.”

Jeff nodded, glad for the confidence but not loving the context of it all. That context was about to get much worse.

Jeff decided to dive into the details. “Well, I hate to do this, but I think it's time we talked about the balance sheet and the longer-term financials of the company.”

Bob nodded a little sheepishly and reached for something in his computer bag. “I think I've brought most of what you need.”

Knowing his uncle well, Jeff was starting to feel like something wasn't right. He probed. “Based on everything I've seen so far, I'm guessing the company's in pretty good shape.” It was more of a question than a statement.

Bob smiled, the same way he used to smile when he assured the kids he wouldn't throw them in the deep end of the pool just before he did exactly that. “Absolutely.” He didn't sound confident. “But I need to talk to you about some new challenges and opportunities.”

As concerned as he was, Jeff laughed out loud. “I don't think I like the sound of this.”

“Oh, you'll be fine. This is just how the industry works.”

The waitress brought Jeff's beer and Bob's water.

“So what kind of challenges and opportunities are we talking about?” Jeff asked.

Bob stopped rifling through his bag and looked Jeff in the eye with a bizarre mix of excitement and worry.

“Jeff, we just landed two great projects.”

He paused to let his nephew take in the information, and then continued.

“It's very exciting. The Queen of the Valley Hospital project, which I mentioned to you a few weeks ago, came through on Monday. And I signed the papers yesterday morning for the new hotel project in St. Helena.” He paused and seemed to force a big smile. “We're going to build both of them.”

Jeff was confused. “That's good news, right?”

“It's fantastic news,” Bob answered, in a tone that was something less than fantastic.

“When was the last time we had two projects like that on the books at the same time?” Jeff was more than a little curious to know.

Bob hesitated, looking down at his glass of water for a moment and back up at Jeff. “That's the thing. We've never had two major projects like this at the same time.” He paused. “In fact, both of these are as big as anything we've ever done.”

Any semblance of a smile that had remained on Jeff's face disappeared. As overwhelmed as he was, he had yet to receive the worst news of all.

Jeff took a deep breath. “Okay. I know this is hard to hear, and the last thing I want to do is stress you out, Bob. But maybe we need to focus on one of the projects and let the other one go. I mean, it sounds like this would be a challenge if you were running the show, but with a new and inexperienced CEO like me, this could be a recipe for disaster.”

Bob nodded and took a drink of his water. “I understand.”

Jeff wanted to be relieved, but he sensed that a qualifier was coming. He was right.

His uncle's smile slid into a wince. “It's just that the legal nature of the hospital deal is that if we back out, we lose a huge chunk of capital. And they've already advanced us a first payment on the hotel, part of which we're using to finish the Oak Ridge shopping center.”

Jeff was now starting to feel very warm, and not in a good way. He took a long drink from the beer bottle in front of him. “So we're talking about cash flow issues? And this is too much to walk away from?”

Bob nodded. “Oh yeah. It would be a deal breaker for the firm.” Then his smile returned. “But as soon as we get these projects going, we'll be fine from a cash standpoint.”

Suddenly, Jeff was not appreciating his uncle so much.

Bob tried to cheer him up. “You can do this, Jeff. You're smarter than I am. You're younger than I am. And you'll have plenty of help.”

Jeff's tone changed. “How long ago did this all happen?” He was beginning to sound a little accusatory.

“Well, like I said, the hotel deal closed yesterday, and the hospital came through—”

“No, I mean with the doctor?” Jeff interrupted.

Bob was puzzled. “Well, that was just yesterday afternoon. It was supposed to be just a precautionary test because I had a little pain recently.” His eyes opened widely as he suddenly realized what Jeff was getting at. “You don't think that I knew all this and set you up, do you? I wouldn't do that to you, Jeff.”

Bob started to sound a little choked up. “If I had any idea that I'd be leaving the business, I would never have agreed to these projects and put you in this dilemma.”

Jeff felt terrible for his uncle and for having seemed to distrust him. But he couldn't help but ask the next question: “So then you don't think I can do it?”

“No, that's not what I meant. I just meant that putting you in a situation like this is not something I would have done on purpose. But that doesn't mean you can't manage it. You'll hire a few more people. It's just a matter of scale. It will be fine.”

Jeff hoped Bob really meant it. He wasn't convinced.