"You guys really dropped the ball on the teamwork project."

They didn't say anything, so Jeff continued, focusing on Bobby. "You said it wasn't just posters and t-shirts, but what else was it?" Before they could answer, he went on. "Because you don't seem to know what you mean when you talk about team players."

"We didn't say—" Clare wanted to explain, but Jeff wouldn't let her.

"Oh wait. I forgot." Jeff was being sarcastic, but not rude. "You do have one clear definition. A person can't be a jackass."

They laughed, but in a guilty sort of way.

In his classic best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni laid out a groundbreaking, new approach for attacking the dangerous group behaviors that destroy teamwork. Here, he turns his focus to the individual member of a team, revealing the three indispensable virtues that make some people better team players than others.

Lencioni's latest page-turning fable is the story of a leader desperate to save his company by cracking the code on the virtues that define a true team player. Jeff Shanley takes over his family's locally revered construction firm and realizes that the only way to deliver on the two biggest projects in the company's history is to rapidly build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues.To do that, he'll have to confront and risk losing talented employees who don't know how to work on a team, and convince his fiery VP of operations not to lower the company's hiring standards in the face of short-term business pressure.

Beyond the fable, Lencioni presents a powerful framework and easy-to-use tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players in any kind of organization.Whether you're a leader striving to create a culture of teamwork, a human resources professional looking to hire real team players, or an employee wanting to make yourself an invaluable team member, The Ideal Team Player will prove

to be as practical as it is compelling.

Praise for The Ideal Team Player

"No business author alive today packs more wisdom per page than Patrick Lencioni. This book is elegant in its simplicity and will radically alter what it means to be a true team player."
—Travis Bradberry, co-author, Emotional Intelligence 2.0

"I've used this model with my executive team, and it flat out works!"
—Steve Smith, CEO, Equinix, Inc.

"In his signature story-telling style, Lencioni brings to life the three foundational virtues of a real team player. Let everyone in your organization read this book and watch your results soar."
—Verne Harnish, founder of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO); author, Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)

"Determining who will join the team is critical to an organization's competitive advantage. In The Ideal Team Player, Pat Lencioni simplifies that process and empowers leaders to make great people decisions."
—Dee Ann Turner, 30-year vice president of talent, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

"Pat Lencioni tells this story with simplicity, common sense, and amazing wisdom. It's a must-read for everyone from CEOs to first time employees."
—Bob Ladouceur, legendary football coach, De La Salle High School; subject of the movie When The Game Stands Tall

PATRICK M. LENCIONI is founder and president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational health. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives and their teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-tech startups to universities and nonprofits. Lencioni is the author of 11 best-selling books, including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage.

To learn more about Patrick, and the products and services offered by his firm, The Table Group, please visit www.tablegroup.com.