The Ideal Team Player

Lencioni shifts away from the narrative style of “The Fable” toward a more instructional, analytical style. As this section begins, Lencioni further breaks down the concepts discussed in “The Fable,” starting with the three defining traits of a team player: hungry, humble, and smart. He provides analysis for all three and discusses how each of the traits manifest themselves in real-world settings. He then presents the history of how the three-virtue model came into being. The model has its origins in a management consulting firm that Lencioni and some colleagues had started called The Table Group. After using the three values to help define their own culture, soon other companies with whom the group worked wanted to adopt a similar kind of culture built on the three values. After working with various organizations and companies, it became even more clear that for companies that want to make teamwork an integral part of their culture, the three values were a critical component.

Lencioni points to a Venn diagram with each circle representing one of the three traits of a team player. In the middle section where all three circles overlap is the ideal team player.