Achieve Quote by Patrick Lencioni
“The team you belong to must come ahead of the team you lead: this is putting team results (e.g., organizational needs) ahead of individual agendas (e.g., the team or division you lead, your ego, your need for recognition, your career development, etc.) Confidentiality is respected downward more than it is respected upward. Organizational alignment is a direct result of this hierarchy (if it were the other way around, organizational alignment would be very difficult to achieve).”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, 2002
Prioritizing collective goals over personal ambition fosters alignment; hierarchy supports downward confidentiality.
In simple terms: Team must precede individual leader’s agenda.
Key Takeaway
Place team needs before personal gain.
Themes
leadership
team dynamics
organizational culture
Mood
strategic
analytical
Type
leadership
organizational
When to use this quote
- project management
- corporate strategy
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
hierarchical trust
collective responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders balance humility and authority?
- What mechanisms ensure upward feedback?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on hierarchy can suppress dissent.
