The Ideal Team Player
by Patrick Lencioni
A fable followed by a model: ideal team players are humble, hungry and smart (people-smart), and the combinations of two without the third produce recognizable problem types. It is simple and useful for hiring and self-assessment, with interview questions included.
Read it if…
you hire or build teams and want a simple, memorable filter.
Skip it if…
you want depth on team dynamics; see Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions.
Three things you will actually use
- Hire for all three; train skills later.
- Watch for the 'skillful politician': hungry and smart, not humble.
- Make the three virtues explicit on the team.
Do this first
Rate yourself on humble, hungry and smart, and ask a colleague to do the same.
Our verdict
Simple and useful; a good hiring lens.
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