Patrick Lencioni

“Values can set a company apart from the competition by clarifying its identity and serving as a rallying point for employees. But coming up with strong values - and sticking to them - requires real guts.”

“Every employee needs to know that there's somebody out there that they serve. And when we don't let people know that for one reason or another, we're depriving them of a fulfilling job.”

“Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.”

“Anybody, and any company, can have a big run of success once, but if you're going to repeat that over time, you need to be aware that you need to keep learning.”

“I hate touchy-feely things.”

“I know that any group of people can become a team if they do the right things, but I came to realize over time that if you acquire or develop the right kind of people, that process of building a team is going to be much more effective and easier.”

“A lot of times, people find themselves in a meeting where the primary purpose is to receive information, and that's a poor use of people's time. Those meetings can be easily dispensed with and can be an email instead that people read in their own time.”

“Even though I wrote 'The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family,' my life is as chaotic as most people's.”

“Meetings are usually terrible, but they shouldn't be.”

“The fact is, employees cannot make breakthroughs if they can't openly and honestly disagree with their peers and their leader. Indeed, great leaders don't just permit conflict; they actively try to elicit it from reluctant employees as well.”

“The problem is too often they are boring, and boring in a meeting happens for the same reason as in a book or movie - when there is not enough compelling tension. Meetings should be intense.”

“I've spent many a long flight talking to flight attendants, trying to understand what kind of employment experience underlies such a consistent lack of concern for customers.”

“If you don't know what your family stands for and what your life situation is, you're in trouble.”

“Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they're doing it because they care about the team.”

“If you could get all the people in the organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

“You can go to work and actually make someone else's job less miserable. Use your job to help others.”

“Smart people tend to know what is happening in a group situation and how to deal with others in the most effective way. They ask good questions, listen to what others are saying, and stay engaged in conversations intently.”

“Whether we're talking about leadership, teamwork, or client service, there is no more powerful attribute than the ability to be genuinely honest about one's weaknesses, mistakes, and needs for help.”

“When truth takes a backseat to ego and politics, trust is lost.”

“Conflict is the pursuit of truth.”