[rating:2]
(San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010)
220 pgs
Talk about an attention getter! This title is right up there! I like Lencioni. His books on meetings and the dysfunctions of a team are great. For those who have read his previous books, you are aware he writes in fables. This is not a detailed outline of leadership principles, but an entertaining story that makes you think. This particular style is not for everyone. Yet many people are driven by stories and for those who are, they will most likely enjoy his writing.
This particular book seems to drive home one basic thought: that those in the service industry must be relentlessly and unashamedly customer focused. He tells a great story in this book. It is humorous and suspenseful. I am sure many people will be able to relate to it. He also addresses an extremely relevant issue today: with the economy still far from robust, how do you enlist and keep clients? What makes this book unique in this series is that it describes Lencioni’s own business and draws heavily from his own experience.
While I like Lencioni and enjoy his style, I thought this book did not really offer as much material to take away as some of his other books. While being customer focused is crucial, much of his material seems somewhat self-evident. His “three fears” is his unique contribution, but even these do not strike me as profound new insights. I think this book would be a helpful read for those in the service industry. However, I think this particular book has more limited usefulness than some of his other books. As a result, I only rated it with a 2. For those seeking more detailed answers for their leadership questions, this is probably not the first book you ought to grab.