Patrick M. Lencioni

The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues (J-B Lencioni Series)

$11.48
Last updated Sep 22, 2026 at 1:37am
Patrick M. Lencioni

About this product

In his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni laid out a groundbreaking approach for tackling the perilous group behaviors that destroy teamwork. Here he turns his focus to the individual, revealing the three indispensable virtues of an ideal team player. In The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni tells the story of Jeff Shanley, a leader desperate to save his uncle’s company by restoring its cultural commitment to teamwork. Jeff must crack the code on the virtues that real team players possess, and then build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues. Beyond the fable, Lencioni presents a practical framework and actionable tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players.  Whether you’re a leader trying to create a culture around teamwork, a staffing professional looking to hire real team players, or a team player wanting to improve yourself, this book will prove to be as useful as it is compelling. Read more

Editor's Take

Amazon reviewers say this book is compelling, practical, easy to read, and useful for understanding and improving team dynamics. Common praise focuses on the three virtues framework—humble, hungry, and smart—along with the book’s relatable story format and actionable guidance.

On Reddit, readers discussing the book in summary threads describe it as valuable for managers, HR, and anyone building or fixing a team, with emphasis on humility, hunger, and emotional intelligence. Review sites also echo that it is simple, direct, and highly applicable in real workplace settings.

Overall sentiment: strongly positive, with occasional criticism that some sections feel repetitive or that the fable style may not appeal to everyone.

Price History

Specifications

Topic Leadership

Product Details

Publisher Jossey-Bass
Publication date May 10, 2016
Edition 1st
Language English
Print length 240 pages
ISBN-10 1119209595
ISBN-13 978-1119209591
Item Weight 13.6 ounces
Dimensions 5.8 x 1.1 x 8.4 inches
Best Sellers Rank #1,672 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #6 in Human Resources & Personnel Management (Books) #17 in Business Management (Books) #28 in Leadership & Motivation
Customer Reviews 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (6,104)

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