Originally shared in August 2025, John reflects on Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, an experience working through the model with Knox College’s Senior Leadership Team, and what it might offer those of us navigating leadership, trust, conflict, and collaboration in ministry today.

Early this year, as a part of Knox College’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) retreat, I was invited to share some insights from Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” - a book that I had encouraged our leadership to read. Let me state from the outset that the title of the book can be jarring since it appears to label the reader as a part of the dysfunction which has negative connotations