Eric Gauthier

EA 754

Conflict Tools Building a Cohesive Leadership Team
Part 1: (OVERVIEW)
In this portion of the book Lencioni lays out the essential components of building a functional
cohesive leadership team. Teams need to be effective in using conflict by initializing the use of
it and establishing a climate in which conflict is productive and effective. Another component
that is often overlooked is common agreements that are clear-cut a specific to the teams
goals. Teams members also need to hold each other accountable to their commitments and
behavior toward the goal of the organization and the group. The last component of cohesive
leadership teams that Lencioni discusses is the need to put the organizational team
first. Leadership teams need to focus on the overall goal first instead of departmental goals as
their sole focus. Other components of cohesive leadership teams addressed in the prior chapter
focused on leadership team sizes and team members allowing themselves to be vulnerable to one
another.

Part 2: (HIGHLIGHTS)
Even though teams understand importance of conflict, it is difficult to get them engaged in it.
Pg., 45 By nature there are not many people who enjoy conflict. Although conflict can be
uncomfortable there are many positive results that can happen as long as it is structured in a
productive way.
Disagree and commit pg. 48 Intel Strategy: Even when people cant come to an agreement
around and issue, they still must leave the room unambiguously committed to a common course
of action.
Peer-to-peer accountability is the primary and the most effective source of accountability on a
leadership team of a healthy organization. Pg. 54 I believe this builds a team of experts instead
a top down hierarchal approach in terms of management. People may not be as threatened and
willing to try and change their methods if it is a peer with constructive criticism rather than a
boss.
The more comfortable the leader is holding the accountable, the less likely you will be asked to
do so. Pg. 57 By establishing a culture of conflict and trust, staff will have no problem holding
each other to higher standards. As long as the leader reinforces accountability the responsibility
is shifted to the peers and is reinforced by the learders.
To hold someone accountable is to care about the enough to risk having them blame you for
pointing out their deficiencies. Pg. 57 Holding each other accountable is survivable and can be
productive if the team has the right mindset.
Eric Gauthier
EA 754

People often confuse accountability with conflict because both involve discomfort and
emotion. Pg.60 Conflict deals directly with issues and ideas whereas accountability deals with
performance and behavior.
No matter how good a leadership team feels about itself, and how noble its mission might be, if
the organization it leads rarely achieves its goals, by definition, its simply not a good team. Pg.
65
Too many of them dont see the connection between decisions they make and the impact they
have on the other parts of the business. Pg. 67
Teams that lead healthy organizations come to terms with the difficult but critical requirements
that its member must put the needs of higher team ahead of the needs of their departments. Pg.
69


Part 3: (APPLICATION)
Lencionis aspects of a cohesive leadership team would be an optimal framework to change the
culture that currently exists in many schools in Macomb County, Center Line included. By
implementing all the components of Discipline 1 it would alleviate a lot of what ails the district
currently in terms of culture and buy-in from the staff.
I feel right now that people are uncomfortable with addressing conflict because of the punitive
outcomes that are likely to occur at the district level. People who do engage in productive
conflict are viewed as being bullies by many. I think this is due to a lack of trust and
professional respect that has plagued the district. All stakeholders feel like their voices are not at
least being heard, so there is a lack of buy-in which leads to the watch and fail approach of the
people involved. Getting everyone on the same page is essential, and everyones point of view at
least being heard so they will be a part of the process.
Currently at Wolfe there is a sense of buy-in with educational initiatives with our
staff. Everyone has an opportunity to express the concerns or ideas with respect. Out of these
meetings everyone my not agree 100% with the outcome but are willing to commit with
whatever is decided for the best course of action. As Lencioni state Disagree and commit
where people are willing to work toward a common goal even if they do not necessarily agree
with all aspects of it. At the end of the each meeting in terms of initiatives there are specific
agreements so that everyone is on the same page in terms of implementation and accountability.
A main area of focus that needs to be addressed is accountability with staff in terms of
educational initiatives. Not from the respect of the principal holding the staff accountable, but
the staff holding each other accountable within their departments, and as a community as a
whole. The peer-to-peer method needs to be utilized more for the staff to take the next step to be
Eric Gauthier
EA 754

a cohesive team. Too often we look at people holding each other accountable as an attack
instead of an opportunity to make yourself better or ask for help when you may need some
assistance. Often when someone holds you accountable it is not because you are a bad person it
is because it is an area where you are underperforming and they are trying to help you address.