Patrick M. Lencioni 
The Advantage 
Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business

There is a competitive advantage out there, arguably more powerful
than any other. Is it superior strategy? Faster innovation? Smarter
employees? No, New York Times best-selling author, Patrick
Lencioni, argues that the seminal difference between successful
companies and mediocre ones has little to do with what they know
and how smart they are and more to do with how healthy they are. In
this book, Lencioni brings together his vast experience and many of
the themes cultivated in his other best-selling books and delivers
a first: a cohesive and comprehensive exploration of the unique
advantage organizational health provides.

Simply put, an organization is healthy when it is whole,
consistent and complete, when its management, operations and
culture are unified. Healthy organizations outperform their
counterparts, are free of politics and confusion and provide an
environment where star performers never want to leave.
Lencioni’s first non-fiction book provides leaders with a
groundbreaking, approachable model for achieving organizational
health–complete with stories, tips and anecdotes from his
experiences consulting to some of the nation’s leading
organizations. In this age of informational ubiquity and
nano-second change, it is no longer enough to build a competitive
advantage based on intelligence alone. The Advantage provides a
foundational construct for conducting business in a new
way–one that maximizes human potential and aligns the
organization around a common set of principles.

Table of Content

Introduction xv

The case for organizational health 1

The four Disciplines model 15

Discipline 1: Build a Cohesive Leadership Team 19

Discipline 2: Create Clarity 73

Discipline 3: Overcommunicate Clarity 141

Discipline 4: Reinforce Clarity 153

The Centrality of Great Meetings 173

Seizing the Advantage 189

Checklist for Organizational Health 195

More Resources 199

Notes 201

Acknowledgments 203

About the Author 205

Index 207

About the author

Patrick M. Lencioni is founder and president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in organizational health and executive team development. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 and mid-size companies to start-ups and nonprofits. Lencioni is the author of 11 best-selling books including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Ideal Team Player.

To learn more about Patrick, and the products and services offered by his firm, The Table Group, please visit www.tablegroup.com.