It is dangerous if our identity as a leader becomes more important than our identity as a child of God.

A functional team must make the collective results of the group more important to each individual than individual members' goals.

Trust is the foundation of real teamwork. And so the first dysfunction is a failure on the part of team members to understand and open up to one another. And if that sounds touchy-feely, let me explain, because there is nothing soft about it. It is an absolutely critical part of building a team. In fact, it’s probably the most critical.

Members of trusting teams admit weaknesses and mistakes, take risks in offering feedback and assistance, and focus time and energy on important issues, not politics.

There is just no escaping the fact that the single biggest factor determining whether an organization is going to get healthier - or not - is the genuine commitment and active involvement of the person in charge.

When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer.

Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.