In partnership with
Morning friend ☕
We’ve reached the final chapter of the Broken Team Series: Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
Last week, we tackled The Accountability Problem with Iron Man.
This week, we close the loop.
The fifth dysfunction.
The silent killer of high-performing teams:
Inattention to Results.
Your team is working harder than ever.
Everyone’s busy.
Everyone’s stressed.
But nothing’s actually moving forward.
Projects drag.
Updates sound impressive…
…but the scoreboard isn’t changing.
That’s not a work problem.
That’s The Results Problem.
The fifth dysfunction.
The silent killer of high-performing teams:
Inattention to Results.
When the mission stops mattering…
When personal wins outrank team wins…
When ego replaces purpose…
That’s when even good teams fall apart.
What can you do about this?
Grab your coffee.
Let’s chat.
The Problem:
It never begins with sabotage.
It starts subtle.
Someone optimizes for their own domain.
Someone else protects their portfolio.
Someone hoards information because it “makes them indispensable.”
Everyone still works hard.
Everyone still looks busy.
But the work stops converging.
You don’t see it on dashboards.
You feel it in the meetings:
The endless updates with no movement.
The debates about ownership instead of the outcome.
The sudden lack of urgency around shared goals.
The team isn’t rowing together anymore.
They’re rowing in circles.
And the worst part?
Everyone thinks they’re helping.
Individual excellence + individual excellence
≠ team results.
When personal glory becomes the goal, collective performance disappears.
Thor’s Lesson
Before he was worthy, Thor wasn’t a hero.
He was a headline.
He charged into Jotunheim not for peace, not for Asgard…
…but to prove he was the strongest, the most fearsome, the next king.
He wanted the credit.
The victory.
The spotlight.
Even when his team (Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun) warned him, he pushed ahead.
He risked the mission to feed his ego.
And it cost him everything:
his hammer,
his power,
his place.
Only when he learned that the mission matters more than the myth
did he become the hero he always thought he was.
That’s the shift great teams must make too.
Away from “my win”…
toward “our result.”
How Great Managers Refocus Their Teams
Inattention to results doesn’t fix itself.
It sneaks in quietly.
You pull the team back deliberately.
Here’s how great managers rebuild focus:
not with speeches, but with clarity.
1. Set team goals
Spell out what “winning” actually means for the team.
Not just individual OKRs.
One shared scoreboard everyone can see.
“This quarter, a win is X% more clients using Feature Y weekly.”
2. Review progress publicly
When the scoreboard is visible, effort sharpens.
Make results a standing agenda item.
Ten minutes. Same time. Every week.
“Here’s where we are. Here’s what moved. Here’s what stalled. What do we adjust?”
3. Reward team wins
Celebrate the work that moves the whole group forward.
Not just the hero who saved the day at 11pm…
…but the five people who prevented the crisis in the first place.
Shout-outs, promotions, bonuses, opportunities —
all tied to shared outcomes, not solo heroics.
4. Model selflessness
Drop the crown. Lift the mission.
Leaders go first:
Take more than your share of the blame.
Give away more than your share of the credit.
“The team did this. If it’s broken, that’s on me.”
Results don’t improve because people try harder.
They improve because people row in the same direction.
And, they can see where they’re going.
The Avengers Lesson: Leadership Without Armor
Thor eventually finds his center:
“It’s not about being king. It’s about protecting the realm.”
Purpose over pride.
Service over spotlight.
Mission over myth.
That’s the transformation your team needs too.
When results matter more than recognition, momentum returns.
People row together.
Progress compounds.
The team becomes unstoppable.
Key Takeaway
Ego divides.
Purpose unites.
The Results Problem is the final dysfunction for a reason.
Because when teams lose the mission, they lose each other.
Hold the mission tight.
Share the wins loudly.
And never let personal glory outrank collective success.
A Quiet Next Step
If the Broken Team series hit a little close to home, you’re not alone.
Most managers aren’t taught how to navigate these dysfunctions.
They just get dropped into them.
I’m working on something to change that.
More soon 😉
Till next Monday, friend ☕
Vaugan
Today’s Chess Puzzle
Black to play and force mate.
Solution here
Check out this week’s sponsors - every click supports us to keep this newsletter free☕
CTV ads made easy: Black Friday edition
As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting — plus creative upscaling tools that transform existing assets into CTV-ready video ads. Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.
Meet your new assistant (who happens to be AI).
Skej is your new scheduling assistant. Whether it’s a coffee intro, a client check-in, or a last-minute reschedule, Skej is on it. Just CC Skej on your emails, and it takes care of everything:
Customize your assistant name, email, and personality
Easily manages time zones and locales
Works with Google, Outlook, Zoom, Slack, and Teams
Skej works 24/7 in over 100 languages
No apps to download or new tools to learn. You talk to Skej just like a real assistant, and Skej just… works! It’s like having a super-organized co-worker with you all day.
Next week on www.scarymanagement.com!
Next week:
The Broken Team Series: Recap.
Fury, Hulk, Cap, Stark, Thor.
Five heroes,
Five lessons.
One simple pattern every manager needs to master.
Grab your coffee.
It’s going to be fun.
And uncomfortably accurate.
If you’re not subscribed, Sign up so you don’t miss it!
What did you think of today's newsletter?
Disclaimer:
This post contains parody and satirical references to well-known characters, shows, and cultural icons. It is created for educational and humorous commentary on management and leadership. ScaryManagement is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any television networks, film studios, comic publishers, production companies, or performers referenced. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners. No infringement is intended. This use is intended as parody and commentary under fair use and related protections in the US, UK, EU, and South African law.