Silos, Politics and Turf Wars
A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors
Patrick Lencioni
“Practical and hands-on strategies for breaking down silos and minimizing workplace politics In yet another page-turner, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed management expert Patrick Lencioni addresses the costly and maddening issue of silos: the barriers that create organizational politics. Silos devastate organizations, kill productivity, push good people out the door, and jeopardize the achievement of corporate goals. As with his other books, Lencioni writes Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars as a fictional―but eerily familiar―story. The story is about Jude Cousins, an eager young management consultant struggling to launch his practice by solving one of the more universal and frustrating problems faced by his clients. Through trial and error, he develops a simple yet ground-breaking approach for helping them transform confusion and infighting into clarity and alignment.”
The author dives into one of the most frustrating issues at work—silos. If you aren’t familiar with Lencioni’s work he writes fables that embed simple business truths into a story.
The big takeaway? Teams need a shared goal that’s clear and actionable. People have to understand how their work fits into the bigger picture and, more importantly, prioritize the team’s success over their own agendas. The author also makes a strong case for leaders to drop their titles at the door. No matter your role, when you’re part of a leadership team, your job is to make the company better—not just protect your department.
The storyline—a consultant figuring out how to solve silo problems—is pretty relatable, but it didn’t grab me like some of the author’s other books. It’s a little weak on the storytelling side and doesn’t have those big “aha” moments that stick with you long after.
That said, the lessons are practical and easy to apply, especially if silos are causing headaches in your organization. While it’s not my favorite from the author, it’s still a solid read for anyone trying to build a more connected, aligned team. 4 stars.
