The First Team Paradox
Before we get too far along, I need you to understand the concept of a manager’s First Team. It was introduced in Lencioni’s best-selling Five Dysfunctions of a Team and has become very common leadership advice over the past two decades. The concept itself is simple:
Managers need to prioritize supporting their fellow leaders — their “First Team” — over their own direct reports.
Lencioni argues that when managers put their own reports first, it leads to politics and infighting at the manager level as people put their ego above results. Departments continually fight over resources. The company falters as managers are unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good.
Instead, leaders are challenged to work together first. It is alluring: sacrificing the emotional and social attachments that come with leading people so that the whole company can be successful. Very heroic. Five Dysfunctions wraps it all in a nice, neat fable where the CEO emerges victorious in the end.
The problem is that it’s terrible leadership advice for almost everyone.
The Paradox
Let’s take a look at this from a different perspective. Unless you report to the CEO (or are the CEO), then you are not part of your boss’ First Team. You are on their Second Team. They might not say it, but you feel it: you are…
