The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni

“The Five Temptations of a CEO” by Patrick Lencioni explores the struggles, weaknesses and temptations of a chief executive officer. Lencioni argues that if an executive is not careful, these temptations can lead to bad decisions and dangerous consequences. The book provides several strategies and practical advice on how to avoid these temptations and be a successful leader.

The book begins by exploring the importance of good leadership within an organization. According to Lencioni, much of a CEO's success is determined by the quality of their team and the decisions they make. He elaborates on how CEOs must resist the tendency to be isolated and instead work to build strong relationships with employees, peers, customers and other stakeholders. As Lencioni puts it, “One person doesn’t make a CEO. A team does.”

Lencioni continues by discussing the five key temptations that can seize a CEO and lead to destructive decisions. The first temptation is Inattention to Results--a focus on ideas and plans, instead of results and execution. Lencioni cautions that too much focus on “winning” and too little focus on actual execution can lead to expensive failure. The second temptation is Indecisiveness, where a CEO may be too hesitant to make difficult decisions and not willing to change the status quo. The third temptation is discomfort with Conflict, where a CEO may unintentionally silence healthy debate on important issues and rely too heavily on consensus. The fourth temptation is Lack of Accountability, where a CEO may be unwilling to hold personnel responsible for their actions. The fifth temptation is Dishonesty, where a CEO may provide misleading or deceptive information.

For each temptation, Lencioni provides examples from his own experiences and from the experiences of other executives and organizations. He then offers practical solutions on how to overcome each obstacles and suggests strategies for improving CEO performance. For example, Lencioni suggests forming an exclusive peer group among executive colleagues as a way to discuss and act on important issues.

“The Five Temptations of a CEO” by Patrick Lencioni provides insight into the common pitfalls of leading an organization. The book provides thoughtful advice on how to detect and avoid each of the five temptations and how to be an effective and successful CEO.