Patrick Lencioni’s Top Team Building Tips For Contractors

Finding good people is hard. Building a team that actually works together? Even harder.

In this episode of Contractor Evolution, Danny Kerr sits down with bestselling author and organizational health expert Patrick Lencioni to unpack two frameworks that are especially relevant for contractors: The Ideal Team Player and The 6 Types of Working Genius.

The conversation cuts straight to the reality most contractors face: productivity gaps between crews, frustration with “good people” who still aren’t working out, and the constant tension between needing results and wanting a healthy culture. Lencioni’s message is simple—but not easy: great teams are built intentionally, not accidentally.

Here’s a high-level breakdown of the insights contractors can apply right away.

The Foundation: Hire (and Develop) Ideal Team Players

According to Lencioni, the best team players consistently share three virtues:

• Hungry – They work hard, take initiative, and don’t need to be chased.
  
  
• Humble – They’re not ego-driven and put the team ahead of themselves.
  
  
• Smart – Not IQ smart, but people-smart. They understand how their words and actions affect others.
  
  

Miss one of these, and problems show up fast—especially in tight-knit construction teams where trust and execution matter daily.

5 Takeaways Contractors Can Apply Immediately

Values matter more than resumes. 

Skills can be trained, but hunger, humility, and people-smarts are much harder to coach into someone.

Interview for real behavior, not polished answers. 

Ask for specific stories. Dig into past conflicts. Look for self-awareness, not perfection.

Beware the “lovable slacker.” 

Nice, well-liked people who don’t pull their weight quietly drain team morale over time.

Address ego early. 

The “skillful politician” may look productive, but unchecked pride eventually poisons trust and culture.

The right people still need the right seats. 

A strong cultural fit can fail if someone’s role doesn’t match how they’re naturally wired to work.

Why Working Genius Changes the Game

Lencioni also introduces the 6 Types of Working Genius, a practical way to understand how people are naturally energized at work. Every role requires multiple types of work—but no person thrives at all of them.

For contractors, this explains why:

• A great foreman struggles with paperwork
  
  
• A sharp estimator burns out managing people
  
  
• A solid team member underperforms in the wrong role
  
  

When leaders understand both values (Ideal Team Player) and strengths (Working Genius), they stop losing good people to bad role design.

Build the Team Your Business Actually Needs

Strong teams don’t happen by luck. They’re built through clear expectations, honest conversations, and roles that align with how people are wired to contribute.

If you’re tired of carrying underperformers—or worse, burning out your best people—this episode is a must-watch.

👉 Book a complimentary discovery call with Breakthrough Academy to explore how these team-building principles can be applied inside your contracting business and help you scale without the chaos.