Richard Blake had a nagging sense something was off.
On paper, his company was steady — the team was busy, deadlines were met, and clients were served. But as he walked the corridors, he couldn’t shake the thought: “Everyone’s working hard… so why does it feel like the energy isn’t translating into real progress?”
His coach suggested a simple step: hold up a mirror. Not just to himself, but to the whole leadership team. That mirror came in the form of the Aruka Performance Pulse™ — a quick, practical survey designed to surface what leaders often sense but struggle to prove.
Richard hesitated. What if the survey confirmed his worst fears? What if the problem wasn’t the team, but him?
And yet, the results were both sobering and freeing.
The Five Dysfunctions Put to the Test
The survey drew on the now-classic insights from Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. We honour Lencioni’s work as one of the most enduring frameworks in team performance — and while he offers his own assessment, we’ve integrated these dysfunctions into the Aruka tool in a way that links directly to the restoration process we guide teams through.
The five dysfunctions are simple, but they cut deep:
Absence of Trust
Fear of Conflict
Lack of Commitment
Avoidance of Accountability
Inattention to Results
Richard’s team rated themselves across each of these areas. It wasn’t theory anymore — it was a snapshot of reality.
What the Data Revealed
For Richard, the findings were confronting:
Trust was conditional, which left gaps. Team members were guarded, willing to share success but not struggle.
Conflict was present, but avoided under the guise of “professionalism.” The silence spoke louder than the words left unsaid.
Commitment was evident, but confused by shifting priorities that changed too often without clarity.
Accountability had become a solo sport — played mostly by Richard while others watched from the sidelines.
Results were celebrated behind departmental doors, rather than owned and enjoyed by the team as a whole.
It was as if the team was rowing — but out of sync. In rowing, it isn’t about more energy; it’s about rhythm. Rowers sit one behind the other, oars on alternating sides. What matters isn’t uniformity, but timing — equal commitment, mutual trust, and the humility to follow the team’s rhythm over individual power. One person surging ahead or holding back throws the whole boat off balance.
Moving Toward Restoration
The survey wasn’t the end. It was the starting line. Richard and his coach began working with the team to:
Rebuild psychological safety so people could admit mistakes without fear.
Normalise healthy conflict by encouraging open, respectful challenge.
Clarify decisions so commitments didn’t dissolve in confusion.
Share accountability instead of leaving Richard as the default enforcer.
Refocus on shared outcomes that bound the team together, not just individual targets.
The change wasn’t overnight. But Richard noticed something shift: the burden he had carried alone began to spread. Trust and honesty crept back into conversations. The team started rowing in rhythm.
What About Your Team?
Richard’s story isn’t unique. Many leaders sense the energy is there — but without rhythm, that energy leaks away.
That’s where the Aruka Performance Pulse™ comes in. In minutes, it gives you the same clarity Richard’s team received: a snapshot of trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results in your own team.
You can’t restore what you can’t see. The Pulse helps you see.
Take the Survey
We invite you to take the Aruka Performance Pulse™ today. There’s no cost and no obligation —
just insight.
Restoring performance begins with knowing your team’s pulse.