He’s not wrong, and yet with one forgivable but critical omission, this optimism misses something enormous. Humble and smart are generally valuable in any workplace. Whether “hungry” is, is entirely contextual. It works for some teams only. Lencioni's ideal team player is decidedly un-ideal in many or most environments, unlikely to stay long if by some miracle he makes it through the hiring process.
The “hungry” candidate, also known as the “growth” candidate, is a double-edged sword.
