Teamwork
Task: Develop a resilient leadership style| Purpose: lead a diverse team| Endstate: Effective communication to accomoplish any mission
Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Well, the configuration of the team would depend on the makeup of the dream. Different teams are made up of different people and those different teams can accomplish vastly different dreams. So what makes a good team? Is it the thought that everyone has to do, think or say the same things. So much so, they work seamlessly without error? Or is it that you get many different people who are capable of filling the gaps in your knowledge base, thus giving you the ability to accomplish much more together, than either of you could do alone. I’d venture to say the latter. I challenge you to attach yourself to people who are looking to grow with you and not against you. Too often I hear stories or even witness people who are unable to work with others because they think differently or they challenge the status quo. But in order to achieve and overcome, you should want that in a team. Otherwise, you’d be working with robots, programmed to think like you, limited to the depths of your existing knowledge and skill.
Each person on a team should bring a type of diversity to a project. In her article, Strengths & Weaknesses of Cross Functional Teams, Luanne Kelchner states that the best solutions come when the diversity of a team is maximized which allows for different skill-sets to converge and share thoughts and ideas. Not allowing people to operate in their natural gifts or skill can result in them building up a wall, and makes it harder to persuade them to work elsewhere in the group. I would suggest taking a more creative approach to building a team, in that, as a team leader, you should get to know each member, and formulate the direction of the project or task around their abilities.
Diverse teamwork requires a balance of hard and soft personalities, multiple skill-sets, and leadership and teamwork. Each person can warrant a different type of motivation. So to use one style to govern your entire team would put you and them at a disadvantage. It takes the leader, or the team cohesively to recognize this fact and take the necessary steps to work around it. Being a team leader may mean more motivation than dictation in some instances. Or you may have team members who are self-motivated, which requires a more implicit style of leadership. To build a cohesive team, with respect to the unique skills and personalities of each member, it takes a leader with an ability to communicate effectively, inspire, or motivate. The best aspect of being a part of a team, is that each person could possess one of these qualities and lead together. Everyone has their opinion on what makes a good leader and leadership styles. I am no different. In my opinion, the styles that can be adapted for the most well-rounded team are the following: visionary, democratic and pacesetting.
Visionary
The visionary leader will be the one to see beyond the rubric. This leader will be able to touch the intangible, see the invisible and achieve impossible heights. The success of the team will not depend on the leader’s vision, but on the vision leader. This is how you get everyone else invested into the future of the project. You make them valuable to it’s success.
Democratic
The role of the democratic leader will be to keep the goals in view and balance each member’s personal goals with the overall success of the project. The democratic leader allows the members to buy into the project by assuring them that their input is valuable and will be used appropriately.
Pacesetting
An essential part of leadership is vision. From vision, a team needs to set goals in order to form a path towards the vision. But in the midst of it all is a leader to set the pace in achieving those goals, to reach the vision. The leader who sets the pace empowers the team by helping them develop a strong sense of self-efficacy. Setting the pace means recognizing the skills of each of the members and being able to motivate them individually as well as collectively to get the work done on time. It’s necessary to push someone out of their comfort zone at times.
As great as this may sound, it is still very true, that the perfect leadership style and team configuration depends on the individuals that surround you. So in a sense, there is no one, true, style of leadership. Rather, success comes when a balance is made. When the combination of leadership styles is complementary, rather than contradictory, you see a balance of personalities and skills from everyone involved. Simply Put, there is no adequate substitute for effective leadership and team building. Whether it be sports, the military, business, or school, the difference between successful and unsuccessful teams is good leadership. Moreover, it’s good leadership coupled with good teamwork.
Sources
Kelchner, L. (2013). Strengths and weaknesses of cross-functional teams. Retrieved from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strengths-weaknesses-cross-functional-teams-24653.html
Leadership Styles: Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_84.htm
Morley, M. (n.d.). Teamwork vs. Leadership. Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/teamwork-vs-leadership-23315.html
Murray, A. (2009, April 9). Leadership Styles. Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/how-to-develop-a-leadership-style/
