Leadership in practice: leading teams
One of the crucial elements of leadership in practice is leading teams. Northouse (2013) discusses team
dynamics and the impact of personality on interactions in the work environment. The reading on teams
addresses some of the issues associated with leading in the real world�differences in types of decisions,
actions, measures of effectiveness, and internal and external team environments. The focus on teams
brings into perspective the messiness of leading. It also shows the number of considerations faced by
those in a leadership role.
To prepare for this essay:
�Reflect on the teams that you lead, have led, or have been a member of. What specific considerations
did the leader, either you or another, take into account in leading the team? ((NOTE, I WORK AS CABIN
CREW))
�Consider how leaders manage teams and how teams shape the requirements for effective leadership
and the role of leadership and teams in your business environment.
�Discussing your experiences with team leadership and how your experiences relate to a colleagues�
global challenge.
Introduction
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There are several fundamental characteristics that determine the effectiveness of team
performances. Since team members have unique roles, in which each and every individual’s
performance contributes to the success of an organization, it is significant that team members
integrate and merge their individual actions together.
It is important to realize that the main reasons why many teams experience failures is not
basically on every members inability within the team, but is determined by the collective failure
among team members to coordinate every persons contributions (Barnwell, Nedrick, Rudolph,
Sesay, & Wellen, Pp. 1-8.2014). The process under which a team defines its function is critical
since it determines the team’s performance. Team leadership therefore plays a vital and
significant role in the effective performance of a team. Many teams and comprised of individuals
who have the primary responsibility of defining the goals of the team and also in developing a
decisive structure through which the team achieves its missions.
The success of the leader in clearly drawing up and defining directions along with
organizing a team in order for it to maximize its progress , a factor that would determine the
effectiveness of such a team (Barnwell, et.al). In a nutshell, an effective leadership process is
wholly dependent on the success of an organization. This paper therefore seeks to analyze team
leadership.
Considerations to be taken into Account in Leading a Team
A team is defined as a number of individuals who work together collaboratively with the
aim of achieving a common goal within an organization. Membership of work teams is often a
factor that is deliberated upon by a management system within an organization, which chooses
individuals within the organization who have the knowledge and skills to complete their tasks
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with the team unit harmoniously (Carson, Tesluk, & Marrone, Pp. 1217-1234, 2007). The
members of a team therefore communicate and interact between themselves and coordinate
actions and approaches that can enable them achieve a shared goal.
As a team leader of a group of cabin crew members, I had the obligation of supporting
the employees within my unit to perform their duties and work more efficiently by offering
leadership. As a leader, it was significant that I designed a structure that enabled my team to
establish the team’s responsibilities, purposes, roles and accountability that are aligned to the
company’s plans, goals and objectives (Dubois, Koch, Hanlon, Nyatuga, & Kerr, Pp. 30-46,
2015). In order to achieve this, it was important that the team had to collaborate in adjusting their
performances within the work environment, and also encourage them in using the competencies
of each member within the team in order to boost productivity.
However, for a team to experience success, a number of factors have to be considered by
a team leader and the organization. It is imperative that a team leader, the members, and the
organization as a whole have a role to play (Dubois, et, al). When these roles are harmonized
together and the team leader offers am efficient structure that defines how the goals established
would be achieved, success is more likely to be experienced.
How Leaders Manage Teams and how Teams Shape the Requirements
To effectively run a team, it is important that leaders incorporate the efforts of the right
people in place. This is simply because the team members have different skills and ideologies,
and out of this they have the capacity of establishing a good working chemistry. It is therefore
important for team leaders to harmonize these individuals into one unit with a shared goal.
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Managing a group is also an important element since many leaders manage their teams by giving
directives rather than objectives.
It is therefore the leader’s responsibility to ensure that all the group members are headed
towards the same direction and how they should arrive there should be left for them to plan and
strategize (Dubois, et, al). The leader therefore plays a central role of offering guidance and
support to the team in order to achieve a goal. It is therefore significant to consider the fact that
an effective team leader is one who initiates different models in achieving their goals. This
models include; coordination, motivation, affective, and cognitive approaches.
It is also important that trust is earned within a team unit since sometimes the team
members turn resentful when questioned on their action plans, and also in the event that proof of
progress is demanded. Team leaders must therefore incorporate trust within the organization, but
this does not mean that excuses should be given. The team members should therefore be
accountable and in this receive constant reports on the progress of an organization from the team.
In the event that there are members within the team that perform dismally, the team leader has
the responsibility of discovering this and guiding such a worker (Dubois, et, al). It is also
significant that team leaders evolve with the team. A team leader therefore has to be flexible in
developing approaches of also solving such disputes in an organization, by offering opportunities
and strategies geared toward supporting the members.
Experiences with Team Leadership
Team leadership is all about influencing the team members into collaboration, in which
goals and objectives of an organization are achieved. As a team leader, leading cabin crew staff,
it is not an easy experience to run a team (Hoch, & Morgeson, Pp. 1607-1612, 2014). Each and
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every individual has a view point and putting such minds together may prove to be fatal.
However, it is significant that within a team, collaboration is integrated with the members
respecting the opinions and views of other members within the team.
For a team to therefore be effective, there should be clearly defined goals and objectives
developed by a team manager. These goals provide for the direction and what needs to be
achieved within a team over a period of time. Leaders of teams should also strive towards
incorporating appropriate leadership styles within the team in order to enhance the quality and
performance of the team. The team should be motivated by their leader in making progress in
fulfilling their collective responsibilities.
Conclusion
Team leadership plays a vital and significant role in the effective performance of an
organization. Many teams and comprised of individuals who have the primary responsibility of
defining the goals of the team and also in developing a decisive structure through which the team
achieves its missions. In conclusion, it is important to realize that to effectively run a team, it is
important that leaders incorporate the efforts of the right people in place (Parker, Pp 98-120,
2009). This is simply because the team members have different skills and ideologies, and out of
this they have the capacity of establishing a good working chemistry.
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Works Cited
Barnwell, D, Nedrick, S, Rudolph, E, Sesay, M, & Wellen, W 2014, ‘Leadership of International
and Virtual Project Teams’, International Journal Of Global Business, 7, 2, Pp. 1-8.
Carson, J, Tesluk, P, & Marrone, J 2007, ‘Shared Leadership In Teams: An Investigation Of
Antecedent Conditions And Performance’, Academy Of Management Journal, 50, 5, Pp.
1217-1234,
Dubois, M, Koch, J, Hanlon, J, Nyatuga, B, & Kerr, N 2015, ‘Leadership Styles Of Effective
Project Managers: Techniques and Traits To Lead High Performance Teams’, Journal Of
Economic Development, Management, It, Finance & Marketing, 7, 1, Pp. 30-46.
Hoch, J, & Morgeson, F 2014, ‘Vertical and Shared Leadership Processes: Exploring Team
Leadership Dynamics’, Academy Of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, Pp.
1607-1612.
Parker, Gm 2009, Team Leadership: 20 Proven Tools For Success, Amherst, Ma: Hrd Press,
Ebook Collection.
