Required Resources Comment by Washburn Kelly: All the required reading material are in the document below please scroll down to view. Please do not click on the link Text Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu · Chapter 14: Team Leadership Oedekoven, O. O., Lavrenz, J., & Robbins, D. (2018). Leadership essentials: Practical and proven approaches in leadership and supervision. Retrieved from https://ashford.instructure.com · Chapter 2: Teams, Teamwork, and Leadership Styles Link to Dr. King Speech I’ve Been to the Mountaintop (Links to an external site.). Comment by Washburn Kelly: Link to Dr Kings speech Instruction Prior to beginning work on this discussion, watch or listen to Dr. King’s last speech of his life, I’ve Been to the Mountaintop (Links to an external site.). During the speech, Dr. King addressed an action that could impact several businesses, the local economy, and the direction of the nation. Explain how the speech reflects on leading through hard times while providing a defining vision for followers. Comment by Washburn Kelly: These are the question that needs to be addressed. Please answer each question that are being asked in the instruction. What were the conditions at the time impacting his leadership ability? What direction could current leaders take from the speech concerning addressing the present and the future success of a strategy, movement, or vision, or the success of an organization? READING MATERIAL Leadership: Theory and practice  Comment by Washburn Kelly: First Reading Material 14.1 Description Work teams are very prevalent in today’s organizations. The reliance on teams is due partially to increasingly complex tasks, moreglobalization, and the flattening of organizational structures. A team is a type of organizational group that is composed of members who areinterdependent, who share common goals, and who must coordinate their activities to accomplish these goals. Team members must workcollectively to achieve their goals. Examples of organizational teams include senior executive teams, project management teams, task forces,work units, standing committees, quality teams, and improvement teams. Teams can be located in the same place meeting face-to-face, orthey can be geographically dispersed “virtual” teams meeting across time and distance via various forms of communication technology.Teams can also be hybrids of face-to-face and virtual teams with some members being co-located and some being dispersed. The exactdefinition of which organizational group is a team or not is constantly evolving as organizations confront the many new forms ofcontemporary collaboration (Wageman, Gardner, & Mortensen, 2012). The study of organizational teams has focused on strategies for maintaining a competitive advantage. Team-based organizations have fasterresponse capability because of their flatter organizational structures, which rely on  ...

1. Required Resources Comment by Washburn Kelly: All the
required reading material are in the document below please
scroll down to view. Please do not click on the link
Text
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th
ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
· Chapter 14: Team Leadership
Oedekoven, O. O., Lavrenz, J., & Robbins, D.
(2018). Leadership essentials: Practical and proven approaches
in leadership and supervision. Retrieved from
https://ashford.instructure.com
· Chapter 2: Teams, Teamwork, and Leadership Styles
Link to Dr. King Speech I’ve Been to the Mountaintop (Links
to an external site.). Comment by Washburn Kelly: Link to Dr
Kings speech
Instruction
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, watch or listen to
Dr. King’s last speech of his life, I’ve Been to the
Mountaintop (Links to an external site.).
During the speech, Dr. King addressed an action that could
impact several businesses, the local economy, and the direction
of the nation. Explain how the speech reflects on leading
through hard times while providing a defining vision for
followers. Comment by Washburn Kelly: These are the question
that needs to be addressed. Please answer each question that are
being asked in the instruction.
What were the conditions at the time impacting his leadership
ability?

2. What direction could current leaders take from the speech
concerning addressing the present and the future success of a
strategy, movement, or vision, or the success of an
organization?
READING MATERIAL
Leadership: Theory and practice Comment by Washburn
Kelly: First Reading Material
14.1 Description
Work teams are very prevalent in today’s organizations. The rel
iance on teams is due partially to increasingly complex tasks, m
oreglobalization, and the flattening of organizational structures.
A team is a type of organizational group that is composed of m
embers who areinterdependent, who share common goals, and w
ho must coordinate their activities to accomplish these goals. Te
am members must workcollectively to achieve their goals. Exam
ples of organizational teams include senior executive teams, pro
ject management teams, task forces,work units, standing commit
tees, quality teams, and improvement teams. Teams can be locat
ed in the same place meeting face-to-
face, orthey can be geographically dispersed “virtual” teams me
eting across time and distance via various forms of communicati
on technology.Teams can also be hybrids of face-to-
face and virtual teams with some members being co-
located and some being dispersed. The exactdefinition of which
organizational group is a team or not is constantly evolving as o
rganizations confront the many new forms ofcontemporary colla
boration (Wageman, Gardner, & Mortensen, 2012).
The study of organizational teams has focused on strategies for
maintaining a competitive advantage. Team-
based organizations have fasterresponse capability because of th

3. eir flatter organizational structures, which rely on teams and ne
w technology to enable communicationacross time and space (P
orter & Beyerlein, 2000). These newer organizational structures
have been referred to as “team-based andtechnology-
enabled” (Mankin, Cohen, & Bikson, 1996). A majority of multi
national companies are depending on virtual teams, or teams tha
tare geographically dispersed and rely on technology to interact
and collaborate (Muethel, Gehrlein, & Hoegl, 2012). Such teams
allowcompanies to (1) use the best talent across the globe, (2) f
acilitate collaboration across time and space, and (3) reduce tra
vel costs (Paul,Drake, & Liang, 2016). These virtual teams face
more difficulty with members separated by time, distance, and c
ulture. They often have lesstrust, more conflict, and more subgr
oup formation. In virtual teams, face-to-
face communication is rare, with decisions and schedulingtaking
more time. With the development of social media, new commun
ication technologies, and software applications for meetingmana
gement, virtual teams have richer and more realistic communica
tion environments where collaboration is facilitated (Schmidt, 2
014;Schouten, van den Hooff, & Feldberg, 2016; Scott, 2013).
The organizational team-
based structure is an important way for organizations to remain
competitive by responding quickly and adaptingto constant, rapi
d changes. Studies of both face-to-
face and virtual teams have increasingly become focused on tea
m processes and teamoutcomes (Ilgen, Hollenbeck, Johnson, &
Jundt, 2005; Thomas, Martin, & Riggio, 2013). Also, researcher
s focused on the problems workteams confront as well as how to
make these work teams more effective (Ilgen, Major, Hollenbec
k, & Sego, 1993). Effective organizationalteams lead to many d
esirable outcomes, such as
· greater productivity,
· more effective use of resources,
· better decisions and problem solving,
· better-quality products and services, and
· greater innovation and creativity (Parker, 1990).

4. However, for teams to be successful, the organizational culture
needs to support member involvement. The traditional authority
structureof many organizations does not support decision makin
g at lower levels, and this can lead to the failure of many teams.
Teamwork is anexample of lateral decision making as opposed t
o the traditional vertical decision making that occurs in the orga
nizational hierarchy basedon rank or position in the organizatio
n. The dynamic and fluid power shifting in teams has been refer
red to as heterarchy (Aime, Humphrey,DeRue, & Paul, 2014). S
uch power shifting within teams can lead to positive outcomes a
s long as team members see these shifting sourcesof power as le
gitimate. Teams will have great difficulty in organizational cult
ures that are not supportive of such collaborative work anddecis
ion making. Changing an organizational culture to one that is m
ore supportive of teams is possible, but it takes time and effort (
Levi,2011).
Leadership of teams has also become an important area of study
. The ideas of “team leadership” are quite different from leaders
hip withinthe organizational vertical structure. Many theories of
leadership, such as situational (discussed in Chapter 5) and tran
sformational(discussed in Chapter 8), can be applied in the team
setting. However, team leadership is a unique setting for leader
ship, and it is veryprocess oriented. How do teams develop their
“critical capabilities”? How do team leaders shift their actions
over time to deal withcontingencies as they arise? How do leade
r actions promote task and interpersonal development (Kozlows
ki, Watola, Jensen, Kim, & Botero,2009)? Effective team leader
ship facilitates team success and helps teams to avoid team failu
re (Stagl, Salas, & Burke, 2007; Stewart & Manz,1995). Effecti
ve leadership processes are the most critical factor in team succ
ess (Zaccaro, Rittman, & Marks, 2001, p. 452).
Shared or Distributed Leadership:
The complexities of team processes demand the attention and fo
cus of all members of the team. Some teams are autonomous and
self-
directed with no formal leader. But even those with a formal lea

5. der will benefit from shared leadership among team members. T
eamleadership functions can be performed by the formal team le
ader and/or shared by team members. Shared team leadership oc
curs whenmembers of the team take on leadership behaviors to i
nfluence the team and to maximize team effectiveness (Bergman
, Rentsch, Small,Davenport, & Bergman, 2012). Shared leadersh
ip has been referred to as team leadership capacity, encompassi
ng the leadership repertoireof the entire team (Day, Gronn, & S
alas, 2004). Such distributed leadership involves the sharing of
influence by team members. Teammembers step forward when si
tuations warrant, providing the leadership necessary, and then st
ep back to allow others to lead. Suchshared leadership has beco
me more and more important in today’s organizations to allow f
aster responses to more complex issues(Morgeson, DeRue, & Ka
ram, 2010; Pearce, Manz, & Sims, 2009; Solansky, 2008).
Shared leadership, while very important, does involve risk and t
akes some courage for the member who steps forward to provide
leadership outside the formal role of team leader (Amos & Klim
oski, 2014). Risks aside, teams with shared leadership have less
conflict,more consensus, more trust, and more cohesion than tea
ms that do not have shared leadership (Bergman et al., 2012). S
hared leadershipis even more important for virtual teams. Empo
wering leadership that shares power with virtual team members
promotes both effectivecollaboration and performance (Dresche
r & Garbers, 2016; Hill & Bartol, 2016). Virtual teams are simp
ly more effective when there isshared team leadership (Hoch &
Kozlowski, 2014; Muethel et al., 2012; Wang, Waldman, & Zha
ng, 2014). How leaders and members canshare the leadership of
teams so that these teams can truly become effective and achiev
e excellence is discussed in this chapter. Itintroduces a model th
at provides a mental road map to help the leader or any team me
mber providing leadership diagnose team problemsand take appr
opriate action to correct those problems.
Team Leadership Model
The Hill Model for Team Leadership (Figure 14.1) is based on t
he functional leadership claim that the leader’s job is to monitor

6. the teamand then take whatever action is necessary to ensure te
am effectiveness. The model provides a tool for understanding t
he very complexphenomenon of team leadership, starting at the
top with its initial leadership decisions, moving to leader action
s, and finally focusing on theindicators of team effectiveness. In
addition, the model suggests specific actions that leaders can p
erform to improve team effectiveness.Effective team leaders nee
d a wide repertoire of communication skills to monitor and take
appropriate action. The model is designed tosimplify and clarify
the complex nature of team leadership and to provide an easy t
ool to aid leadership decision making for team leadersand memb
ers alike.
Effective team performance begins with how the leader sees the
situation that the team is experiencing (the leader’s mental mod
el). Thismental model reflects not only the components of the pr
oblem confronting the team, but also the environmental and org
anizationalcontingencies that define the larger context of team a
ction. The leader develops a mental conception of what the team
problem is and whatsolutions are possible in this context, given
the environmental and organizational constraints and resources
(Zaccaro et al., 2001).
To respond appropriately to the problem envisioned in the ment
al model, a good team leader needs to be behaviorally flexible a
nd have awide repertoire of actions or skills to meet the team’s
diverse needs (Barge, 1996). When his or her behavior matches
the complexity of thesituation, the leader is behaving with “requ
isite variety,” or the set of behaviors necessary to meet the team
’s needs (Drecksel, 1991).Effective team leaders are able to con
struct accurate mental models of the team’s problems by observi
ng team functioning, and can takerequisite action to solve these
problems. Effective team leaders can diagnose correctly and cho
ose the right action.
Figure 14.1 The Hill Model for Team Leadership
The leader has special responsibility for functioning in a manne
r that will help the team achieve effectiveness. Within this persp

7. ective,leadership behavior is seen as team-
based problem solving, in which the leader attempts to achieve t
eam goals by analyzing the internaland external situation and th
en selecting and implementing the appropriate behaviors to ensu
re team effectiveness (Fleishman et al., 1991).Leaders must use
discretion about which problems need intervention, and make ch
oices about which solutions are the most appropriate(Zaccaro et
al., 2001). The appropriate solution varies by circumstance and
focuses on what should be done to make the team moreeffective.
Effective leaders have the ability to determine what leadership
interventions are needed, if any, to solve team problems. Whenl
eadership is shared throughout the team, various members are di
agnosing problems and intervening with appropriate behaviors.
Themonitoring and selection of behaviors is shared throughout t
he team membership. Given the complexity of team functioning,
such sharedleadership can—and, in fact, does—
lead to greater team effectiveness.
Team Effectiveness
At the bottom of the Hill Model for Team Leadership (Figure 14
.1) is “Team Effectiveness,” which focuses on team excellence
or the desiredoutcomes of teamwork. Two critical functions of t
eam effectiveness are performance (task accomplishment) and d
evelopment (teammaintenance). Performance refers to the qualit
y of the outcomes of the team’s work. Did the team accomplish
its goals and objectives in aquality manner? Development refers
to the cohesiveness of the team and the ability of team member
s to satisfy their own needs whileworking effectively with other
team members (Nadler, 1998). Excellent teams accomplish both
of these objectives: getting the job done andmaintaining a cohe
sive team.
Scholars have systematically studied organizational work teams
and developed standards of effectiveness or criteria of excellenc
e that canbe used to assess a team’s health (Hackman, 1990, 200
2, 2012; Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 1993; Katzenbach & Smith
, 2008; LaFasto &Larson, 2001; Larson & LaFasto, 1989; Lenci
oni, 2005; Zaccaro et al., 2001). Hackman (2012) has posited si

8. x enabling conditions that leadto effective team functioning: (1)
Is it a real team? (2) Does it have a compelling purpose? (3) Do
es it have the right people? (4) Are thenorms of conduct clear? (
5) Is there support from the organizational context? (6) Is there
team-
focused coaching? Larson and LaFasto(1989) studied successful
teams and found that, regardless of the type of team, eight char
acteristics were consistently associated with teamexcellence. Ta
ble 14.1 demonstrates the similarity of these excellence characte
ristics to the enabling conditions suggested by Hackman(2012).
It is helpful if team leaders understand the conditions that contri
bute to or enable team excellence. Such understanding will allo
w the leaderto benchmark or compare his or her team’s perform
ance to these standards and to determine possible areas of team
weakness orineffectiveness. Assessing how well the team compa
res to these established indicators of team success provides a va
luable source ofinformation to guide the leader to take appropri
ate actions to improve team success.
1. Clear, Elevating Goal.
“A compelling purpose energizes team members, orients them to
ward their collective objective, and fully engages their talents”
(Hackman,2012, p. 437). Team goals must be very clear so that
one can tell whether the performance objective has been realize
d. Teams sometimesfail because they are given a vague task and
then asked to work out the details (Hackman, 1990). In addition
, the team goal must beinvolving or motivating so that the memb
ers believe it to be worthwhile and important. Teams often fail
because they let something elsereplace their goal, such as perso
nal agendas or power issues (Larson & LaFasto, 1989). Researc
h data from numerous teams show thateffective leaders keep the
team focused on the goal (LaFasto & Larson, 2001).
2. Results-Driven Structure.
Teams need to find the best structure for accomplishing their go
als. Structural features that lead to effective teamwork include t
ask design,team composition, and core norms of conduct (Wage

9. man, Fisher, & Hackman, 2009). Top management teams typical
ly deal with power andinfluence, task forces deal with ideas and
plans, customer service teams deal with clients, and production
teams deal with technology(Hackman, 1990). Problem resolutio
n teams such as task forces need a structure that emphasizes trus
t so that all will be willing and able tocontribute. Creative team
s such as advertising teams need to emphasize autonomy so that
all can take risks and be free from unduecensorship. Tactical tea
ms such as emergency room teams need to emphasize clarity so
that everyone knows what to do and when. Inaddition, all teams
need clear roles for team members, a good communication syste
m, methods of assessing individual performance, and anemphasi
s on fact-
based judgments (Larson & LaFasto, 1989). Appropriate structu
res enable teams to meet their needs while stillaccomplishing te
am goals.
3. Competent Team Members.
Teams should be composed of the right number and mix of mem
bers to accomplish all the tasks of the team. In addition, membe
rs needsufficient information, education, and training to become
or remain competent team members (Hackman & Walton, 1986)
. As a whole, theindividual team members need to possess the re
quisite technical competence to accomplish the team’s goals. M
embers also need to bepersonally competent in interpersonal and
teamwork skills. A common mistake in forming teams is to assu
me that people who have all thetechnical skills necessary to sol
ve a problem also have the interpersonal skills necessary to coll
aborate effectively (Hackman, 1990). Justbecause someone is a
good engineer or doctor does not mean he or she has the interpe
rsonal skills to function on a team. Team membersneed certain c
ore competencies that include the ability to do the job and the a
bility to solve problems. In addition, members need certainteam
work factors such as openness, supportiveness, action orientatio
n, and a positive personal style (LaFasto & Larson, 2001).
4. Unified Commitment.
A common mistake is to call a work group a team but treat it as

10. a collection of individuals (Hackman, 1990). Teams do not just
happen: Theyare carefully designed and developed. Excellent te
ams are those that have developed a sense of unity or identificat
ion. Such team spiritoften can be developed by involving memb
ers in all aspects of the process (Larson & LaFasto, 1989).
5. Collaborative Climate.
The ability of a team to collaborate or work well together is ess
ential to team effectiveness. A collaborative climate is one in w
hich memberscan stay problem focused, listen to and understand
one another, feel free to take risks, and be willing to compensat
e for one another. Tobuild an atmosphere that fosters collaborati
on, we need to develop trusting relationships based on honesty,
openness, consistency, andrespect (Larson & LaFasto, 1989). In
tegration of individual actions is one of the fundamental charact
eristics of effective teams. Teammembers each have their own u
nique roles that they typically perform to contribute to the team
’s success. Team failure may result from themembers’ “collectiv
e failure to coordinate and synchronize their individual contribu
tions” (Zaccaro et al., 2001, p. 451). Effective teamleaders can f
acilitate a collaborative climate by managing their own needs to
control, by making communication safe, by demanding andrewa
rding collaborative behavior, and by guiding the team’s problem
-solving efforts (LaFasto & Larson, 2001).
6. Standards of Excellence.
Clear norms of conduct (how we should behave) are important f
or team functioning (Hackman, 2012). Team members’ performa
nceshould be regulated so that actions can be coordinated and ta
sks completed (Hackman & Walton, 1986). It is especially impo
rtant that theorganizational context or the team itself set up stan
dards of excellence so that members will feel pressure to perfor
m at their highest levels.The standards must be clear and concre
te, and all team members must be required to perform to standar
d (Larson & LaFasto, 1989). Ateam leader can facilitate this pro
cess by requiring results—
making expectations clear and reviewing results—
providing feedback toresolve performance issues, and rewarding

11. results by acknowledging superior performance (LaFasto & Lar
son, 2001). With suchstandards in place and monitored, member
s will be encouraged to perform at their highest levels.
7. External Support and Recognition.
A supportive organizational context includes material resources,
rewards for excellent performance, an educational system to de
velopnecessary team skills, and an information system to provid
e data needed to accomplish the task (Wageman et al., 2009). A
common mistakeis to give organizational teams challenging assi
gnments but fail to give them organizational support to accompl
ish these assignments(Hackman, 1990). The leader must identify
which type of support is needed and intervene as needed to sec
ure this support (Hackman,2002). The best goals, team members
, and commitment will not mean much if there is no money, equi
pment, or supplies for accomplishingthe goals. Also, organizati
ons often ask employees to work on a difficult team assignment
and then do not reward them with raises orbonuses for that perf
ormance. Hyatt and Ruddy (1997) found that having systems in
place to support teams (clear direction, information,data, resour
ces, rewards, and training) enables the team to become more eff
ective and achieve performance goals. Teams can achieveexcell
ence if they are given the resources needed to do their jobs, are
recognized for team accomplishments, and are rewarded for tea
mperformance rather than for individual performances (Larson
& LaFasto, 1989).
8. Principled Leadership.
Effective team leadership has been found to consistently relate t
o team effectiveness (Zaccaro, Heinen, & Shuffler, 2009). Lead
ership hasbeen described as the central driver of team effectiven
ess, influencing the team through four sets of processes: cogniti
ve, motivational,affective, and coordination (Zaccaro et al., 200
1). Cognitively, the leader helps the team understand the proble
ms confronting the team.Motivationally, the leader helps the tea
m become cohesive and capable by setting high performance sta
ndards and helping the team toachieve them. Affectively, the lea
der helps the team handle stressful circumstances by providing c

12. lear goals, assignments, and strategies.Coordinately, the leader
helps integrate the team’s activities by matching members’ skill
s to roles, providing clear performance strategies,monitoring fee
dback, and adapting to environmental changes.
Effective team leaders are committed to the team’s goals and gi
ve members autonomy to unleash their talents when possible. Le
aders canreduce the effectiveness of their team by being unwilli
ng to confront inadequate performance, diluting the team’s abili
ty to perform byhaving too many priorities, and overestimating t
he positive aspects of team performance. Leaders can enhance t
he effectiveness of theirteam by keeping the team focused on its
goals, maintaining a collaborative climate, building confidence
among members, demonstratingtechnical competence, setting pri
orities, and managing performance (Larson & LaFasto, 1989). It
is essential that the leadership of the teambe assessed along wit
h the other criteria of team excellence. Such feedback is essenti
al to the health and effectiveness of the team.
The leadership of the team can use these eight characteristics of
team excellence (Table 14.1) in a normative fashion to assess t
he health ofthe team and to take appropriate action to address an
y weaknesses. If the team leader assesses that one or more of th
e eight characteristicsof team success are not being achieved, th
en he or she needs to address these weaknesses. Continually ass
essing the standards of teameffectiveness can also provide feedb
ack, enabling leaders to determine whether past actions and inte
rventions had the desired results. Toassess team effectiveness, t
eam leaders need to use whatever tools are at their disposal, suc
h as direct observation, surveys, feedback, andperformance indi
cators. The information gained from the analysis of team effecti
veness can provide feedback to the leader and guide futureleade
rship decisions. The line on the Hill Model of Team Leadership
(Figure 14.1) that connects the “Team Effectiveness” box at the
bottomto the “Leadership Decisions” box at the top reflects the
ongoing learning process of data gathering, analysis, and decisi
on making. Suchfeedback loops demonstrate the dynamic and ev
olving nature of teams (Ilgen et al., 2005). Past leadership decis

13. ions and actions arereflected in the team’s performance and rela
tional outcomes. In turn, these indicators of team effectiveness s
hape the future analysis anddecisions of the team leadership.
Leadership Decisions
At the top of the Hill Model for Team Leadership (Figure 14.1)
are “Leadership Decisions,” which include the major decisions t
he team’sleadership needs to make when determining whether a
nd how to intervene to improve team functioning. The first of th
ese decisions iswhether it is most appropriate to continue to obs
erve and monitor the team or to intervene in the team’s activitie
s and take action. Thesecond decision is to choose whether a tas
k or a relational intervention is needed (i.e., does the team need
help in accomplishing its tasks,or does it need help in maintaini
ng relationships?). The final decision is whether to intervene at
the internal level (within the team itself) orat the external level
(in the team’s environment).
Figure 14.2 McGrath’s Critical Leadership Functions
Source: Based on McGrath’s critical leadership functions as cite
d in “LeadingGroups in Organizations,” by J. R. Hackman and
R. E. Walton, 1986, in P. S.Goodman & Associates (Eds.), Desi
gning Effective Work Groups (p. 76). SanFrancisco, CA: Jossey
-Bass.
Leadership Decision 1:
Should I monitor the team or take action? The first decision con
fronting the team’s leadership is whether to keep observing the t
eam or totake action to help the team. McGrath (as cited in Hac
kman & Walton, 1986) outlined the critical leadership functions
of group effectiveness,taking into account the analysis of the si
tuation both internally and externally and whether this analysis
indicates that the leader shouldtake an immediate action. Figure
14.2, “McGrath’s Critical Leadership Functions,” demonstrates
these two dimensions of leadershipbehavior: monitoring versus t
aking action and internal group issues versus external group iss
ues. As leaders, we can diagnose, analyze, orforecast problems (
monitoring), or we can take immediate action to solve a proble

14. m. We can also focus on the problems within the group(internal)
or problems outside the group (external). These two dimensions
result in the four types of team leadership functions shown in F
igure 14.2.
Quadrants 1 and 2 in Figure 14.2 focus on the internal operation
s of the team. In Quadrant 1, the leader is diagnosing group defi
ciencies,and in Quadrant 2, the leader is acting to repair or reme
dy the observed problems. Quadrants 3 and 4 focus on the exter
nal operations ofthe team. In the third quadrant, the leader is sc
anning the environment to determine and forecast any external c
hanges that will affect thegroup. In the fourth quadrant, the lead
er acts to prevent any negative changes in the environment from
hurting the team.
Therefore, the first decision confronting the team’s leadership is
“Should I continue monitoring these factors, or should I take ac
tion basedon the information I have already gathered and structu
red?” To develop an accurate mental model of team functioning,
leaders need tomonitor both the internal and external environm
ents to gather information, reduce equivocality, provide structur
e, and overcome barriers.Fleishman et al. (1991) described two
phases in this initial process: information search and structuring
. A leader must first seek outinformation to understand the curre
nt state of the team’s functioning (information search), and then
this information must be analyzed,organized, and interpreted so
the leader can decide how to act (information structuring). Lea
ders can also help their information searchprocess by obtaining
feedback from team members, networking with others outside th
e team, conducting team assessment surveys, andevaluating tea
m outcomes. Once information on the team is gathered, the lead
er needs to structure or interpret this information so that heor sh
e can make action plans. Virtual teams operate under the same g
roup dynamics principles and also need to monitor and interven
e asappropriate (Berry, 2011).
All members of the team can engage in monitoring (information
search and structuring) and collectively provide distributed or s
haredleadership to help the team adapt to changing conditions. I

15. n fast-
paced, rapidly changing situations, the team leader and members
mighthave to work in concert to assess the situation accurately.
The official leader of the team might be too busy processing inf
ormation from theenvironment to process information internal t
o the team. The team members can help the leader by staying on
top of internal problems.Together, they can form an accurate pi
cture of the team’s effectiveness.
In addition to gathering and interpreting information, team lead
ers must take the right action based on this information. Determ
ining theright action to take is at the very heart of team leadersh
ip. It involves selecting from among competing courses of actio
n to facilitate theteam’s work (Barge, 1996). Leaders differ in t
heir tendencies to take action quickly (hasty to act) or their tend
encies to delay taking actionby analyzing the situation at length
(slow to act). “Hasty to act” leaders might prevent problems fro
m getting out of control; however, theymight not make the right
intervention because they do not have all the information, and s
uch fast action might undermine the developmentof shared leade
rship. “Slow to act” leaders might encourage other team member
s to emerge as leaders (shared leadership), but the action-
taking delay might cause the team’s problem to become unmana
geable.
The exact timing of a leadership intervention is as important as
the specific type of intervention (Wageman et al., 2009). It has
beenproposed that groups go through developmental stages of fo
rming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (Tuckma
n & Jensen,2010). Certain behaviors are common and even expe
cted at each of these stages. If, for example, conflict was occurr
ing during the stormingstage of team life, the leadership might n
ot intervene at that time but just continue monitoring. Or, the le
adership might choose anintervention that advances the team to
the next phase of norming. Others have described three phases o
f group life and the leadershipneeded during each: (1) motivatio
nal coaching (at start), (2) consultative coaching (at midpoint),
and (3) educational coaching (at end). Theimportant aspect of ti

16. ming is that the leader should understand where the team is in it
s life cycle and provide the type of leadership neededat that tim
e (Hackman, 2012).
Leadership Decision 2:
Should I intervene to meet task or relational needs? Returning t
o the top box in Figure 14.1 (“Leadership Decisions”), the seco
nd decisionconfronting the leader is whether the team needs hel
p in dealing with relational issues or task issues. Since the early
study of small groups,the focus has been on two critical leaders
hip functions: task and maintenance. Task leadership functions i
nclude getting the job done,making decisions, solving problems,
adapting to changes, making plans, and achieving goals. Mainte
nance functions include developing apositive climate, solving in
terpersonal problems, satisfying members’ needs, and developin
g cohesion. These two functions have also beenreferred to in ter
ms of performance and development (i.e., how well the team has
accomplished its task and how well the team hasdeveloped effe
ctive relationships).
Superior team leadership focuses constantly on both task and m
aintenance functions (Kinlaw, 1998); both types of leadership b
ehaviors(task-focused and person-
focused) have been found to be related to perceived team effecti
veness (Burke et al., 2006).
Task functions are closely intertwined with relational functions.
If the team is well maintained and has good interpersonal relati
onships,then the members will be able to work together effectiv
ely and get their job done. If not, they will spend all of their tim
e infighting, sniping,and working at cross-
purposes. Similarly, if the team is productive and successful in
accomplishing its task, it will be easier to maintain apositive cli
mate and good relations. Conversely, failing teams often take th
eir lack of performance out on each other, and fighting teamsoft
en accomplish little.
In virtual teams connected across time and space by electronic
media, it is important to focus on both task and relational issues
(Han &Beyerlein, 2016). The focus on building team relationsh

17. ips is even more critical for virtual teams than in traditional co-
located teams.Virtual team leaders must be able to “read” all the
personal and contextual nuances in a world of electronic comm
unications. They must beable to understand the possible causes
of silence, misunderstanding, and slights without any of the usu
al signs to guide them. Leaders mustbe sensitive to the team pro
cess and must pay attention to even small matters that could inte
rfere with the team’s success (Pauleen, 2004).Virtual teams plac
e even greater demands on team leaders—
50% more time investment—than the more traditional co-
located team (Dyer,Dyer, & Dyer, 2007).
Research suggests that leaders of virtual teams should begin the
team with face-to-
face meetings, if possible, to facilitate trust, comfort, andrappor
t. In addition, virtual team leaders need to focus on project man
agement and regular, organized team meetings. However, virtual
team leaders need to be careful not to be too task focused and to
also work to develop social relationships among the team. Virtu
al teamleaders also need to keep literate in all new communicati
on technologies and know when to use them for optimal teamwo
rk (Humbley,O’Neill, & Kline, 2009). As the prevalence of virt
ual teams expands, specific leadership issues and interventions r
elated to these virtualteams are increasingly becoming the focus
of study (Berry, 2011; Cordery, Soo, Kirkman, Rosen, & Mathi
eu, 2009; Zaccaro, Ardison, & Orvis,2004).
Leadership Decision 3:
Should I intervene internally or externally? If a decision was ma
de to take action or intervene, the leader must make the third str
ategicleadership decision in Figure 14.1 and determine what lev
el of the team process needs leadership attention: internal leader
ship actions orexternal leadership actions. Do I need to interven
e inside of the team, or is the problem external to the team? Eff
ective team leaders analyzeand balance the internal and external
demands of the team and react appropriately (Barge, 1996).
Is there internal conflict between members of the team? Then pe
rhaps taking an internal relational action to maintain the team a

18. nd improveinterpersonal relationships would be most appropriat
e. Are the team goals unclear? Then perhaps an internal task int
ervention is needed tofocus on goals. Is the organizational envir
onment not providing proper support to the team to do its job? T
hen perhaps an externalenvironmental intervention focusing on
obtaining external support for the team might be the most appro
priate intervention.
The current focus of research is on real-
life organizational work teams that exist within a larger organiz
ational environment. In addition tobalancing the internal task an
d relational needs of the team, the leader has to help the team ad
apt to and function effectively in itsenvironment. Most teams fo
cus on the internal problems of the team. But it is increasingly i
mportant for teams to also be externallyoriented to “reach acros
s boundaries to forge dense networks of connection, both inside
and outside the organization” so that they candeal effectively wi
th the fast-
changing environment (Ancona, Bresman, & Caldwell, 2009).
Leadership Actions
The middle section of the Hill Model for Team Leadership (Figu
re 14.1) lists a number of specific leadership actions that can be
performedinternally (“Task” and “Relational”) or externally (“
Environmental”). These lists are not exhaustive but are compile
d from research on teamexcellence and team performance discus
sed earlier in this chapter. For example, teams that have clear g
oals, standards, effective structure,and decision making will hav
e higher task performance. Teams that can manage conflict, coll
aborate well together, and build commitmentwill have good rela
tionships. Teams that are well connected to and protected from t
heir environment will also be more productive.
It is up to the leader to assess what action, if any, is needed and
then intervene with the specific leadership function to meet the
demands ofthe situation. The leader needs the ability to perform
these skills and to make a strategic choice as to the most appro
priate function or skillfor the intervention. For example, if the l
eader decided that team members were arguing, he or she might

19. decide to initiate conflictmanagement. To be an effective leader
, one needs to respond with the action that is required of the situ
ation. Thus, it is the job of the leader toanalyze and mediate the
situation to make the best decisions for the good of the team. A
detailed knowledge of group dynamics andinterpersonal proces
ses is key to effective team leadership.
A team leader also needs to recognize and interpret what is getti
ng in the way of the team’s goal accomplishment and then make
a strategicchoice and respond with the appropriate action (Gour
an & Hirokawa, 1996). If a problem is diagnosed as a team perf
ormance problem,then the leader needs to determine the appropr
iate action to solve this task problem (e.g., goal focusing, stand
ard setting, or training). If aproblem is diagnosed as a team dev
elopment problem, then the leader needs to determine the appro
priate action to solve this relationalproblem (e.g., managing con
flict or building commitment). If a problem is diagnosed as an e
nvironmental problem, then the leader needs todetermine the ap
propriate action to solve this context problem (e.g., networking,
advocating, or sharing information).
Internal Task Leadership Actions. The “Task” box in the Hill M
odel for Team Leadership (Figure 14.1) lists the set of skills or
actions that theleader might perform to improve task performanc
e. After monitoring the team’s performance, the leader might ch
oose to intervene in oneof the following task areas:
· Goal focusing (clarifying, gaining agreement)
For example, if team members seem to be going off in different
directions, the leader might intervene to clarify the team’s goals
or workwith members to obtain agreement on goals.
·
Structuring for results (planning, visioning, organizing, clarifyi
ng roles, delegating)
For example, if the leader determines that the team is stuck in d
ay-to-
day affairs and not looking to or building for the future, then he
orshe might intervene by helping the team vision and plan for t
he future.

20. ·
Facilitating decision making (informing, controlling, coordinati
ng, mediating, synthesizing, focusing on issues)
For example, if the leader determines that members are not adeq
uately sharing information with each other, he or she might askq
uestions to seek out the information that is not being shared.
· Training team members in task skills (educating, developing)
For example, if the leader observes that the team members do no
t have the skills necessary to make well-
reasoned decisions, the leadermight provide a training seminar i
n decision making.
·
Maintaining standards of excellence (assessing team and individ
ual performance, confronting inadequate performance)
For example, if the leader observes that some team members are
coming late to meetings or not attending meetings, the leader m
ighthave to take direct action and confront these members to ad
dress this inadequate performance.
Internal Relational Leadership Actions. The second set of intern
al leadership actions in Figure 14.1 reflects those that the leader
needs toimplement to improve team relationships. After monito
ring the team’s performance, the leader might choose to interve
ne in one of thefollowing interpersonal areas:
· Coaching team members in interpersonal skills
For example, if the team leader observes that team members do
not seem to be listening to one another, then he or she might int
erveneby leading team members in a listening exercise.
· Collaborating (including, involving)
For example, if the leader observes that some team members are
not taking others’ opinions into account, then the leader mighti
ntervene to encourage compromise.
·
Managing conflict and power issues (fighting or avoiding confro
ntation, questioning ideas, avoiding groupthink)
For example, if the leader observes that the members are not qu
estioning ideas and are just agreeing with each other in order to

21. movequickly to a decision, then the leader might intervene by pr
oviding a discussion on the negative aspects of groupthink (Nec
k & Manz,1994).
·
Building commitment and esprit de corps (being optimistic, inn
ovating, envisioning, socializing, rewarding, recognizing)
For example, if the team seems to have low morale, the leader c
ould intervene to build commitment and unity by recognizing pa
st teamsuccesses.
·
Satisfying individual member needs (trusting, supporting, advoc
ating)
For example, if a team member seems stressed due to disrespect
from other members, the leader might provide support to the ups
etmember and advocate to the team on his or her behalf.
·
Modeling ethical and principled practices (fair, consistent, norm
ative)
For example, if a team leader monitors the team and observes th
at it is inconsistent vis-à-
vis the members sometimes treating in-
groupmembers differently from out-
group members, then the leader might intervene and change his
or her own behavior to be fair andconsistent to all members.
External Environmental Leadership Actions. The “External Lead
ership Actions” (Figure 14.1) reflect those actions the leader mi
ght implementto improve the environmental interface with the te
am. Real-life teams do not exist in a laboratory—
they are subsystems of the largerorganizational and societal con
text. To stay viable, the team needs to monitor this environment
closely and determine what actions shouldbe taken to enhance t
eam effectiveness (Barge, 1996; Hyatt & Ruddy, 1997; Zaccaro
et al., 2001). If environmental monitoring suggests aleadership i
ntervention, then the leader needs to select from the following f
unctions:
·

22. Networking and forming alliances in environment (gathering inf
ormation, increasing influence)
For example, if the leader observes that the team’s members are
not well known or are not well connected throughout the organi
zation,then the leader might intervene by interacting and formin
g relationships with powerful and respected individuals in the or
ganization.
· Advocating and representing team to environment
For example, if the leader learns that organizational superiors ar
e unaware of the team’s successes, the leader might initiate an “
FYI”policy, sending information about all successes upward as t
hey happen. The leader can also initiate a team newsletter that c
hroniclesteam efforts to accomplish the same function but to a b
roader context.
·
Negotiating upward to secure necessary resources, support, and
recognition for team
For example, a leader might determine that the team does not ha
ve enough clerical support to accomplish its goals. The leader th
ennegotiates with upper management to provide the needed supp
ort or, if failing in this, to persuade upper management to alter t
heteam’s goals accordingly.
· Buffering team members from environmental distractions
For example, if the leader observes that the team is overloaded
with tasks, then he or she might intervene by keeping unnecessa
rydemands and distractions away from the team members so that
they can concentrate on their goals.
·
Assessing environmental indicators of team’s effectiveness (sur
veys, evaluations, performance indicators)
For example, if the leader observes that the members of the tea
m have no way of knowing how well they are doing, the leader c
anprovide data from the environment as to how their performanc
e stacks up with other teams.
· Sharing relevant environmental information with team
For example, if the team leader reviews the environment and fin

23. ds that the organization’s business is going in a new direction, h
e or shecan share this information with the team to keep them in
line with these new directions.
Team leadership is complex; there are no simple recipes for tea
m success. Team leaders must learn to be open and objective inu
nderstanding and diagnosing team problems and skillful in selec
ting the most appropriate actions (or inactions) to help achieve t
he team’sgoals. It is important to reemphasize that these critical
functions need not be carried out only by the leader. Experienc
ed members in amature team might share these leadership behav
iors. As long as the team’s critical needs have been met, the lea
dership behavior, whetherenacted by the leader or team member
s, has been effective. The key assertion of the functional perspe
ctive is that the leader is to do whateveris necessary to take care
of unmet needs of the team. If the team members are taking car
e of most of the needs, then the leader has to do verylittle.
Leadership essentials: Practical and proven approaches in
leadership and supervision Comment by Washburn Kelly:
Second Reading Material
Chapter 2
Teams, Teamwork and Leadership Styles
If you can use only one leadership style in a given situation,
then you are inflexible and will have difficulty operating in
situations where that style does not fit.
Leadership Styles
All people are shaped by what they have seen, what they have
learned, and whom they have met. Who you are determines the
way you work with other people? Some people are happy and
smiling all the time. Others are serious. Some leaders can wade
into a room full of strangers and within five minutes have

24. everyone engaged and thinking, “How have I lived so long
without meeting this person?”
Some very competent leaders are uncomfortable in social
situations. Most of us are somewhere in between. Although
leadership theory describes at great length how you should
interact with your subordinates and how you must strive to learn
and improve your leadership skills, you always must be
yourself. Anything else comes across as fake and insincere.
Effective leaders are flexible enough to adjust their leadership
style and techniques to the people they lead and the situations
they encounter. Some subordinates respond best to coaxing,
suggestions, or gentle prodding. Others need, and sometimes
even want, the verbal equivalent of a kick in the pants. Treating
people fairly does not mean treating them as if they were clones
of one another. In fact, if you treat everyone the same way, you
probably are being unfair because different people need
different things from you.
Think of it this way: Suppose you must teach safety procedures
to a large group of employees ranging in experience from new
to very experienced. The senior employees know a great deal
about the subject while the new employees know very little. To
meet all their needs, you must teach the new employees more
than you teach the senior employees.
If you train the new employees only on the advanced skills the
senior employees need, the new employees will be lost. If you
make the senior employees sit through training on the basic
tasks the new employees need, you will waste the senior
employee’s time. You must match the training (and your
leadership) to the experience of those being trained. In the same
way, you must adjust your leadership style and techniques to the
experience of your people and characteristics of your
organization.
Obviously, you would not lead senior team members the same
way you would lead new employees. But the easiest distinctions
to make are those of rank and experience. You must take into

25. account personalities, self-confidence, self-esteem—all the
elements of the complex mix of character traits that make
dealing with people so difficult and so rewarding. One of the
many things that makes your job tough is that you must figure
out what your subordinates need and what they are able to do in
order to get their best performance even when they do not know
themselves.
When discussing leadership styles, many people focus on the
extremes, autocratic and democratic. Autocratic leaders tell
people what to do with no explanations. Their message is, “I am
the boss. You will do it because I said so.” Democratic leaders
use their personalities to persuade subordinates.
discuss five of them. However, bear in mind that competent
leaders mix different elements of all these styles according to
place, task, and people involved.
Using different leadership styles in different situations or
elements of different styles in the same situation is not
inconsistent. Rather, the opposite is true. If you are able to use
only one leadership style in a given situation, then you are
inflexible and will have difficulty operating in situations where
that style does not fit.
Directing Leadership Style
The directing style is leader-centered. Leaders using this style
do not solicit input from their subordinates. They give detailed
instructions on how, when, and where they want a task
The directing style may be appropriate when time is short, and
leaders do not have a chance to explain things. They may simply
give orders: Do this; Go there; Move. Leaders may revert to this
style in fast-paced operations or in emergency situations, even
with experienced subordinates. But if the leader has created a
climate of trust, subordinates will assume the leader has
switched to the directing style because of the circumstances.
inexperienced teams or individuals who are not yet trained to

26. operate on their own. In this kind of situation, the leader
probably will remain close to the action to make sure things go
smoothly.
Some people mistakenly believe the directing style means using
abusive and demeaning language or threatening and intimidating
others. This is wrong. If you are ever tempted to act this way,
whether due to pressure, stress, or what seems like improper
behavior by a subordinate, ask yourself: Would I want to work
for someone like me? Would I want my boss to see and hear me
treat subordinates this way? Would I want to be treated this
way?
Participating Leadership Style
The participating style centers on both the leader and team.
Given a job to do, leaders ask subordinates for input,
information, and recommendations, but make the final decision
on what to do. This style is especially appropriate for leaders
who have time for such consultations or who are dealing with
experienced subordinates.
The delegating style involves giving subordinates the authority
to solve problems and make decisions without first clearing
them through the leader.
The team-building approach lies behind the participating
leadership style. When subordinates help to create a plan it
becomes, at least in part, their plan. This ownership creating a
strong incentive to invest the effort necessary to make the plan
work. Asking for this kind of input is a sign of a leader’s
strength and self-confidence. But asking for advice does not
mean the leader is obligated to follow it. The leader alone is
always responsible for the quality of decisions and the outcome
of plans.
Delegating Leadership Style
The delegating style involves giving subordinates the authority
to solve problems and make decisions without first clearing

27. them through the leader. Leaders with mature and experienced
subordinates, or who want to create a learning experience for
subordinates, often need only to give them authority to make
decisions along with the necessary resources and a clear
understanding of the mission’s purpose. As always, the leader is
responsible for what does or does not happen, but in the
delegating leadership style, the leader holds subordinate leaders
accountable for their actions. this is the style most often used
by managers dealing with senior supervisors, and by
organizational and strategic leaders.
Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles
There is a distinction between the transformational leadership
style, which focuses on inspiration and change, and the
transactional leadership style, which focuses on rewards and
punishments. We do not deny that rewards and punishments are
effective and sometimes necessary. However, carrots and sticks
alone do not inspire individuals to excel.
Transformational Leadership Style
This style transforms subordinates by challenging them to rise
above their immediate needs and self-interest. The
transformational style is developmental. It emphasizes
individual growth (both professional and personal) and
organizational enhancement. Key features of the
transformational style include empowering and mentally
stimulating subordinates. The transformational leaders consider
and motivate team members as individuals first, then the group.
To use the transformational style, you must have the courage to
communicate your intent and then step back and let your
subordinates work. You must also be aware that immediate
benefits often are delayed until the job or task is accomplished.
The transformational style allows you to take advantage of the
skills and knowledge of experienced subordinates who may have
better ideas on how to accomplish a mission. Leaders who use
this style communicate reasons for their decisions or actions
and build a broader understanding and ability to exercise
initiative and operate effectively with subordinates. Not all

28. situations lend themselves to this style. It is most effective
during periods that call for change or when presenting new
opportunities. It also works well when organizations face a
crisis, instability, mediocrity, or disenchantment. It may not be
effective when subordinates are inexperienced, when the
mission allows little deviation from accepted procedures, or
when subordinates are not motivated. Leaders who use only the
transformational leadership style limit their ability to influence
individuals in these and similar situations.
Transactional Leadership Style
In contrast, some leaders employ only the transactional
leadership style. This style includes such techniques as:
• Motivating subordinates to work by offering rewards or
threatening punishment.
• Prescribing task assignments in writing.
• Outlining all the conditions necessary to complete the task,
including the applicable rules and regulations, the benefits of
success, and the consequences, which include possible
disciplinary actions or failure.
• Management by exception, where leaders focus on their
subordinates’ failures, showing up only when something goes
wrong.
The leader who relies exclusively on the transactional style,
rather than combining it with the transformational style, evokes
only short-term commitment from subordinates and discourages
risk taking and innovation there are situations where the
transactional style is acceptable, if not preferred. For example,
a leader who wants to emphasize safety could reward the
organization, if the organization prevents any serious safety-
related incidents for a two-month period. In this case, the
leader’s intent appears clear. Safe habits are rewarded, but
unsafe acts will not be tolerated. However, using only the
transactional style can make the leader’s efforts appear self-
serving. In this example, employees might interpret the leader’s
attempt to reward safe practices as an effort to look good by
focusing on something that is unimportant but has the boss’s

29. attention. Such perceptions can destroy the trust subordinates
have in the leader. Using the transactional style alone also can
deprive subordinates of opportunities to grow, because it leaves
no room for honest mistakes. The most effective leaders
combine techniques from the transformational and transactional
leadership styles to fit the situation. A strong base of
transactional understanding, supplemented by charisma,
inspiration, and individualized concern for each subordinate,
produces the most enthusiastic and genuine response.
Subordinates will be more committed, creative, and innovative.
They also will be more likely to take calculated risks to
accomplish their mission. Leaders can avoid any
misunderstanding of their intent by combining transformational
and transactional techniques. they can explain why safety is
important (intellectual stimulation) while, at the same time,
encourage their subordinates to take care of each other
(individualized concern).
Leading Teams
Few leadership roles are as important in empowered
organizations as team building. Effective teamwork is the
foundation of productivity. In this chapter we will explore
several important topics concerning team leadership. For the
purposes of clarification, when we refer to “team” in team
leadership, we mean your day-to-day work team and/or any
special project teams that you might be in charge of
temporarily.
To get you started, the following are some suggestions for
more detail throughout this section.
• Allow time for introductions. When the team is formed, allow
people to get to know one another, and to clarify roles and
goals.
• Show respect for everyone’s points of view at the earliest
point possible. Try to discourage dominant behaviors by some
team members. Research shows that the earliest moments of a
team’s life define how its members will interact thereafter.

30. • Establish clear communication channels. Model good
listening behavior and encourage it in others. Determine how
team members will communicate, how problems will be
analyzed, how decisions will be made, and how the team’s work
will get done.
• Encourage balanced participation early on. To discourage
sub-teams from forming, ensure balanced participation and
move people around so they interact with everyone else.
• Constructively manage conflict and team difficulties. Do this
as soon as the conflicts occur. Never allow a problem to fester.
• Avoid imposing your own ground rules and processes. Instead,
let the team decide collectively on its rules for conduct,
meetings, and reaching consensus. Research shows that teams
that make their own process decisions come together more
quickly and are more productive.
As a supervisor, you will be in charge of a team of employees.
Your team may include your regular work team or it may also
include a special project team created for a short-term purpose.
Whether it is your work team or a project team, there are
several fundamental principles of team leadership.
A team is a number of persons associated together in work or
activity working toward a common goal. A team can either be
made of members selected by a team leader or the team leader
may be assigned to an existing team.
The first step towards ensuring a team’s success is to look at
the abilities, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses of each
potential team member. Interview team members to see what
types of tasks they have been assigned in the past and then ask
for results associated with each task.
Next, look at your own strengths and weaknesses to see how
they align with those of your team. Look at the overall project,
goals, deliverables, and/or strategies. Finally, select and assign
team members based on each member’s abilities and according
to project requirements, not necessarily on their preferences.
Be a visionary! See beyond the project’s endpoint. Tell your
team the program goals and objectives, the important milestones

31. involved, and the requirements for the deliverables. Discuss and
debate the strategies and metrics for meeting the team’s
goals/objectives with the team members. Delegate tasks to the
team members most qualified to handle them. Rely on them to
teach others these tasks. Most importantly, trust your team,
being careful not to micromanage them nor to being too hands-
off. Be there for them when they need your help.
Empower your team members! Have an “open door” policy and
allow your team members to make decisions and mistakes
without fear of retaliation. Praise them when they do well and
counsel them when they make mistakes or do wrong. Share the
credit, take the blame. By empowering your team members, they
will help you with future endeavors.
Stages in Team Development 2
Forming. This beginning stage could last a few days or go on
for weeks. People think about their new tasks and new
environment. Members learn about each other and plan their
work and their new roles around these new relationships.
Emotions are positive. The work team should also learn about
team processes in preparation for rough times ahead. They need
to learn the rudiments of conflict resolution, communication,
time management, and group decision-making
Storming. The anticipation and enthusiasm of the forming stage
quickly fall away as the team faces a myriad of technical,
interpersonal, and social problems. They fight and argue. People
feel frustration, resentment, and anger as problems fester and
work goes undone. Leaders also experience frustration and are
tempted to intervene.
Members are on an emotional roller coaster from elation to
depression and back again. Without training and support, the
team may not progress. Conflict has a bad reputation. But
conflict is normal, natural, and sometimes even necessary.
Handled well, conflict can be used to build skills and
confidence as the team transitions to the Norming Stage.
Norming. Here, team members work through individual and
social issues. They establish their own norms of behavior and

32. begin to trust each other. As the team develops interpersonal
skills, it also hones other skills. Members begin to leverage the
strengths of each other for the good of the team. They become
increasingly adept at problem solving, learning new skills and
cross training each other.
Performing. Now things begin to click. Members help each
other, conflict is depersonalized, problems are solved, and goals
are achieved and exceeded. Satisfaction and pride become
accomplishments, and in its team interaction. Individual stake
pride in their membership.
Adjourning. Some teams have an end, and there can be
disappointment and sadness when a team is done and no longer
time to adjust to their new roles, whether it is an individual one
or a new team role.
Team Leadership
A manager is a person who conducts business or a person who
directs a team. To manage is to exercise executive,
administrative, and supervisory direction; to work upon or try to
alter for a purpose and to succeed in accomplishing. Managing
is the process of organizing people and tasks to accomplish
some purpose. A leader, however, is a person who leads, or a
person who has commanding authority or influence. To lead is
to guide in away especially by going in advance; to guide
someone or something along the way. A leader is someone who
blazes a trail and takes others along for the ride in order to
further a cause. When you manage, your complete projects and
programs by organizing people and tasks in a logical order.
Leading means creating a path for others in order to accomplish
a greater objective. People lead in order to create a legacy that
will be maintained by others for the long run. You need the
qualities of both a manager and leader in order to accomplish
your projects and programs, and to create a plan for the
viability of your organization (develop short-term and a long-
range plans). In short, the aim of management is to accomplish

33. tasks, projects, and programs effectively, while leadership aims
to help others achieve their personal best.
Learning to Lead
Focus on quality by:
• Setting performance standards
• Outlining realistic goals
• Striving to ensure the highest quality with all objectives
• Maintaining a checklist of your duties and performance of
duties
When leading your team, you should:
• Develop strengths — self-confidence and self-determination
• Set high goals
• Eliminate weaknesses — face up to your own mistakes
• Prepare to lead — understand your team members
• Be a strategist
Examine the process — involve everyone in decision making.
Conduct a detailed analysis to determine background
information. Plan effectively for the team and then implement
your plans, both for short and long terms.
To better assess your team and mission, consider a SWOT
analysis:
• Strengths: What are your competencies? What do you do
well?
• Weaknesses: What are your shortfalls and competitive
disadvantages? What can you improve on?
• Opportunities: What is out there that you can take advantage
of?
• Threats: What areas are deteriorating? What do you need to be
aware of?
Communication
Recognize barriers. People do not always think or hear alike.
To achieve clarity with your communications, you should:
• Be clear in your own mind about what you want to
communicate?
• Deliver the message clearly using the right media.

34. • Ensure the message has been clearly and correctly understood
as intended.
Principles for People Development
Success in developing others will depend on how well you
accomplish each of the following:
• Value of People: Your attitude about others
• Commitment to People: How much time will you give them?
• Integrity with People: Character, or how you treat them
• Standard of People: Vision, or how you see them • Influence
over People: How you lead them
By observing and drawing on the experiences of leaders
successful in people development, we learn there are three main
areas where they differ from those who are not. Successful
people developers make the right assumptions about people, ask
the right questions, and give the right assistance when needed.
When determining standards for your team, you should:
• Involve employees in developing standards and/or goals and
timetables.
• Provide personal examples of topnotch performance- based
work on which standards can be developed. • Upgrade
performance standards whenever there is a need and an
opportunity.
• Make standards measurable so you can determine successful
outcomes.
Measures and objectives are important to help your team chart
its direction. they tell the team what it is supposed to be doing.
Measures and objectives are necessary to:
• Monitor and evaluate the use of company resources and the
level of controllable costs.
• Establish measurable and realistic work targets and deadlines.
• Monitor performance for any discrepancies that need to be
addressed.
• Establish procedures and rules that employees are expected to
follow.
• Drive interest in progress toward longer-term objectives or
goals.

35. Performance Feedback
Performance feedback is critical to tell your team members how
they are doing. Specifically, performance feedback:
• Tells people how they are doing on a day-by-day basis as well
as over extended periods of time.
• Is important for coaching and training employees on how to
improve performance.
• Is used to determine if goals and objectives are being met.
• Allows employees the opportunity to change their
performance.
Performance feedback is an essential element of the supervisor/
subordinate relationship. The vast majority of people want to
make a difference in their place of work. They want to be
recognized for their accomplishments and learn how to become
even better. They want to know where they stand. People crave
feedback that is honest, positive, objective, timely, and fair. But
performance feedback is rare.
There are three main obstacles to giving effective feedback in
today’s leadership environment. The first is the pace of
operations. Supervisors often say they are so busy that they do
not have the time to devote to giving feedback properly. The
second has to do with working relationships in today’s business
environment. The good news is that more and more supervisors
are taking the time to get to know their subordinates and their
families. They say their “door is always open.” The downside of
this is that this type of working relationship can make it hard
for supervisors to tell their subordinates that they aren’t doing
their job well and they could be more effective.
The third obstacle lies in the willingness and readiness of the
subordinate to receive feedback. Subordinates might have
trouble recognizing there are areas in which they can improve.
They might be defensive or concerned for their jobs. There
might be personality differences or other issues between the
supervisor and subordinates that interfere with communication.
Effective supervisors must be aware of all the dynamics of the
relationship and make appropriate adjustments in their approach

36. to feedback.
A formal feedback process has important advantages for
supervisors. It motivates subordinates and helps them become
more effective. By establishing dialogue with subordinates,
supervisors can better understand their individual wants and
needs, and the climate of the organization. In organizations
where retaining quality people is a high priority, an effective
performance feedback system is essential.
In order for performance feedback to be effective, it must
follow these key principles:
Specific: Feedback must be based on observable behavior, not
on people’s feelings or the conclusions drawn from their
behavior. For example, “Last Friday morning I saw you help
Mary fix a problem on her computer. Your willingness to share
your expertise is a great example of teamwork and makes this a
more effective organization.” This specific example, tied to a
positive organizational outcome, is more effective than saying
“You are a helpful person,” since the subordinate can link the
feedback to an actual event.
Timely: Feedback should be given in a timely manner so that
both parties can recall the specific behavior involved.
Actionable: Feedback should be based on something over which
a person has control. When necessary, the supervisor should
identify ways to improve performance.
Measurable: Goals and objectives should be stated in terms
where both parties will know if the goals are achieved.
Achievable: Performance measures should be realistic and
within the resources that are available to the subordinate.
Positive: Give both positive and critical feedback but tip the
balance in the positive direction. The Center for Creative
Leadership suggests a 4:1 ratio of positive to critical feedback.
When new employees come on board, the supervisor should
meet with them as soon after their arrival as possible.
Non-evaluative: Opinions, perceptions, and reactions should be
differentiated from facts. Don’t psychoanalyze; avoid inferences
and interpretations. Avoid labels.

37. Establish a dialogue: The effective feedback session is not a
one-way communication. The supervisor should ask the
subordinate if they fully understand what is being said and then
subordinate understands their role in the organization and how
it contributes to the goals and mission.
When new employees come on board, the supervisor should
meet with them as soon after their arrival as possible. The
purpose of this initial feedback session is to help establish the
relationship between the supervisor and employee. It is also
about setting expectations for the upcoming evaluation period.
It is not necessary to negotiate objectives with the subordinate,
but the supervisor should help the subordinate take ownership
of the goals and internalize expectations. Both parties should
leave the initial feedback session with a clear understanding of
what is expected. The supervisor provides a written record of
the feedback session. This written record is held in confidence.
Supervisors often are required to conduct a follow-up feedback
session midway through the evaluation period. This session
should be conducted using the principles above and should
address the extent to which the expectations were met. As
before, a confidential written record is provided. The annual
performance appraisal system is not a substitute for good
communication or for timely, routine feedback. For example, if
the subordinate is consistently late for routine meetings, it
makes no sense to wait until the annual appraisal cycle to make
them aware of the problem. In the same way, workers who
consistently perform above standards should not have to wait
months to know that their work is appreciated. Supervisors
should not assume that, because certain behaviors are obvious
to them, they are equally obvious to the subordinate. Daily or
routine feedback needs to remain consistent with the principles
above.
Annual performance discussions should have no surprises for
the employee. The evaluation should summarize the positive
and critical feedback given to the employee during specified

38. time periods.
Finally, supervisors who routinely give feedback (both positive
and corrective) to subordinates may want to follow up with a
personal note or memo. It is possible that the feedback is so
routine (or the subordinate so unreceptive) that the subordinate
misses the message or doesn’t even realize that feedback has
taken place.
Giving feedback is a key responsibility of a leader. Work
climate surveys strongly suggest that job satisfaction, morale,
and retention are closely related to the ability of a leader to
provide feedback. Senior leaders must set the example for the
organization by giving timely feedback and demanding that
leaders at all levels do the same.
The 6 C’s of Teamwork
Competence
• Develops and meets standards
• Continuously improves effectiveness through training
• Successfully carries out assignments
• Works together productively
• Strives to increase the level of knowledge concerning
individuals, departments, and company issues
Candor
• Honest with each other, encouraging others to speak freely
• Actively listens to the opinions of others with an open mind
• Seeks new ideas and challenges old ones
• Confronts problems and controversial issues assertively
Consensus
• Uses facts to support strong opinions
• Develops innovative solutions together
• Uses a win-win approach to conflict
• Develops excellent solutions and supports final decisions
• Strives for total agreement on important issues
Critique
• Candid, but sensitive to others • Uses examples and facts as a
basis for drawing conclusions • Focuses on improvements •
Evaluates processes

39. Believes we are all in this together • Involves all members fully
• Shares ideas and information willingly • Sets challenging
goals
Commitment
• Sets rules and then follows them
• Holds self and others accountable
• Seeks team success over individual success
• Commits to following the 6 C’s
Seven Keys to Team Leadership
1. Help the team identify its purpose. People work more
effectively when they understand the goals they are trying to
achieve. As a leader, it is your job to help the team members see
the desired outcome of their efforts, and help them set specific
goals and milestones along the way.
2. Set the scope and boundaries. Teams need to know what they
should tackle and what is too big or not their responsibility. By
helping teams manage the scope of their work you will keep
them more focused and on target to reach the goals more
quickly.
3. Show, through both your words and actions, that you believe
in them. If you do not believe in the team concept, you will not
effectively lead teams. If you do believe both in the concept and
in a particular team’s potential, you need to let them know that.
Show through both your words and actions that you believe in
them. Once they have purpose and goals and your belief in
them, they are on their way to success.
4. Define your role. Your role is to lead, not to do the work or
make all of the decisions. Tell team members what your role is
and isn’t. Help them see how you are relying on their
experience, knowledge and intellect in the completion of the
team’s work.
5. Be a supporter. Support the team with your actions. Do not

40. just delegate the work to the team and then wipe your hands of
any further responsibility. Teams will experience obstacles and
roadblocks. It is your job to remove those roadblocks, find
additional resources, and provide support. It is like a hike. If
you are in front of a group on a hike, you will do your best to
remove impediments that might slow down or injure those that
follow. Your role on a business team is just the same.
6. Be a facilitator. Help the team succeed. Provide guidance
when needed. Remain hands off as much as you can. Let the
team succeed and develop itself toward greater achievement at
the same time. To facilitate means “to make easier,” and that is
your role. Remember that you chose to use a team to accomplish
the task, so let it achieve that goal.
7. Be careful about what you say. Teams often look to leaders to
make the final decisions or assume that the leader has veto
power on any decision in the end. If you really support the team
approach, and are genuine in wanting and needing its input, you
need to sit back and let team members speak. If you are always
the first person to talk on a subject, you will slowly stifle their
willingness to participate. Team members will subconsciously
assume that your word is golden— whether they agree or not.
Because of your position, you must abstain from the early part
of a dialogue on issues and share your thoughts near the end of
the conversation.