Monday, May 4, 2015

Teams vs. Single-Leader Work Groups - part #1

First, after many months of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that most “teams” are really single leader work groups. As speed, constant change and complexity become the new normal, more and more leaders are quickly defaulting to task oriented leadership instead of task and relationship-oriented leadership. This is especially true when solving problems quickly ends up trumping everything else. 

Second, I think most leaders fear “shared leadership” that happens on a true team. They also don’t know what it means and do not know how to role model it. Most leaders, when pushing to get things done, see shared leadership as a loss of positional power and status. They also see it as a loss of control which is not something they want to do right now in the midst of constant change.

Third, I have come to the conclusion most “team” leaders are unclear on their role and thus can not figure out how to role model the right mind set and skill set for being a member of a team. 

This week, pause and reflect on the above observations. Then, answer the following questions: 

What does shared leadership mean to you? 

What is the role of the team leader in your organization? 

What behaviors do they need to role model in order to be effective? 

Seeking out these answers is worth the time and effort. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

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