TEXT: Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Keys to Effective Team Leadership

Consider the following scenario:

Tim has been asked to be part of a working group to make recommendations on improving company morale. No formal leader is assigned to the team. None of the team members have worked together before. The team has no specific goals beyond their broad objective. Tim wonders if he should take a leadership role and considers how he can help the team accomplish something of value.

Does the above scenario seem familiar? The importance of teamwork is widely recognized. In fact, 91% of respondents to a Center for Creative Leadership survey recognized teams as a key component of organizational success (Martin & Bal, 2007). As a result of this recognized connection, businesses increasingly rely on teams to complete important tasks. Yet many organizations do not know how to form and foster effective teams. Like Tim in the above scenario, you may be unexpectedly called upon to take a role in leading a work team. Whether or not you are in a formal leadership position, as a professional in today's global business environment, you must be prepared to spontaneously assume leadership roles. You must know the keys to facilitating effective teamwork.

To prepare:

• Consider your personal experiences as both a leader and a member of a team.

Post an analysis of the factors involved in developing and leading an effective team.

Identify three important factors for developing and leading an effective team. Also, explain how the environment in which the team exists affects the factors that take priority (e.g., three factors important for leading a collocated team may not be as important for a virtual team).