Reflection - Topic 8 Team Leadership

 Topic 8 - Team Leadership

Team leadership is the management of a group of people brought together to work to achieve a common goal.

Here's what I've learnt...

A group is not the same as a team. A group comprises people who coordinate their efforts, but are independent and have individual accountability, while a team comprises people who share a common goal.

There are 3 types of teams, a self-managed team which comprises members of different departments who works autonomously to achieve a common goal, a cross-functional team which comprises of a multidisciplinary team with members of different expertise who work towards a shared objective, and a functional team which is made up of members with common functional expertise.

Why is teamwork important? The formation of a team produces faster and more innovative decisions, reduces chances of error, promotes constant improvement and generates greater contentment. However, in a team, an individual may feel the need to conform due to peer pressure, and often not, feel left out. Conflicts are also a common occurrence in a team as different people have different opinions.

This is when a leader comes into play. A leader plays an important role in resolving conflicts, supporting creativity and facilitating group discussions. A team leader should be able to delegate work, assign members to task most suited to their abilities, provide resources needed to complete a task and help members to overcome creative block. An inspiring and supportive leader creates an effective team.

Last but not least, I also learn that in order to conduct a meeting worth everyone's time, a team leader should commence the meeting on time. Start by identify the objective of the meeting, then proceed to get through the agenda, and finally, summarize and review the task. It is always a good habit to end the meeting on time too.

Here's what I thought...

No man is an island. No matter how smart a person is, there's only so much he/she can achieve in his/her lifetime. However, the magnitude of productivity can be greatly enhanced if individuals work together as a team to solve complex problems and achieve common goals together. 

Geese are an excellent demonstration of effective teamwork. Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a v-shape formation? As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the birds following. This allows geese to reach their destination quicker with less effort. The same principles could be implemented in a team. By working effectively together as a team with all members sharing a common goals, we can achieve greater heights.

I hope that this little story will help you to see teamwork from a new perspective. :)