Leadership shines best when order comes from chaos.
What does this statement mean? Well, it certainly is not suggesting that leadership is not present in situations where harmony exists, but instead, suggests that harmony exists due to the presence of leadership.
In the effort to achieve success in a world where increasing amounts of effort and information are needed to foster that success, increasing reliance on teamwork and collaborative efforts have created leadership challenges across grander scales. Yet, teamwork is not always easy, and members of any team do not necessarily always get along. However, despite this, typically successful teams are able to employ their best assets towards achieving the end result, despite the fact that internal disagreement may exist. What exactly is it about these dynamic teams that foster consistent success? The answer very well could lay in cultural synergy.
Moran, Harris and Moran (2011) state that Synergy is “a cooperative or combined action, and occurs when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause” (p. 233). In essence, synergy is the byproduct of effective teamwork derived from diverse sources. Now, we all recognize what diversity brings to the table… new ideas, new perspectives, new strengths and abilities, etc. Along with that, diverse teams are able to use their collective strengths to overcome their collective weaknesses, which in turn gives them an advantage. But this advantage is only useful to the team that is effective at employing those strengths, and our assessment here so far assumes the success of the team is based on the proposition that the team gets along well together. In such a case, most would be led to believe that the team’s success is derived from their ability to simply get along. Yet, this perspective would give the impression that teams who did not get along well would not be successful. And while there certainly is no argument to the evidence that proves internal conflict within a team can and will create disaster, there is also evidence to show that teams filled with personality clashes also can perform just as well. So therefore, we must ask ourselves, what is that success truly tied to? If it isn’t harmony and it isn’t chaos, what is it?
It must be Synergy. What makes teams so effective is a very well defined, shared common goal the collective effort strives for. In order to reach that goal, the team uses their divers nature to the fullest, employing their strengths towards the collective effort, while setting aside those things that do not apply. While each individual may have weaknesses, the collective drive of the team is able to overcome those individual weaknesses, creating a shared advantage and an exponential increase in total capability. However, teamwork is not all smiles and kind words, it’s hard work, and very often, an intensively steep learning curve. (p. 244) Successful teams are not necessarily those who get along well, but rather, those filled with members who truly want to be a part of that team. They want to be a part of that culture; they take the initiative to find ways to fit in, to compliment their strengths in an integrated way with the other team members. Essentially, they build upon, and integrate with the common ground, allowing the team to transcend their differences and form multifaceted strategic alliances and partnerships. (p. 233). This is Applied Synergy, Synergy in Action; and here is where organizational – and indeed, global – leaders shine.
Just because you happen to be a part of a team, in no way means that you will get along with everyone in the team.
On a small scale, U.S. Army MEDEVAC flight crews usually consist of a team of four members who operate an aircraft to perform Air Ambulance, Air Evac missions. They act as force multipliers for theater commanders, and in-theater assets that increase the collective projection of force through the capabilities MEDEVAC crews not only employ, but also merely represent to the boots on the ground. These crews consist of very highly qualified, highly dedicated individuals – from all walks of life – who are employed to a singular collective effort, and there is nothing to suggest that they all “get along” or even simply agree with one another. But they are able to transcend their individual differences in favor of the professional desire to accomplish the mission at all costs. This allows them to separate their “personal” from the “professional” and thus allows for the synergetic effects to occur.
On a much grander scale, entire nations within the NATO/OTAN Alliance do not necessarily get along well either. They all have their own wants and desires, their own needs and agendas… but NATO/OTAN itself is a strategic alliance where member states have agreed to a collective effort, and a shared common goal. This can be seen in the alliance’s very charter as Article 5 of the accord states that members have each agreed to support the efforts of other states in the application of defense and military affairs. If one nation employs military assets to provide for defense, other nations are obligated to assist with that effort. We have seen this in action over the last decade with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. While not all nations within the NATO/OTAN alliance agree on all things, they do agree on the provision of a collective effort to provide for regional stability and to rid the world of evils and threats to society.
As leaders, it is our job to find ways to allow synergy to exist. We cannot assume that our teams will always get along. After all, conflict is a simple fact of life. We all have differences, and those differences will naturally create friction between individuals. It is therefore our job to manage that conflict in a way that promotes synergy. (p. 236) Essentially, we are responsible for finding ways to direct the focus of a teams strengths towards a common goal, while managing their weaknesses at the same time. What we should always seek to do is communicate and educate our teams to provide them with a shared understanding of their purpose, direction, and motivation. Innovative and effective leaders will create a strong team culture, foster and breed a social foundation based on a common cause, and direct strengths from divers sources…
…Effectively creating order from chaos.
References:
Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R., & Moran, S. V. (2011). Managing cultural differences: Global leadership strategies for cross-cultural business success (8th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.
AJ Powell says
Aaron,
You seem to have missed the point of the post. It was not about the MEDEVAC crew’s ability to get along. I merely used them as an example to illustrate the primary point of how synergy can be created even in cultures where personalities clash. The point here, was that professionalism in these instances involves removing the “personal” and focusing on the “professional”. By removing your personal biases and issues, you avoid creating professional problems, thus allowing the team to work effectively and for synergy to result. Further, this example does not matter whether it involve war time service or not, whether it be military or civilian or political. The examples provided are just examples, and the main point here works regardless of culture.
Aaron Michael Drain says
If you are talking about war time I would say opposing personality types get thrown out the window and you are forced to be in a team work, synergetic frame of mind. If any kind of group faces this in any situation it would be a MEDEVAC, or medical evacuation team. These teams are not thrown together down range but deployed from a home unit after they have been trained to work in an environment like Iraq or Afghanistan.
Some of the key components that make those particular teams successful as it relates to synergy is the prior team building that takes place where they medical evacuation team is stationed. Everyone knows there role, would be able to express their feelings, should be a sense of confidence and commitment to the team. I am not a part of a medical evacuation team so I do not know what is considered “chaos,” I imagine dealing with many patients at once would be one example. Further elaboration on that topic would make your point a little clearer, “effectively creating order from chaos.”