The team concept is one that for many organizations is the most important aspect of their business model. It is said that this type of structure is an important way for companies to remain competitive because of their ability to respond quickly and adapt to constant, rapid changes. (Northouse, 2016) Shared leadership also helps organizations progress, makes them more efficient, and benefits their team in regards to less conflict, and more cohesion and trust. It is also thought that this shared team concept when applied to organizational leadership in companies becomes the key to their effectiveness.
At Penn State, where I work, my department has formal leaders, but they also value the opinions and ideas of the team as a whole. Annually, we organize two strategic planning meetings where all 200 employees gather to give their feedback on things that may help the department function better. Individually, I also value the shared leadership theory with my team of 15 employees, as they stand on the front lines of the organization, and so I believe that they have valuable ideas for progress, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness. My team and I meet weekly to discuss the progress of our building, and they know that their suggestions are always considered and opinions heard. I empower them to make decisions daily, knowing that this helps them to buy into what we are doing as an organization. According to Northouse (2016), “shared team leadership occurs when members of the team take on leadership behaviors to influence the team and to maximize team effectiveness. (pg. 365)
Another reason for the value of shared leadership is that even the best of leaders need help making decisions. It seems rare that organizations’ leaders have all the skills and knowledge to make every decision. It is for this reason that the concept of shared leadership is the key to an effective organization. According to Carson et. al. (2007), “the complexity and ambiguity that teams often experience make it unlikely that a single external leader can successfully perform all necessary leadership functions.” (pg. 1217)
Many employees seek autonomy in their work, especially those with expert skill and knowledge. For these employees, they seek to supply this knowledge and skill for the greater good of the team. These team members “desire a greater opportunity to shape and participate in the leadership functions of their teams” (Carson et. al 2007). Not only is it good for the autonomy of the team members, but it is also beneficial to the team chemistry. It is shown that “teams with shared leadership have less conflict, more consensus, more trust, and more cohesion than teams that do not have shared leadership” (Northouse, 2016, pg. 365).
Organizations can benefit from the concept of shared leadership because of the numerous reasons that were previously listed. There are also other benefits as stated by Carson et. al (2007), who wrote that “when team members voluntarily and spontaneously offer their influence to others in support of shared goals, shared leadership can provide organizations with competitive advantage through increases in commitment, in the personal and organizational resources brought to bear on complex tasks, in openness to reciprocal influence from others, and in the sharing of information” (pg. 1217). These reasons provide the details of why the team concept of shared leadership in my opinion is the key to the effectiveness of any quality organization.
Carson, J. B., Tesluk, P.E., Marrone, J.A. (2007). Shared Leadership In Teams: An Investigation Of Antecedent Conditions And Performance. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 50, No. 5, 1217–1234. Retrieved from http://www.ilo.bwl.uni-muenchen.de/download/unterlagen-ws12_13/leadership_and_learning/literature_hoegl1/carson_et_al_2007.pdf
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
As you pointed out, shared leadership within a team has many benefits, including an increase in effective decision-making. Nevertheless, the Hill Model for Team Leadership serves as a tool to help team leaders identify factors that may interfere with the effectiveness of the team. As noted by Northouse (2016), it is the team leader’s responsibility to monitor the team and then take the appropriate action to rectify internal and external problems with the team (p. 366). As highlighted in the Hill Model, the leader’s ability to properly assess the team and take action has a direct impact on the effectiveness of the team (Northouse, 2016, p. 367). One of the benefits with shared leadership is the identification and correction of team problems that is distributed among several members (Northouse, 2016, p. 367). Teams are often complex in nature and the sharing of leader responsibilities will assist the team in reaching its goals.
There are currently many different situations, some are provided in the Hill Model, which can have a detrimental effect on the team’s performance. The amount of internal and external factors that affect the team are numerous, therefore I can’t explain each one. However, I would like to point out one important external situation that can have a major impact on the team. Organizational support is one of the external situations that all team leaders should be aware of. As discussed by Hotlzman and Anderberg (2011), teams will at some point depend on the organization to provide resources, information, and assistance (p.80). The traditional structure of organizations is focused on senior leaders making all the decisions and does not encourage decision-making at the lower levels of the organization (Northouse, 2016, p. 364).
As organizations make the decision to change and support the productive team environment, they must ensure they are honest in their commitment. Teams that see the legitimacy in a shift in power and organizational support for collaborative work and decision making will be more effective in their performance (Northouse, 2016, p. 364). Holtzman and Anderberg (2011) emphasis that non-hierarchical organizations help to empower employees through the information sharing and collaboration that is conducive in organizations that support team-based work (p.80). In your current position, you are fortunate to work in an organization that understands the benefits of teams. The organizations support you receive will not only improve your team’s performance, but also help to develop a work environment to encourage contribution and commitment from all employees.
References:
Holtzman, Y., & Anderberg, J. (2011). Diversify your teams and collaborate: Because
great minds don’t think alike. The Journal of Management Development, 30(1), 75-92. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1108/02621711111098389
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.