Not long ago, I joined a volleyball team, like any other sport, we were to practice together and compete together against other teams in the area. These strangers were now called my teammates. In the beginning, our team did not play very well together because we were each playing only our positions. The team leadership theory suggests that team work together more effectively when lateral decision making is used (Northouse, 2016, p. 365). A team is also said to be different from a group because each member must have an interdependent relationship with one another, and we must be working towards a shared goal that we are each accountable for (Solution Tree, 2009). I would like to explain why I feel that the shared team leadership theory is most appropriate for explaining team interactions on a sports team, specifically volleyball.
All of my team members knew the basic rules of the game. For example, volleyball teams consist of six players on the court per team. The team’s goal is to score points and win the game. We each knew how to play our positions, passer, setter, and hitter; the volleyball can only be touched three times before crossing over the net to the other team. The objective is to send the ball over the net at a high speed and at a small angle so that the other team can not return it. To do this there is a sequence of steps that the ball needs to take to achieve this desired effect. The players rotate positions after each play and successful execution of the play only occurs when the players are in concert with one another. These players are considered to be a team because they each have their own individual position to play, but they cannot successfully accomplish their goal without being depended upon their teammates (Northouse, 2016, p. 365).
A volleyball team is considered to be a shared or distributed leadership process. This is because the leadership role is shared by all the team members at one point or another depending on the location of the ball and the positions of the players. The entire team must be observant, and the member that is best orientated to the ball must step forward and take on the leadership role (Northouse, 2016, p. 365). The judgments made by this passing member dictate the direction of the play. The next setting member must also make a decision about how they will handle the situation as to align the ball with the third hitting member. Each of these shared decisions by the team members sequentially influences the team’s actions and does or does not produce maximum effectiveness towards the goal (Northouse, 2016, p. 373).
According to Fransen, Van Puyenbroeck, Loughead, Vanbeselaere, De Cuyper, Vande Broek, & Boen (2015), the specific roles of leadership external, task, motivational, and social are not seen to be designated to the same person. These findings help to support the shared leadership theory (p. 35). Because different members of the team fulfilled these leadership roles, the fact that we did not have a designated team leader did not prevent our team from being effective.
It is important to first talk about the stages that the team members went through during the development stage. The first stage was the forming stage which is when we all got to know each others volleyball experience levels by asking questions and gathering information. This stage is signified by everyone coming together to communicate (PSU WC, 2019, L. 9, p. 3). The second stage is the storming stage which is when each of the group members is trying to find their place and trying to express their own ideas. It is signified by conflicting ideas about how to move forward (PSU WC, 2019, L. 9, p. 3). Here it is essential to keep the conflicts focused on the shared goals so that it helps the team to clarify the group’s goals in a positive manner (Ed Muzio, 2009). The third stage is the norming stage which is when we began to come to a consensus on our ideas about how to communicate during the game and which individuals are better in different positions. It is categorized by the development of group norms (PSU WC, 2019, L. 9, p. 3). Here the members are not yet in line, but they are working together. The fourth stage is the performing stage, which is when we were each in alignment with one another, and the team plays were smooth and almost effortless. This stage is recognized by a precise well-oiled functional machine that is precisely focused on the group’s goals (PSU WC, 2019, L. 9, p. 3). Towards the end of the season, after we had all gone through the four stages of development, I can proudly say that each of us was an effective leader. Each of us had enough experience to be successful in our verbal and non-verbal communication skills, as well as monitoring the plays during the game to take the proper actions. According to Northouse (2016), these accomplishments would make us all effective team leaders.
I want to apply the concepts of the Hill Model for Team Leadership to this shared/distributed leadership example, specifically to the first person to touch the volleyball, which is considered to be the passer. It may look simple, but in a split second all of the team players have to decide if they will be taking action on the ball. The Hill Model precisely describes the complex thought processes that are seen here. The Hill Model is divided into three sections, the top, middle, and the bottom. The top is made up of three leadership decisions, monitor or takes action, task or relational, and internal or external. The middle consists of three leadership actions, internal task, internal relational, and external environment. The bottom consists of team effectiveness performance and development.
As the volleyball comes over the net, each team member/potential leader is monitoring the situation and determining if they need to intervene. Team member/potential leaders examine the situation and create a mental model which consists of the incoming ball, the other teammates and their location, everyone’s position in the environment, and based on past play experiences, what kind of outcomes could be expected with different plays. According to Zaccaro et al., (2001) as cited by Northouse (2016), mental conceptions are based on the team’s problem, and the possible solution (Northouse, 2016, p. 366). According to Northouse (2016), the first decision of the leader is to either take action or continue to monitor (p. 372). This decision is based on the mental model that was constructed. Because this is shared leadership, all members of the volleyball team who are on the court could simultaneously become the leader, and those who did not take action are still monitoring for when it is appropriate for them to take action (p. 374). The second decision of the leaders is to determine if the need to intervene is either a task or relationship need; for these leaders, it is a task need. The third decision that the leader needs to make is if it is either an internal group issue or an external group issue. The passer-leader who first comes in contact with the volleyball is taking an internal group issue action by moving in on the ball and passing it to the setter. This is an attempt to solve the group’s observed problem of the ball hitting the floor (p.373). The other leaders who are not in direct contact with the volleyball are taking external group issue actions by clearing the environmental area to prohibit any outside forces from getting in the way of the volleyball in play. This is a way of preventing the environment from causing harm to the group’s goal (p. 373).
The bottom consists of team effectiveness, which is demonstrated by the essential functions of team performance and development. The focus here is team excellence because the entire goal obtainment is the objective. Eight characteristics are connected with team excellence, as it was stated by Larson & LaFasto (1989), as cited by Northouse (2016), that these eight characteristics are seen in all teams no matter what type of team leadership it is (p. 368). The first characteristic that is associated with excellence is having a clear and elevating goal. Each of these team members knows that the goal is to prevent the ball from making contact with the floor and then crossing over the net with a high chance of making contact on the opponent’s floor. It is this clear and elevating goal that provides a feeling of having a purpose for the team members, as well as the source of energy that engages their focus towards the teams objective (Northouse, 2016, p. 368). The second characteristic is a results-driven structure. It can be seen here that there was a high level of task design, and core norms, these are two of the structural features that lead to team effectiveness (Northouse, 2016, p. 369). This team can be considered as a problem resolution team/task force, that is aimed at solving the ball hitting the floor problem. According to Northouse (2016), this team needs to have a high degree of trust, and in a split second, each member needs to be able to contribute (p. 369). The third characteristic is competent team members. This can be seen by each team member being trained in all positions of the court. These members are considered to be competent for two reasons, one, their ability to play their position as an individual. Two, their ability to unite and play the position together as a collective force in unity. The factors that are needed for playing as a collective force are different then what is needed for playing an individual position. These factors can be seen as openness, supportiveness, actions orientation, and having a positive personal style (p. 370). Our team played very well because of our ability to be open to each other’s opinions and calls on the plays. The fourth characteristic is a unified commitment. According to Northouse (2016), teams do not happen on their own, but excellent teams show unity and some sort of identification with one another, this can be called team spirit (p. 370). Our team has developed over time, and our team based plays were carefully designed. Our team had team spirit because of our developed relationship with one another, as well as our sense of unity, especially when we are wearing our team shirts and playing on the court as a single force.
The fifth characteristic is a collaborative climate, as a team, we were able to collaborate our ideas and intentions in order to work together to produce effective team plays. Because we had a collaborative climate while we were on the court, we were able to stay focused on one another’s communication which provided an environment where we could collaborate with each other and make up for differences. For example, if the first player was coming up short to the ball and the ball did not past adequately to the intended player, then another team member that had been focused may have noticed the situation and adapted by moving forward instead of moving out of the way. This is a collaborative environment that builds an atmosphere filled with trust respect and openness (Northouse, 2016, p. 370). The sixth characteristic is the standard of excellence which refers to clear norms and team functioning‘s that have been established for team members to feel a bit of pressure to perform at their highest capability (Northouse, 2016, p. 370). This example could be applied to a player who comes to a game of practice that is feeling a bit sluggish, but the standards of excellence provide a starting point that is clear in concrete, a starting point that all team members are required to begin at regarding their playing performance. For the sluggish team member, she knew that regardless of how she felt she must still move her feet in preparation for the oncoming ball, anything less than adequate performance while in the play will be looked at as outside of the norm. Having these standards of excellence in place causes pressure on the team members to live up to expectations (Northouse, 2016, p. 370).
The seventh characteristic is external support and recognition. Our team started as self-funded but, we were recognized for our excellent gameplay performance. Our toughest challenges were playing other excellent performing teams where we were rewarded by either taking home a win or providing the other side with a challenging experience. Depending on how our game ended, each of us walked off the court with pride because we performed well, even if we did not win. Our team was listed In the rankings, and there was a social reward for being part of such a capable team. Throughout the season our team started to feel additional support systems that began to fund our supplies. These additional support systems that were put in place enabled us to be more effective in achieving our performance goals. According to Northouse (2016), excellence can be achieved if the needed resources are available, and recognition for achievements are given (p. 317).
The eighth and final characteristic is the principled leadership. Leadership has been considered to be the primary contributor to team effectiveness, and it is through four specific processes that this is achieved (Northouse, 2016, p.371). The first is the cognitive process, which can be explained by the team leader, helping the team members to understand the problem that is preventing goal accomplishment (Northouse, 2016, p.371). This can be seen when we are practicing and noticed that another members stance is not quite right or they’re setting is not high enough. These are cognitive processes made based on positions on the court. Similar to teams that have a coach, the coach would be standing on the sideline watching the play and pointing out where the play performance drops off. The second is the motivational process, which enables the team members to become cohesive as well as setting high-performance standards (Northouse, 2016, p.371). Again since all team members fluctuate in the leadership role, each of us has set the standard of high performance, and we became cohesive in our shared leadership standards. The third is the affectively process that helps the team members in handling stressful situations by providing goals that are clear, assigning members to the proper task, and creating successful strategies (Northouse, 2016, p.371). This could be demonstrated during a competition, and after making a few play mistakes, one of us always steps in and helps to reduce the stress, perhaps pointing out where our mistakes were made and suggesting a previous practice strategy for mitigating the difference between successful and unsuccessful plays. The fourth is the coordinately process that helps to determine which players have higher skills in which positions (Northouse, 2016, p.371). It is through the making of these determinations that the performance strategies can be created successfully, all while monitoring the performance feedback for improvements and therefore adapting to changes when needed. As a team, we each know that each and all of us have strengths and weaknesses, and the situation determines the performance strategy. We also know that over the season each of us will improve in different areas, so we need to adapt our strategy over time. Because each team member is often the team leader, it is essential for the maintenance of team effectiveness, that each leader provides other members with autonomy during plays. This helps to promote improvements as well as learning from one’s experiences (Northouse, 2016, p. 372). We were each open to seeing our mistakes and learning from them.
In conclusion, the Hill Model for Team Leadership perfectly explained my experience on a volleyball team. Our team was successful because we shared our leadership and we did not hinder each other‘s ability to make decisions. Our team showed to have all eight of the characteristics of team excellence, resulting in team effectiveness.
Reference
Ed Muzio. (2009, Oct 9). Raw Video: Tuckman’s Model: Fight Right! Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNgzjYb02JM
Fransen, K., Van Puyenbroeck, S., Loughead, T. M., Vanbeselaere, N., De Cuyper, B., Vande Broek, G., & Boen, F. (2015). Who takes the lead? social network analysis as a pioneering tool to investigate shared leadership within sports teams. Social Networks, 43, 28-38. doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2015.04.003
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2019). Leadership in Work—PSYCH 485. Lesson 9: Introduction to Team Leadership Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1972967/modules/items/25704942
Solution Tree. (2010, April 6). Raw Video: Rick DuFour on Groups vs. Teams Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=0hV65KIItlE