Team leadership focuses on the role and input of the whole team (Northouse, 2022, p. 541). As Northouse (2022) notes, a team is a group of interdependent members working towards common goals (p. 541). I resonated with this topic as I looked back on my high school years as a lacrosse player. In this role, I was part of a team of about 20 led by four captains. Each of us had a role in driving our team’s success, but our captains made efforts to ensure it. Many of the components of team leadership were apparent in my lacrosse team’s conduct. The key functions of task function and task maintenance, Ginnett’s Team Effectiveness Leadership Model (TELM), and shared leadership are all relevant to my experience as a high school lacrosse team member.
To begin, the two key functions of team leadership are task function and maintenance (PSU WC, 2023, p. 4, para. 1). As our PSU WC (2023) notes, task function refers to leaders assisting their team to “accomplish their tasks” (p. 4, para. 2). Task leadership functions were present in my lacrosse team through our team captains who planned plays for future games, assigned players to positions, and analyzed and resolved playing issues from past games. These points all support the team’s performance, which task function is often referred to as. Task maintenance refers to leaders keeping their “group maintained and functioning” (PSU WC, 2023, p. 4, para. 1), which our team captains also demonstrated. Northouse (2022) reports maintenance functions to focus on the relationships between members and resolving any issues that arise (p. 551, para. 1). This aspect was depicted through our team captains’ team bonding tactics, such as team ice cream outings, where we would all hang out in a setting outside of practice and games. Get-togethers like these supported relationship-building and provided opportunities to resolve conflicts.
Additionally, while my lacrosse team did not intentionally use TELM, it would have assisted our team with making decisions based on our team’s current state (Northouse, 2022, pg. 555). The model has three components, including inputs, processes, and outputs (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 3). First, as PSU WC (2023) notes, inputs refer to what is available to the team as they work (p. 7, para. 4). For the model, inputs have three levels: individual, team, and organization (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 4). These levels are important because a leader can identify which level needs modification. For example, in my lacrosse team, an individual may contribute cradling skills, the team as a whole may offer the ability to communicate clearly, and the organization offers funding from team members, their parents, and coaches. Each level offers a different set of inputs, making their distinction crucial. Processes are how the team goes about work, including the group dynamics of communication, coordination, and conflict (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 5). Team leaders should be concerned with the processes component because it can identify areas where practice for improvement is needed (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 5). Last, outputs are the result of the team’s work (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 7). This aspect of the model can communicate to leaders whether their team is performing accordingly (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 7). In sum, all the components of the model can identify different areas of a team and where change may be needed to optimize team performance.
Now knowing the components of TELM, understanding how leaders use it to exercise team leadership can be approached (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). TELM explains that leaders “dream, design, and develop teams” by monitoring the inputs, processes, and outputs of the model (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). Leaders dream by establishing a clear purpose for the team, such as by holding bi-weekly meetings to go over performance needs (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). Design gives attention to the team’s input stage at each level (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). This function of team leadership may be depicted through tailored check-ins for each level. For instance, the individual level may utilize 1:1 check-ins when providing performance feedback. Leaders can develop their teams by tracking their overall cohesion and ability to drive results (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). An example would be the team captains of my lacrosse team watching our practice matches and correcting us instantly. Leaders must keep these functions of team leadership in mind and be ready to make changes to any of the three components of TELM (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 9).
The topic of shared leadership connects to my experience as a high school lacrosse team member given the team I was on shared responsibility. As PSU WC (2023) reports, shared leadership is distinguished from typical leadership because the team shares the responsibility for driving results (p. 9, para. 1). The idea of shared leadership was demonstrated in my team in multiple ways, such as holding 3 team meetings a month during the season where players could voice concerns or share ideas about processes. By sharing the responsibility of tasks, team effectiveness will likely improve as Pearce and Simon (2000, as cited in PSU WC, 2023, p. 9, para. 2) discovered. The key to shared leadership is that all members contribute, because, without the dedication from all, gaps will occur (PSU WC, 2023, p. 9, para. 2).
Overall, team leadership was relevant in my high school lacrosse team through task function and task maintenance, Ginnett’s Team Effectiveness Leadership Model (TELM), and shared leadership. Task function and task maintenance were present in my lacrosse team through our captains’ assistance in our team’s ability to accomplish their tasks and monitoring of our team functions. While my team didn’t utilize TELM, the potential benefits it could provide to our decision-making processes were clear, such as my recognizing the components of inputs, processes, and outputs. Shared leadership was a large part of my team’s conduct given everyone had a role in driving the team’s outcomes.
For more information on TELM, access the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/teams/model-leads-to-more-effective-teams/
References
Model leads to more effective teams. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/teams/model-leads-to-more-effective-teams/
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2023). PSYCH 485 Lesson 9: Introduction to Team Leadership. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2245314/modules/items/37104733
Heterarchy is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as a, “form of management or rule in which any unit can govern or be governed by others, depending on circumstances, and, hence, no one unit dominates the rest” (Miura, 2014). Beginning with understanding this concept of heterarchy allows us to understand team leadership more clearly, for team leadership requires that decision making happen laterally across the team as opposed to from the top down as in traditional leadership structures (Northouse, 2022, p. 463). In order for team leadership to be successful, all members of the team must be on board with the fluidness of decision making by any member of the group – a constantly shifting dynamic. By applying team leadership successfully, teams can combine the technical and relational powers of each member to drive towards goals and achieve success by allowing all members to assume leadership powers to influence other members on that journey.
I can see your correlation between team leadership and your lacrosse team experience. From your description, it sounds like the players all had opportunities to apply their influence to teammates to assist the team towards the goal – to win as many matches as possible with good interdependent sportsmanship. As Northouse discusses in the text, stepping into a leadership role in a team setting requires bravery and assumes some risk but if done in the proper setting can result in great success (2022, p. 464). The ability for group members to step forward to point out our issues and offer feedback to correct the problems is a huge highlight of team leadership. Your examples of team meetings sound like positive experiences that are aligned with this function – it sounds like all team members were made to feel valued and comfortable raising issues or areas that the team needed to focus attention towards to raise the team’s success.
References:
Miura, S. (2014, December 1). Heterarchy | social science. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/heterarchy
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and Practice. SAGE