Team leadership is a fundamental element that requires a collaborative effort between specialized groups consisting of followers and leaders to achieve their common goals (The Pennsylvania State University, 2023a). Members of these teams should build trust, embrace progressive change, network and most importantly demonstrate unwavering commitment and dedication to their objectives. The United Nations laid out a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity on Earth in 2015, highlighting 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that must be achieved by 2030. This is a global pursuit that involves people from all walks of life, including world leaders, activists, business owners, organizations, charities, and individuals like you and me. A global partnership was formed to achieve this universal agenda, which includes ending poverty, improving health and education, reducing inequality, stimulating economic growth, reducing climate change, and protecting the oceans and forests (Project Everyone, 2023). To achieve these goals, the United Nations (UN) must be aware of two vital functions.
Initially, the leaders involved should help the teams stay on track, navigate barriers, make plans, and adapt to changes. These are considered task functions (The Pennsylvania State University, 2023b). Barriers have included the triple threat of COVID-19, societal conflict, and the climate crisis, which has reversed years of hard-earned development progress. However, with their collective efforts challenges will be conquered. The leaders of Global Goals have created a website to raise awareness, established a platform to accelerate research and development surrounding disease and illness, and ensured equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Global leaders have also raised funding to launch a global collaborative effort between scientists and regulators, industry and governments, international organizations, foundations, and healthcare professionals (Project Everyone, 2023).
Furthermore, world leaders must ensure that teams are functioning and aligned, which are considered maintenance functions (The Pennsylvania State University, 2023b). To reinvigorate and accelerate progress towards the 17 Global Goals, the UN has launched the Halftime Campaign which took place on September 22, 2023. This campaign consisted of members of the teams involved and was used as a platform to solve interpersonal problems, unify commitment, strengthen trust between countries and organizations, reform policies that align with the cohesive goals of the world, and ensure that the strategies in place are still structured (Project Everyone, 2023). By working together with confidence and determination, these goals can still be achieved and create a better future for all.
Lastly, networking is a crucial aspect that leaders need to prioritize to increase the success of their teams. It involves leveraging any type of communication, relationship, or resource to strengthen alliances with other organizations within or outside the group (The Pennsylvania State University, 2023c). During the Halftime Campaign, which consisted of 17 rooms tackling the 17 SDGs, leaders from different countries and communities worldwide collaborated to create a new sense of possibility and hope. They confidently exchanged ideas, solutions, and strategies with the ambition to continue preserving and transforming life on Earth.
To conclude, team leadership is a complex system with many moving parts, and dynamic interactions take place regularly. However, it’s essential that all hands are on deck. Being a team means uniting to operate effectively, and that’s precisely what Global Goals is all about. It’s a global mindset involving the members and leaders of society who are confident in their ability to achieve unity and progress.
References
Project Everyone. (2023, October 11). The Global Goals. The Global Goals. https://www.globalgoals.org/
The Pennsylvania State University. (2023a). Description of Team Leadership – Definition of Team and Group [Lecture notes]. Canvas@PSU. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2283258/modules/items/38927224
The Pennsylvania State University. (2023b). Critical Functions of Team Leadership [Lecture notes]. Canvas@PSU. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2283258/modules/items/38927226
The Pennsylvania State University. (2023c). Complexity of Team Leadership
[Lecture notes]. Canvas@PSU. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2283258/modules/items/38927227