Case study: Problems with the team
Guy Thomas, a Us-born team leader in his 30s, works for a marketing agency in Chicago. He is leading his team of six young, creative designers in six different countries and wants to use a shared leadership approach. He encourages high levels of collaboration and collective responsibility by not assigning tasks individually but to the entire team. He leaves it to the team members to decide who does what and to what level of quality. But Guy can see that this approach is not working. There are conflicts among team members, and customer deadlines are being missed. Guy talks to Sharon Tote, a colleague, about the problem over lunch.
Sharon: What’s up? You look worried?
Guy: I am. I’m having problems getting my team to accept responsibility and collaborate. They spend more time arguing about who does what than getting things done.
Sharon: I don’t understand. Aren’t you giving them the tasks and timelines?
Guy: I want the team to own leadership together. I don’t believe it’s my job to be the superhero who decides everything. They need to think for themselves.
Sharon: But they also need direction.
Guy: I want them to take responsibility.
Sharon: But it’s a young team. Are they really ready for that? I think people need some experience and confidence to be proactive. And it’s a virtual team, isn’t it?
Guy: Yes.
Sharon: So, collaboration and sharing is going to be difficult: different time zones, videoconferencing, relying on email. I think you’re expecting a lot of them.
Guy: Maybe.
Sharon: And some of them are working in quite topdown leadership cultures. What you’re asking them to do could be very alien. They’re going to need support and they’re going to need time.
Guy: OK, you’ve got me thinking. It’s just that I don’t believe in this top-down approach.
Sharon: That’s fine, but if others prefer it and perform better under it, then how can you say it’s wrong? It’s the customer that matters, not your leadership beliefs. Just get things done, or you’ll be in trouble.
Guy: Thanks for the feedback. Let me think about it this evening.
What to think about
What leadership challenges is Guy facing? What does Sharon suggest as a solution? What other options does Guy have?
You will find our feedback on page 42
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Discuss with the members of your team your vision of leadership and your expectations of them.
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Ask your team what “good leadership” means to them. Compare this with your vision of leadership.
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Decide what the optimal level of shared leadership responsibility should be for each task.