A leader who confines his role to his people's experience dooms himself to stagnation; a leader who outstrips his people's experience runs the risk of not being understood. Henry A. Kissinger Why do men enjoy watching sports? Why would a dad push his son (who lacks the fathers competitiveness) to play on sports? I love playing competitive sports and find leadership a critical element for team success. I think it plays on our experiences related to successful team accomplishments. Yes, men like the competition and the rewards (attention, respect, achievement, etc.), but theres more to this story. I would like to further discuss this leader-team concept. Professional sports (NBA, NFL, etc.) can provide a great example for organizational theory. Lets explore this thought. The media tries to promote individuals over teams. Have you ever watched a NBA playoff game? It is filled with a lot of drama. The stage is set. The script is written. You see heroes and villains. Someone wins while another loses. The media bombards us with super scripts for super stars. However, teams win on chemistry, a sense of urgency, common purpose, and defined roles. Yes, the media places a spotlight on the superstars, but its the right leader who can promote excellence. Given my initial premise, are you playing on a winning team? Are you just content to be the superstar while your team goes nowhere? Effective leaders have a mutual dependence on team members. Draft, an organizational behavior expert, explains that team members have interdependence. What is that? Interdependence means the extent to which organizations/people depend on each other. Miller, leadership advocate, argues that a self-less leader does not seek to get all of the glory. Winston, a leadership expert, notes that a leader seeks what is good for the other departments, even if it means that the leaders own department must give up something to improve the life of another. Miller, an author, states, Good leaders never give their leadership away. However, they do share both the rewards and responsibilities of leading. Are you ready to be on an effective team or do you still want to play solo? Make a decision today! References: Daft, R. (1995). Organization Theory and Design. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Company. Miller, C. (1995). The Empowered Leader. United States of America: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Winston, B. (2002). Be A Leader for God's Sake. Virginia Beach, VA: Regent University. |
