Team Dynamics – A League of Their Own
Part 1 of a 3 Part Series
By Maggie Anderson
We always hear that a business is as good as its people; the employees are the ones that make a company a success. This “human capital” concept is valuable, but from a management perspective, how can you use that? How do you find the right people for the job? How do you find the employees that will effectuate success, the people that will work collaboratively with a team, and proactively create opportunities? And from a college student’s perspective, how can I be that person for a company?
As a marketing major at Butler University my professors have lectured my classmates and me about leadership, management, teamwork, and other meaningful lessons about Real Life, Real Business. However, what I am beginning to understand as I learn more during my internship with Integrating Corporate Leaders is that the real challenge comes when putting those concepts into play.
I grew up an athlete, so I tend to connect to what I know- Sports. So, if the employees create a company’s success, how do we field a perfect team? (more…)
Collaborative Leadership is an Art
“Never underestimate the power of a small dedicated group of people to change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead, PhD
Collaborative leadership is the capacity to engage people and groups outside one’s formal control and inspire them to work toward common goals – despite differences in convictions, cultural values and operating norms.
Most people understand intuitively that collaborative leadership is the opposite of the old command-and-control mode. However, the consensus-based model defines a third distinct leadership style.
- Command-and Control- The leaders at the top of the organization have clear authority
- Consensus-All parties have equal authority
- Collaborative – The people leading collaborations have clear authority
It is not enough for leaders to uncover collaborative opportunities and expect to attract the best talent. They must set the standard for what a good collaborator looks like in that organization. The middle of the organization can be sabotaged when politics or turf battles occur higher up the corporate ladder. I have experienced this sabotage firsthand. The president and CEO of a company for which I once worked did not feel the need to collaborate with his senior leadership team. To make matters worse, he refused to consider the suggestions and recommendations we had solicited from our clients to ensure a successful product launch.
The Simple Things
by Maggie Anderson, IWL Intern
Starting off college, people would constantly ask me, “What’s your major?” I would say marketing, not knowing much about what that meant. But now as a junior at Butler University, I’m truly getting a feel for the business world. My first experience was in my first year Freshman Business Experience course (FBE).
Everyone loved FBE because every day we would come in a just simply talk about business. We had a textbook that we never opened and for some it was an easy A. But for those of us who listened, it actually taught an important lesson. So much of what we were learning seemed self-explanatory at the time. You mean a good leader values their employees? A team should be motivated and trust each other? Of course, we have all heard that before.
