Leadership Book Summary

The leadership book I chose was “ When Teams Work Best: 6,000 Team Members and Leaders Tell What it Takes to Succeed” by Frank Lafasto and Carl Larson. Frank Lafasto and Carl Larson observed 6,000 team members and leaders to teach individuals functional and dysfunctional ways of leadership. In the prologue, Lafasto and Larson discuss the Five Dynamics of Working Together. This includes team member, team relationships, team problem solving, team leadership, and organization environment. These are each described in the five chapters. Lafasto and Larson also talk about teamwork and collaboration in the prologue. This refers to people with different views and perspectives coming together, putting aside their narrow self -interests, and discussing issues openly and supportively in an attempt to solve a larger problem or achieve a broader goal. This concept is used throughout the book. From chapter one What Makes a Good Team Member, the most significant part of the chapter was learning what how an effective team member adds value to the team by addressing issues, building confidence and trust, demonstrating personal leadership, and bringing out the best thinking and attitude of everyone on the team. Another thing I found significant from this chapter was the three variations of collaboration. The three variations of collaboration are collectively oriented team members improve personal performance of teammates, good intentioned and desire to work collaboratively but difficulty fitting their behaviors to their intentions or desires, and egocentric members are competitive or have placed themselves beyond ethical and moral boundaries. In the second chapter Team Relationships, the most significant thing was the four underlying characteristics of good relationships are constructive, productive, characterized by mutual understanding, and self-corrective. These four characteristics are needed for leadership. In chapter three, Team Problem Solving, the model Five Steps to