Teamwork and Leadership: Approaches, Challenges, and Best Practice
In today’s organisational world, success is dependent on the quality of the employees’ skills, efforts, and innovation. There are varying approaches to gather these employees on a team, usually headed by a leader. On that note, Marcousé (2005 p. 234) states that “[l]eadership, at its best, means inspiring staff to achieve demanding goals.”However, leader types and team structures can face a number of challenges which restrict positive outcomes. This can be prevented by attaining best practice, which is “a ‘set’ a human resources practices that have the potential to enhance organisational performances when implemented”(Beardwell, 2007 p. 669). Hence, with the various existing approaches on leadership and teamwork come challenges which can be avoided if the limiting factors are controlled to create a well-operating team.
People in the organisations implement various types of leadership. However the main ones that are likely to be introduced nowadays are autocratic, democratic or paternalistic types.
Autocratic leaders run things their own way without taking into consideration what their subordinates feel about certain aspects of the business. They have a clear idea of how they want a task to be completed and therefore do not include employees in the decision-making process. Leaders which use the autocratic approach do not delegate responsibilities to the team members and prefer to stay in control over the business. (Malcolm Surridge, 2005, p.181)
Alternatively, paternalistic leaders are open to the opinions of their subordinates and allow for dialogue between people on the higher lever of hierarchy and the junior staff. However, the leader will still be the one who makes the main decisions. (Malcolm Surridge, 2005, p.182) Leaders who use the democratic approach, however, tend to communicate with the employees down the hierarchy and consider their points of view. They delegate responsibilities within the organisation allowing subordinates to actively participate
People in the organisations implement various types of leadership. However the main ones that are likely to be introduced nowadays are autocratic, democratic or paternalistic types.
Autocratic leaders run things their own way without taking into consideration what their subordinates feel about certain aspects of the business. They have a clear idea of how they want a task to be completed and therefore do not include employees in the decision-making process. Leaders which use the autocratic approach do not delegate responsibilities to the team members and prefer to stay in control over the business. (Malcolm Surridge, 2005, p.181)
Alternatively, paternalistic leaders are open to the opinions of their subordinates and allow for dialogue between people on the higher lever of hierarchy and the junior staff. However, the leader will still be the one who makes the main decisions. (Malcolm Surridge, 2005, p.182) Leaders who use the democratic approach, however, tend to communicate with the employees down the hierarchy and consider their points of view. They delegate responsibilities within the organisation allowing subordinates to actively participate
Bibliography: Beardwell, J. Claydon, T. Human Resource Management: a contemporary approach. 5 ed. . Great Britain: Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. Belbin, R. Meredith. Management Teams Why they succeed or fail. 3rd. Great Britain: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010. Print. Belbin, R. Meredith. Team Roles at Work. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010. Print. Cottrell, Stella. Skills for Success. China: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print. Gordon, Judith R. Organizational Behavior A Diagnostic Approach. 7th ed. NJ, USA: Prentice Hall, 2002. Print. Marcousé, Ian. Business Studies. 5th ed. LDN, UK: Hodder & Stoughton, 2005. Print. Mitchell, Kusy. Toxic Workplace! managing toxic personalities and their systems of power. 1st ed. USA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.