While leadership and teamwork are different virtues, they
are strongly related in business, sports, the military and volunteerism. It is
easy to state that leaders lead, while teams follow leaders to reach goals and
objectives.Yet, great teams have superior leaders as members. To paraphrase a
common definition of solid leadership, "Leaders are people that other
people want to follow." However, most outstanding leaders are also equally
accomplished team players.
Good Leaders
It is simple to explain leaders with one word:
"charisma." But, superior leaders offer much more than that.
Noteworthy leaders also deliver some combination of expertise, commitment,
dedication, motivation, focus and concern for others. This combination can also
create charisma for those that do not generate it naturally. Leaders are
naturally goal-oriented and understand the need -- and the best way -- to
communicate the objective to the team.
Good Teams
High performing teams buy into a "shared agenda"
philosophy. By adopting the objectives of the leader and melding them with the
individual goals of team members, the group becomes a stronger force than the
individual strengths of the group members. Effective team members also feel a
strong sense of empathy, allowing them to better understand the individuals in
their group. This factor works to bring the team together to attack their
common objective.
Business: A Team Sport
Except for those successful one-person proprietorships,
business achievement is always a "team sport." Success requires a
superior leader (coach) and outstanding teams (players). Just as top business
leaders need not be "born," as they can be "made," high
performing teams can be coached to success, regardless of how diversified they
may be. It is possible for great teams to achieve without strong leadership.
However, success comes only situationally -- or through lady luck -- under
these circumstances.
