Spears (2010), identified ten characteristics of effective and caring leaders. Three actions a leader should take when coordinating a group project are listening, persuasion and commitment to growth of people.
In a group dynamic there are individuals that are more dominant than others and if given the opportunity to take over, might very well do so. In a group dynamic it is important that all team members feel heard and included or the risk is some team members may not choose to participate. I’ve been on projects where there is a team member that doesn’t speak but then has something very profound to say that might not have been shared unless the team leaders was astute enough to ask. When team members feel their ideas are valued they will likely feel more compelled to participate and share ideas.
Another characteristic that is of value in a group setting in persuasion. Again certain individuals if given the chance will dominate and take over a group project. There will also be situations whereby team members may disagree on a topic or direction. An effective leader is able to listen to all sides and gain consensus as a group on how to move forward. More so, an effective leader is able to make both parties feel valued and heard. Productivity on projects at times risk delays if participants feel their contributions are not valued.
The third quality of an effective leader in a group setting is commitment to growth of people. As an organization grows its important for succession planning to have future leaders ready to take on and lead projects. An effective leader will recognize an employee that is emerging as a leader and is developing their skills. A strong leader will recognize these individuals within a group and allow them to take on a stronger role, perhaps even leading the group. Knowing when to step in/out will build confidence in the employee and allow an organization to grow in capacity. It’s a very humbling approach and in my experience some of the best leaders display a great deal of confidence and security in their roles that they don’t need to feel threatened by new and emerging leaders.
In leading projects I see the value of a project charter in identified roles and responsibilities. What happens though when a team falls off the rails and a new project lead is required. Can a team really ever recover from this type of situation?
Spears, Larry C. (2010) Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective,Caring Leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, Vol. 1 Iss. 1, 2010, 25-30.
Dear Brenda,
You really have brought up a tough situation which is hard for even the most excellent leader to go through. But we have to get ourselves ready for this kind of situation as none of us has the ability to see the future. Luckily, we are learning servant leadership now, and the method of salvation lies in the ten characteristics of a servant leader. Healing is a special and unique trait of the servant leader. It means the servant leader possesses the power of healing himself or herself and the relationship to others as well. I always believe that servant leaders are all mental healthy individuals. Therefore, their ability of resilience must be superior than other people when facing incidents. Also, servant leaders seek to nurture their abilities to dream great dreams, which means they would view the problem from a conceptualizing perspective. Hence, it would be easier for them to accept the reality that their project has been outdated and will be replaced. The servant leaders will not restrict themselves to one project, they can understand the overarching goal and devote to other meaningful task immediately.
Would you agree with me?
Layla
I enjoyed your post especially about those that dominate in group settings and the onus being on the leader to ensure that all individuals in the group have the opportunity to speak up. Sometimes the quieter ones have assimilated all the information and just need the space to share their thoughts. (Reminds me of the book ‘Quiet:The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’ by Susan Cain. ) You bring to mind the importance of individuals feeling valued and heard. I think it is so discouraging when someone’s voice, thoughts and ideas are squelched. This can lead to turn over in personnel and that is costly. Do you think that leaders come to better decisions by hearing what individual team members have to say?
To respond to your question about a team falling apart and a new leader needed, I think it is difficult but not impossible to recover from such a situation. It would be tough for the new leader as well. In this situation, letting individual team members talk through the situation might be helpful. Sometimes there isn’t the luxury of time. It would be important to get to the heart of the problem and what caused the issue. Was it a ‘process’ or ‘person’ problem? Clarity on this will make the way smoother in the future. Does the process need to be changed? If a person issue, is it one of training, attitude or simply having too much work to get done. Do you think that clarity on process vs. people will achieve better outcomes in a team that has floundered?