Team Leadership Essays

Team Leadership Essays Team Leadership Essay Team Leadership Essay Team Leadership Name: Institution: Team Leadership To: The Manager From: Team Leader Subject: Team Leadership Date: 26 July 2013 Exploring new market segments requires a peer into the use of effective teamwork for the process. The challenge of entering a new market segment necessitates a restructuring of the management and organizational culture. One of these restructuring processes involves the creation of a new department. The new department will be fundamental in accomplishing a section of the firm’s strategic plan. Consequently, the new department will consist of members of the existing learning team. Nonetheless, determining the performance of the team requires an analysis of certain aspects concerned with leadership. One of these aspects comprises personality. One of the hardest things for a team leader to address involves the diversity in personality. Personally, my team members possess various personality types that affect cohesiveness. This is because the combination of positive and negative personality traits may offset each other in the team. The integration of different personality traits also creates a viable environment for the accomplishment of specified organizational goals. Apart from offsetting each other, personality traits, respective of their difference, can also build one another leading to synergies (Katzenbach Smith, 2006). Therefore, it is crucial for me to assert the importance of these personality differences. As an effectual team leader, recognizing and using personality traits is a vital aspect of ensuring cohesion in the team. Nonetheless, by concentrating on individual personalities, the leadership approach that I will use involves an application of the Trait Theory of Leadership. The Trait theory implies that the personalities characterized by individuals comprise wide dispositions (Gehring, 2007). It concentrates particularly on the differences between persons based on the traits and characteristics. Additionally, the theory is fundamental since it facilitates understanding the specific behaviors ch aracterized by the team members. The trait theory focuses primarily on the recognizing and measuring individual characteristics. Furthermore, trait theory asserts that individuals possess definite qualities, which make them suitable for leadership (Gehring, 2007). Nevertheless, the interface and integration of a range of traits create a unique personality among every individual. Nonetheless, for the team, in order to employ this theoretical knowledge, it will be crucial to incorporate a personality assessment test. Personality assessment tests aid in unveiling the features of a person’s character via research instruments such as questionnaires or other qualified techniques. In this case, one of the main assessments conducted will comprise the Jungian 16-Type Personality Self-Assessment Test. The Jungian Test receives its derivation from Carl Jung who surmised that persons possess disparate predispositions and inclinations. Typically, these predispositions narrow to Extraversion, Introversion, Thinking and Fee ling. The Jungian Test acknowledges the existence of 16 different personality types. These types belong to each of the four characters. These characters comprise Protectors (SJ), Creators (SP), Intellectuals (NT) and Visionaries (NF). Under Protectors, the types within this group comprise ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ and ISFJ. ESTP, ESFP, ISTP and ISFP lie under Creators. ENTJ, ENTP, INTJ and INTP, are under Intellectuals while Visionaries comprise ENFJ, ENFP, INFJ and INFP (Barrett Green, 2011). In this case, the personality assessment will focus on determining the different personality types that the team members and I, as their leader possess. For my team members, the test score was as follows: ENTP (Originator), ENFP (Advocate), ENFP (Advocate) and ESFP (Entertainer). For me, the score was ENTJ (Chief). Based on these scores, it is clear that my team mainly lies under NT and NF. Additionally, the test also determined that I was under SP (Creator). Based on the personality assessment test, my score asserts that I have natural leadership attributes. This is because the assessment asserts that the ENTJ type connects the team members and the resources effectually. Furthermore, the ENTJ type possesses the desire to solve challenges usually seen as insurmountable by other people. In addition, the ENTJ type has a passion for leadership and the rapidity to understand complexities. Because of their aptitude towards absorption of considerable information, ENTJ types are capable of making immediate and influential judgments (Barrett Green, 2011). Additionally, the test also proves that I possess a practical and effective problem solving side. This side enables me to complete projects efficiently, as well as solve disputes among members. Indeed, based on the trait theory, these ideal qualities define and reflect my innate attribute of leadership. Furthermore, the different personality types within the team also reflect different traits t hat are able to fulfill the specified task’s objectives due to their differences. Thus, it is imperative that a leadership approach that exploits the different personality types undergoes application. The use of the trait theory, in this case, implies a Transformational Leadership approach. The approach will focus on inspiring and empowering the team members towards the specified objectives. Accordingly, the approach will also consider subjecting employees to the fulfillment of organizational interests while respecting their needs. Applying this approach in this situation will generate a leading and innovative change desired by the organization. With respect to this, it is evident that the Trait Theory of Leadership will determine the course of action for the team leader and the team. Performing the personality assessment test was ideal in leading the team successfully towards the desired goal. References Barrett, J., Green, H. (2011). The complete personality assessment: Psychometric tests to reveal your true potential. London, UK: Kogan Page. Gehring, R. (January 01, 2007). Applying Traits Theory of Leadership to Project Management. Project Management Journal, 38(1), 44-54. Katzenbach, J. R., Smith, D. K. (2006). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. New York, NY: Collins Business.