Introduction

Overview

Did you ever play "King of the Hill" as a kid? One kid stands atop an elevated piece of ground, and the rest of the kids try to throw him off the perch so that someone else can become king of the hill, who eventually meets the same fate. This continues until everyone gets tired and frustrated or someone gets hurt. Your organization cannot afford to play this game as a way to determine team leadership. Don't spend all that energy on determining who is the toughest or the smartest . The major benefits of a team concept occur only when all involved have a chance to exert their skills, knowledge, and influence.

You probably picked up this book because your organization is attempting to use some form of a team concept to guide the way it operates. I assume you want toor have tohelp a team in your organization. This book is designed to help you help team members help themselves , not to take over. If you want to play "King of the Hill," you should probably look for a different book. This book will provide you with the tools to develop the behaviors needed to effectively work together in a team environment. It will encourage you to develop people and help manage situations in a way that is conducive to team excellence. It will prepare you to provide leadership in a team-based organization.

You may have also picked up this book because you read my previous book, Tools for Team Excellence. That book was based on my twenty-five years of research on the subject of teams. In it I describe the seven key components of excellent teams in organizations:

• Clear goals and sense of direction

• Identification of talent

• Clear roles and responsibilities

• Agreed-upon procedures

• Constructive interpersonal relations

• Active reinforcement of team-oriented behaviors

• Diplomatic external ties

I have furthered that research since the book was first published in 1996. I have reconfirmed those seven components but have recognized an additional important factor for success with teams: leadership. Company after company, team after team, expressed the importance of leadership in attaining excellence within a team concept. At first I resisted their comments and the data because I had seen too many teams that demonstrated an overreliance on leadership. Despite their declaration of a team concept on paper, in reality a person or two on each team carried the load. However, the evidence is overwhelming. Coaches of sports teams often speak about the importance of "X-factors" for success. These are intangibles such as experience, intensity, or the ability to make the most out of opportunities. The X-factor in whether a team concept succeeds is leadership. This does not mean an overreliance on one or two key people, but rather a willingness on the part of many people to take on the responsibility of influencing people and events and helping a group of individuals move forward together. Ironically, organizations need to be full of leaders even when promoting so-called leaderless teams. I want you to be one of those leaders who makes a difference in your organization.