Harvard Business School: Leadership Style And Development

Leadership Style and Development
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Introduction
Every organization has set goals and targets which are to be achieved within a given timeline. Goals are either long term or short term. For business organizations, the ultimate goal is to make high profits with reduced cost of production. For organizational goals to be achieved, proper structure must be put in place. Effective teams must be structured in a particular way that will ensure that they are successful. There is criteria to be followed for teams to be successful and there are certain factors that are required to ensure that teams are crafted and structured for success. The focal aim of this paper is to look at the structure for successful teams and the criteria therein.
The Five Factor Model
The five-factor model was developed by Richard Hackman when looking at successful teams in an organization. According to the research he conducted, Richard found that there are certain factors that must be in existence for teams to be successful. The first factor is that the team must satisfy clients at all levels, both internally and externally (Rupert, 2012). Secondly, for teams to be successful, they must identify with the group and find satisfaction within. Thirdly, the members of the group must develop a culture that will be useful at present and in the future.
According to Richard, besides the existence of these factors, there are other five conditions that must be fulfilled to guarantee successful teams within an organization. The first is having a ‘real’ team (Levi, 2013). By this he meant having clear cut guidelines on who makes up the team, their various mandates, duties and clear boundaries. Further, Richard notes a team that is structured for success must have compelling direction. Goals and aspirations must be well spelt out and each member of the team ought to clearly understand. With this understanding, they can all work towards achievement of the set goals. Richard noted that one of the reasons why teams fail to succeed is not having a clear vision as to what they are working towards.
It is also of great necessity to ensure that the organization within which the team operates creates an environment conducive for the team to thrive. The environment around which a team operates will largely determine its chances of survival or otherwise.
Factors of Consideration when dealing with Executive Teams
There are various levels of team in an organization. The executive teams are at the top and their structure is very similar as that of other teams...