Page 6 - Leadership Basics 3

Background

In some literature, arguments for team leadership have been drawn from nature by observing social
animals such as buffaloes and geese (Blanchard & Bowles, 1998). When huge herds of buffalo rumbled
across the American plains it was said that they would follow the lead buffalo anywhere, including
over a cliff. Hunters realised that if they could shoot the lead buffalo the rest of the herd would stand
still waiting for another to take the lead. This has been compared to the leadership of a group of
migrating geese, where different individuals take the lead at different times. If one gets tired, injured
or distracted there is another ready to take its place; leadership is a team effort.
Arguments for shared leadership in a team are grounded in the premise that empowerment leads to
greater commitment and motivation by staff. Tschannen‐Moran et al. (2000), for example, state that
as principals and teachers reflect on their experiences of participating in group problem‐solving
processes, not only are their solutions superior, but the problem‐solving capacity of the school is
improved. This is called team synergy. As teachers with valuable knowledge and skills are involved in
solving problems that affect them, organisational commitment and motivation are likely to increase.
Thus, collaborative teamwork holds the promise of improved staff performance and more effective
schools. What is meant by team synergy? Hall (2001) uses the example of a musical orchestra to
define synergy. She states that synergy is “usually taken to be the creation of something that is more
than the sum of its parts”. In this regard, she highlights the importance of the leader’s role in creating
the conditions for successful teamwork. However, she further suggests that team management in
education might aspire to a different interpretation of synergy. Synergy is about team learning, team
talking and team thinking that together lead to increased team effectiveness and task achievement.

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