What would Machiavelli think? An overview of the leadership challenges in team-based structures

摘要

The writings of Niccolo Machiavelli continue to resonate with today's business leaders. Current management literature still focuses on tactics to increase power as a means to ensure a leadership position. This attention to individual accomplishment and the building of power runs counter to what is happening structurally within organizations. The acceleration in the use of team-based structures as a preferred method of organization and decision making reflects the need for timelier processing of information in a world of increased environmental uncertainty. This contrast between the behaviors needed to build individual power and the collaborative skills necessitated by team-based structures creates a number of leadership challenges for individuals and organizations. This article discusses these challenges from both a theory-based and a practitioner standpoint, assesses the implications for organizational managers and individual team members, and offers recommendations for leadership effectiveness in a work world dominated by team-based design.