Entrepreneurial Team Leadership Term Paper

Entrepreneurial Team Leadership

History of team leadership

It was with the military idea that the traditional concept of business leadership started in the U.S. The olden industrial business like the railways espoused a hierarchy system of management leadership. The person at the control had the final say and was autocratic. Commands were issued from the apex level through the hierarchy to be executed unquestionably. Moreover, the authority was backed by societal strength, hence only a handful could oppose. Truly, particularly in the olden days, the leader had the power of ending the life of a soldier who refused to abide him and this resulted in obedience. Violators set the precedence of how nasty the outcome of infringement was. It is surprising that the legendary Bill Gates does not possess the inspirational wherewithal or strength of Attila the Hun. (The Art of Entrepreneurship)

With the coming of age and individuals starting to look forward to increased sovereignty of action and individual preferences, commanding strength of self-esteem, personality and hopes from the society were required to attain conformity of the person in abiding by the commands of the people ranked in official designations of command under challenging situations. The opposite end of the leadership continuum is marked by complete freedom, wherein every verdict is deliberated within the parties or their associates and major negotiations are made. Each one of them is free to voice his opinion regarding every pronouncement. Industrial businesses in the past implemented the leadership structure prevalent in the army, and it was effective, largely, because of two causes. First, the workforce engaged in the industrial units failed to look out for greener pastures. Secondly, the work put in by every worker could be measured and reviewed. Individuals were fast transposable devices. (The Art of Entrepreneurship)

Currently, none of these situations are evident. In the present day enterprises, totalitarianism never works. Recent studies on the top management revealed that entrepreneurial teams exert more control on the performance of the enterprise compared to the manager at the individual level. The excellence and structure of the group is a vital factor of the achievement of the enterprise. The bodies offering Venture Capital hardly ever prefer business propositions from sole entrepreneurs, however, on the other hand back propositions from a collaborated venture, largely possessing healthier antecedents. (Entrepreneurial Teams: Definition and Determinants) With the future appearing brilliant, the team based on choice gathers momentum. Although, it is a fact that you should take the major decisions related to your business, heading a business in this era is altogether a different ball game than commanding soldiers in the olden days. (The Art of Entrepreneurship)

Research professionals have observed leadership abilities from varied standpoints. Past study on leadership, from 1900s till the 1950s, made a distinction between the features of leader and cohorts. Upon discovering that no individual attribute or a combination of qualities was responsible for the competencies of leaders, research professionals thereafter started investigating the impact of the conditions on the proficiencies and conduct of the leaders. Successive researches on leadership endeavored to differentiate between efficient and inefficient leaders. These findings endeavored to decide which leadership attitudes were epitomized by efficient leaders. Research professionals employed the Contingency Model while observing the linkages between the individual features, conditional variables, and efficiency of leaders in order to comprehend what played a part in building efficient leaders. (History of Leadership Research)

The writings on leadership during the 1970s and 1980s with its centre on efficient leaders, reiterated individual qualities as the contributing factor of leadership capabilities. It mainly played a part in comprehending the influence of individual qualities and personal conduct of efficient leaders and the part played by them in building effective organizations. The findings distinguished between leaders and managers and pioneered a novel quality in leaders i.e. vision and discovered its significance. Coupled with vision, successful leaders ease the progression of a common vision and the importance of human capital of their establishments. Apart from these perceptions on leadership, another novel concept became apparent which is transformational leadership. It was initiated by Burns, relating it as not just a collection of particular conducts but somewhat a technique by which leaders and cohorts elevate each other to advanced levels of ethics and determination. He declared that transformational leaders are persons who address enhanced principles and ethical ideals like honesty and impartiality and can be discovered at different points of an organization. (History of Leadership Research)

Burns differentiated between transformational leaders from transactional leaders, which he expressed as leaders who inspired by addressing to the cohorts own interest. Analyzing the Burns' description of transformational leadership, Bass claims that these leaders inspire their cohorts by striking a chord of strong passions not considering the eventual impact on the cohorts and do not always concentrate on encouraging ethical ideals. An instance of Bass's description of transformational leadership can be the Reverend Jim Jones of the Jonestown huge suicide. A lot of other leaders have referred transformational leadership as surpassing personal requirements, concentrating on a general principle, tackling inherent honors and superior psychological wants like self-realization and growing dedication with and in the cohorts. (History of Leadership Research)

In total, the writings disclose that efficient leadership in an establishment is crucial. Earlier on, examinations of leaders detailed the distinction between the leaders and cohorts. The successive researches on leadership made a distinction between efficient and ineffectual leaders. The contrast between efficient and ineffectual leaders gave way to the discovery of two extents, starting off arrangement and deliberation and disclosed that efficient leaders excelled in both of them. Leadership was identified as an intricate venture, and as present researches claim, vision and teamwork are vital qualities of efficient leadership. What inherent qualities do the leaders possess that make them to transform their establishments? There exists a distinct evolution in the research writings from fixed to vibrant thoughts. (History of Leadership Research) But a majority of the writings has concentrated on the sole proprietor. This necessitates for investigations on the ET factors of Entrepreneurial team's effectiveness, and Entrepreneurial group's influence on business performance. (Entrepreneurial Teams: Definition and Determinants)

How is team effectiveness to be measured? What is the debate on this Measurement embodies the evaluation of performance and outcomes accomplished by singular workers, a troop of workers or a squad, and total organizations. Measurement provides a method to find out what has been achieved and an act as a ground for taking decisions regarding the opportune moment for concluding when those achievements warrant exceptional appreciation. Within the course of performance measurement, evaluation signifies finding out the intensity of performance by weighing the superiority, quantity, appropriateness and/or feasibility of the work measured against a criterion. (Performance Management) Efficient organizational transformations are an intricate and multifaceted method, and outcomes should be calculated in number of years, instead of months. There are, nevertheless, several steps in the path that signify developments performed. (Allen; Kilvington, 2001)

Jack Zigon's, literature in Training, suggests five solutions for devising an evaluation structure which sustains and enhance the performance of groups and their individual participants: Attach the achievement of the group to the objective of the organization; start with the group's clients and formulate policies to satiate their wants; Calculate the performance of the team as well that of the individual; Aim for substantiation. Do not attempt to estimate all by numbers; instruct the group to build its own procedures. (Measuring Team Performance)

Christopher Meyer supports the view that groups must advance their own procedures on the basis of generally accepted objectives of the group. He opined in the May/June 1994 issue of Harvard Business Review: While a team of individuals creates an assessment structure, it makes a group as well. One advantage of a team building a self-assessment structure is that participants who belong to diverse functional areas culminate in building a common lingo that they want so that the group functions effectively. The manner in which assessments are employed to evaluate the performance of the group shall be dependent on the group's placement in the organizational makeup. For instance, a management team comprised of members from the higher echelons might be employing procedures that resolves program efficiencies or the achievement of the organization's strategic plan, and the teams at the lower ranks in the establishments will be increasingly involved with quality checks, operating cycle period, rubbish, or supply chain. (Measuring Team Performance)

An added issue to take into account, while building up group procedures is the nature of the group to be assessed. A provisional, trouble-shooting group will like to assess outcomes, like the success of the result they build. Conversely, a stable work group will go for assessing work procedures as also outcomes. If work groups limit itself to assessing outcomes and fail to attain their objectives, they will not be aware of the reason. Assessing the work procedures will reveal the group the scope where developments can be undertaken. Assisting groups, to set up successful assessments will give them the information they require to develop their…