You are on page 1of 12

Running Head: TEAMWORK AND DECISION MAKING

Transformational Leadership Promotes Teaming


LDR 636
Vicky Roberts
Student I.D. #14434
Siena Heights University
August 2, 2016

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

To affirm the importance of transformational leadership, in conjunction with the promoting of


teaming as a process used to produce exceptional satisfying work quality, one could reflect upon
the old John Heywood adage, Two heads are better than one (Kanai & Banissy, 2010). How
often as a young person did one hear the statement in passing from adults, without having a clue
to the relevance it could play in our professional and personal life? Through right leadership
design, team building, as an empowering problem solving concept, can become an engine of
learned flexibility and adaptability to be used in all aspects of life. But the art of teaming requires
the success of the relational leader, in mastering the ability to evaluate followers abilities,
confidence levels and perspectives accurately, to prevent a negative collaborative outcome.
Rather a parent or a CEO, the true understanding of teaming, as a collective mindset of
mutual accountability, can foster commitment to a common goal based upon trust as a
transformational tool of interdependence. Trust opens the door to the building of collaborative
partnerships, which promotes cross-training as an effective learning pattern, while increasing the
teams emotional intelligence level through intentional focus. A shift from a natural selfproductive mind set (individualism), to one of collaboration, ensues (Wisner & Feist, 2001). The
collaborative process of flexible/adaptable teaming, promoted through the art of transformational
leadership, produces the finest quality of work to be used in the competitive world of change,
while allowing people to thrive through the use of shared abilities/knowledge (Edmondson,
2012). Adaptable teams of people, are future transformational leaders, whom will continue to
promote inclusive behavior as a process of teaming, nurturing the concern for the whole.
Transformational Team Leadership
To enhance future generations adaptive flexible capability, through the process of learned
teaming, the transformational leader influences using ones personal characteristics and

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

relational skills, as opposed to job authority. Transformational leaders are relational beings,
whom use vision, strategy and promotional interdependent behavior as an organizational cultural
change agent, operating through a mindset of collaborative exchange. The mindset promotes a
cooperative relationship between the leader, follower and team, advancing innovation, risk
taking and constructive conflict, in an inclusive environment of trust, which provides a value
based common ground of empowerment. The established collaborative partnership (teaming),
influences through recognition of followers clarified needs and desires, in exchange for enlisting
in the interdependent process of accountability, while contributing to the organizational outlined
objective of effectiveness (Daft, 2011, p.362).
Teaming
Teaming is a change agent used to establish inclusive productive organizational norms.
Active teaming advances the behavioral ingredient of commitment, with a structural foundation
of a defined shared goal, used to empower members of a team with adaptive decision making
skills to be used both professionally and personally (Buche, 2013). For the team building to
succeed, as an everlasting learned process of interdependence, the leader strategically has to
promote key collaborative ingredients to create an aligned mutually accountable team. The
innate transformational goal of the leader is cyclical teaming. Teaming promotes the greatest
competitive advantage, through an altruistic fair treatment approach, which elevates and
positively impacts ones overall life with purposeful validated meaning. The transformative
teaming process continues to enrich lives, even when individuals leave the organization, through
the enhancement of future generations. So where does a leader begin in the journey of the
dynamic activity called teaming? First, by mastering the art of listening. Listening is
paramount, as the beginning stage of building engaging committed teams of collaborative

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

accountability, geared towards empowering people to come up with their own effective solutions
to competitive problems and an ever evolving life of change.
Art of Listening
Dr. John Maxwell concludes, People dont care how much you know, until they know how
much you care (Maxwell, 2003, p.7). The transformational leadership relational ability, needed
to start the development of a formidable relationship, is caring. And the only road (often not
traveled), to begin relationship building is listening to understand. Listening is a valuable time
consuming art, which gives an individual great fulfillment once one learns the reciprocal process
to give and receive, and is the highest form of human motivation (Nichols, 2009). Hearing
another person is an influence of value appreciation, which motivates people to become stronger
through recognition. One being understood (listened to), is critical to the beginning stage of
relating. A transformational step of communicated caring, enhanced with faith, is essential in the
building of trustworthy relationships amongst team members.
Relationship Building Through Faith
Solid relationships are the foundation of teaming and life. Without relationships, only a group
exists, there is no collaborative team effort in existence. Authentic teaming begins to develop
through the reciprocal art of listening, coupled with a transformational leaders faith in the
teams level of interpersonal competency among members, resulting in teaming effectiveness
beginning to take shape (Archer, 2009, p.84). Leadership is relationships. Faith in people is
essential for building and maintaining positive relationships, because difficulties seldom defeat
people, lack of faith in themselves usually does (Maxwell, 2003, p.23). A leaders faith in the
team members capabilities, promotes trusting relationship building, while redirecting individual
energy towards a collaborative shared commitment. Listening, faith in people and positive

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

human relationship building, leads to the outcome of mutual trust in the form of cooperative
spirits (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002, p.210).
Trust
Trust transforms the organization into a more effective and efficient unit. By trusting to
engage in healthy conflict and willing to air ones own honest opinions, as a true form of
possibility creative passion, individuals on the team shift to an open mindset. An open mind
transcends into a more innovative and creative collaborative force of infinite ideas. The new
mindset of cooperative spirits increases ones desire for increased responsibility along with
mutual accountability. Not only do people begin to trust in their leadership, as a team, the level
of dedication to the purpose and the team has risen substantially because interpersonal context is
enriched.
Mutual Accountability
Mutual accountability is the leaders objective for his/her team, as a cohesive productive unit
committed to a shared goal, which is capable of doing things right each and every time. The
acceptance of accountability transforms the group into a collaborative partnership. A new
working relationship based upon deep respect, using centered intentional focus on issues (not
personalities or positions), which discourages mediocracy in exchange for an effective
synergistic solution (Covey, 1989). Collaborative partnering expels willingly, the immense
amount of teaming effort it takes to bring forth the best possible solution from everyone
involved in the collective process.
Collaborative Partnerships
Value based mutual accountability, faith in peoples abilities, earned trust and commitment to
a shared purpose, are the transformational ingredients which unleashes collaborative genius. All

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

of the before mentioned transformational leadership skills focus, conveys a motivating message
to transcend a shared business goal successfully, larger than the capability of any one person,
while empowering a collaborative team as a competitive efficient/effective organization. A great
example of a working collaborative partnership is a company, located in Chelsea, Michigan,
named Jiffy Mix.
Team Jiffy Mix
Mission statement. The mission of Team Jiffy is to achieve 100% product integrity with
quality people caring about one another and the communities served (Nafranowicz, 2012).
History. Jiffy Mix is a Holmes family owned and operated 4th generation milling company,
which has been milling wheat into grain since the late 1880s. The timeless white and blue Jiffy
Mix box came into production in 1930, as a pre-packaged dry ingredient baking product,
developed by Mabel White Holmes, the current CEOs grandmother (Suter, 2013). The Holmes
family value philosophy, of providing value to consumers and a solid livelihood to Jiffy Team
members, is still evident today through the motivating consensus of passion exemplified on the
campus of the Jiffy Mix plant (Hoffman, 2005).
Manufacturing plant tour. On July 28, 2016, I visited the Jiffy Mix Company, to witness a
collaborative manufacturing working relationship in motion by partaking in a plant tour. The tour
guides name was Sharon Parsons (also a plant packaging employee), whom conveyed a positive
motivating tone of teaming in real time. The first part of the plant tour contains original
manufacturing lines and equipment, dating back to 1930, still used in full production mode
today. The original equipment is testimony to the current CEO Howdy Holmes mentality,
focused on the necessity of simplicity, conveying true understanding in the realm of continued
competitive success. Sharon stressed the importance of the relationship between packaging and

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

maintenance, as a teaming effort to keep the lines running in tip top shape as a productive unit of
efficiency. The manufacturing line at the end of the 800 ft. tour is only three years old and is
reminiscent of the current computer/robotic manufacturing era of today. At the strategic point of
the two different era plant manufacturing lines intersect, metaphorically old meets new, one
witnesses a collaborative productive effort of continued excellence. The process is amazing to
witness as a whole. Two equipment line eras come together, to make the Jiffy Mix product, using
all of Team Jiffy members collective abilities, at full capacity working excellence, to
accomplish a shared goal.
Collaborative action. The ingredients for transformational collaborative action of teaming, at
Jiffy Mix, were in place and productively in motion. The tone in the plant and the front offices,
was one of motivated commitment, with employees smiling and waving Hello as the tour filed
passed. Perhaps some of the smiles were due to the fact, CEO Holmes knows most of the over
300 employees by name (Suter, 2013). The environment communicated simplicity, not
complexity, with precious resources used for employee and customer value. Still today CEO
Holmes does not spend a dime on advertising, forgoes merchandising and coupon offers, in order
to pass the savings value on to employees and consumers (Bolton, 2008).
Relationship balance. Jiffy Mix conveys the needed emphasis of an integral philosophy of
occupation in balance, with ones internal and external relationships, in order to give life
meaning and purpose through valued work, instead of just coming to work to complete tasks
(Suter, 2013). Tour guide Sharon confirmed the philosophy, by relating how Jiffy invites
employee input on multiple fronts. Sharon participates as a tour guide, works on the line in
packaging and was invited to travel with engineers to visit facilities similar to Jiffys future plant

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

addition, to observe and give collaborative input. She commented on how empowering the
nurturing experience was as a Jiffy Mix team member.
Structural and behavioral synergistic commitment. The Jiffy Mix Tour conveyed the
structural ingredients of collaboration (accountability), while displaying through action the
behavioral ingredients (character/commitment), signaling a synergetic cohesive unit effect
(Kayser, 2011). The synergistic effect cultivates into a multiplier effect of continued employee
empowerment and participation. Not only is it evident in the 4th generational Holmes family
ownership/leadership consistent on-going success, but it is evident in team member commitment
as well. Tour guide Sharon shared she has been at Jiffy Mix for 26 years, her aunt retired after
44, her sister retired after 32 years, and her nephew currently has committed 10 years of
devotion. Both of these families convey the collaborative commitment at Jiffy Mix, resulting in
the creation of life fulfilling purpose and meaning, focused on a larger cause of strategic
validation while operating as an engine of organizational learning (Kayser, 2011). Jiffy Mix is
the conduit of developing abilities, through a teaming mindset of expanding knowledge and
capturing value, for its customers and employees positive overall life improvement gain.
Conclusion
Transformational leadership begins the process of peeling back the onion of excellence,
through the influence of team building. An empathetic leadership change agent geared towards
empowering people to openly share ideas, originating with the art of listening. Opening up
freely, allows the team members to contribute to the whole synergistically, through an unraveling
contributing process of clarification, imagination and effective critical thinking (Covey, 1989).
The empowering teaming process peels off defensive layers of human bias, unveiling solutions
based upon multiple points of view, transcending into efficient accountability and effective

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

productivity. Discovered at the core, a competitive advantage of flexible/adaptable exceptional


performance, which is the possibility jackpot containing multiple solutions. But the truth is, two
heads will never be better than one without the empathetic transformational leaders inspirational
motivational influence, guiding followers to transcend self-interests into a mindset of
interdependent teaming of responsibility, in exchange for human satisfaction and purpose while
achieving the highest level of organizational performance.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

10

References
Archer, M. A. (2009). Authentic teaming: Undiscussables, leadership, and the role of the
Consultant [Electronic version]. Organization Development Journal, 27(4), 83-92.
Bolton, D. (2008, June 2). Jiffy Mix is Michigans success story [Electronic version].
The Morning Sun. Retrieved from http://www.jiffymix.com/news_item.php/8/_j
Buche, M. W. (2013). A memory game to demonstrate the power of collaborative efforts to
Improve team performance [Electronic version]. Journal of Information Systems
Education, 24(3), 167-175.
Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster.
Daft, R. L. (2011). The Leadership Experience (5th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage
Learning.
Edmondson, A. C. (2012). The importance of teaming [Electronic version]. In Harvard
Business School Working Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.HBSWK.HBS.EDU
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal Leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Publishing.
Hoffman, B. G. (2005, January 4). Cooking for the right mix [Electronic version]. Ann
Arbor News, pp. B1-2. Retrieved from http:www.jiffymix.com/
Kanai, R., & Banissy, M. (2010, August 31). Are two heads better than one? It depends
[Electronic version]. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientific
American.com/article/are-two-heads-better-than-one-it-depends
Kayser, T. (2011). Six ingredients for collaborative partnerships [Electronic version].
Executive Forum, 48-54.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROMOTES TEAMING

11

Maxwell, J. C. (2003). Relationships 101. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.


Nafranowicz, D. (2012). Jiffy Mix [Electronic version]. Old West Side News, pp. 1-3.
Nichols, M. P. (2009). The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve
Relationships (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Suter, C. (2013, March 29). 7 reasons this muffin mix can save America [Electronic version].
Policy.Mic. Retrieved from https://www.mic.com/article/30626/7-reasons-this-muffin-mix
-can-save-america
Wisner, P. S., & Feist, H. A. (2001, February). Does teaming pay off? [Electronic version].
Strategic Finance, 82(8), 58.

You might also like