Running head: LEADERSHIP AND THE BEHAVIORS OF TEAM MEMBERS 1

Leadership and the Behaviors of Team Members

Bryan Goldsmith

OGL 321: Project Leadership (2021 Fall – B)

Professor Rob Wisehart

October 31, 2021

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Leadership and the Behaviors of Team Members

If one spends more than a few days in a leadership role, they will inevitably be faced with

dealing with the behaviors of their people. This essay will examine the importance of engaging

team member behaviors and connecting with people.

Gleanings From the Readings

There is an important part of project leadership that many people consider as a secondary

issue, which is the ability to effectively manage the behaviors of their people. Certainly, project

leaders need to deal with the technical aspects of their projects, but Situational Leadership

among their people is of increasing importance. The single most important characteristic

necessary in project management is tolerance: tolerance of external events and tolerance of

people’s personalities (Kerzner, 2014). Differing team members and differing project conditions

produce an innumerable set of unique possibilities, and an effect project manager exhibits

tolerance of these factors. The project manager then must craft his leadership approach to best

manage the situation. Increasingly, project managers are more managers of people than they are

managers of technology (Kerzner, 2014).

Therefore, it is important for behaviorally oriented project managers to involve their team

members in critical aspects of the project, such as decision making. This fosters as sense of buy-

in and ownership among the team. A caveat here, though. The project manager should not

placate to his team, lest it becomes a popularity contest. Being everyone’s friend, making

conflict decisions that attempt to make every team member happy, or downplay performance

issues, may be popular, however, it is not good for the project or project team (Lauck and
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Quigley, 2021). There is a healthy balance in engaging and motivating the team, without

becoming a doormat.

I viewed the team exodus that occurred in Scenario B of the Harvard Simulation as a

failure to engage the team. I suppose that team members may voluntarily leave a team on a one-

by-one basis at any time and for any reason. I view it as a different dynamic when multiple

people leave simultaneously. I see that as a failure by the project manager to engage his team on

a human resource basis. If you take the view that you have the best people you could get and you

then work hard to engage them, motivate them and develop them, investing your time and effort

in their success; then they will develop, they will work hard and they will be a great team

(Clayton, 2009). This is a proactive approach in team development.

Furthermore, I believe an important factor in proceeding in the Harvard Simulation after

the exodus is the continuing behavioral management of the team. It is important for the project

manager to proactively manage and anticipate team stress, deadlines, budget issues, and schedule

issues. Proactive management is extremely influential over the probability of success of a

project, because it allows for replanning and the ability to address problems well before they

have a significant impact (Kerzner, 2014).

Personal Connection

I learned an important lesson in managing the behaviors of team members a long time

ago. I was building an addition to a jail and we were at the stage of construction when most of

the masonry work was happening. We were behind schedule, so I was putting some pressure on

the project manager of the masonry company to step up their production. He, in turn, screamed

at his labor foreman in front of everyone to work harder. The labor foreman whistled and held
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his hand over his head in a twirling motion. Then, he and over a dozen workers walked off the

job!

It was not my intention to have the labor foreman screamed at and embarrassed. I was

not aware of the personality conflict that existed between the masonry project manager and his

labor foreman. Personality conflicts can occur at any time, with anyone, and over anything.

Furthermore, they can seem almost impossible to anticipate and plan for (Kerzner, 2014). The

recovery of that incident took weeks. We were reactionary in our response and missed a few

project milestones. This taught me the value of anticipation and proactive planning.

Tying It All Together

I find correlation in managing the behaviors of my people and employee retention. In the

Harvard Simulation, it seemed to me that the loss of several members being poached by a

competitor was rooted in lack of leadership engagement and lack of anticipation. I find in the

readings that good project leaders manage their people on a behavioral basis well. They take

interest in the motivation and development of their teams. Furthermore, it is important to

anticipate issues before they occur. I learned the hard way that proactively managing teams is

superior to reactively managing them.

Summary

In conclusion, it is important for project leaders to engage the human resource aspect of

their teams. Behavioral management of teams, engagement, and proactive planning are key

factors in effectively leading people.

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References

Clayton, Mike (2009). “You Get the Team You Deserve.” Shift Happens!, Wordpress, 11 Dec.

2009, Retrieved from https://mikeclayton.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/you-get-the-team-

you-deserve/

Kerzner, Harold. Project Management Best Practices : Achieving Global Excellence, John Wiley

& Sons, Incorporated, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/lib/asulib-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1598007.

Lauck, Steve and Quigley, Jon M. “Project Management is not a Popularity Contest.” PM Tips,

12 Oct. 2021, Retrieved from https://pmtips.net/article/project-management-is-not-a-

popularity-contest