MGMT8146 · Management and Organization

Leading High Performance Teams

Carroll School of Management

A team is defined as three or more people formed into a work group to achieve a clearly identified goal. Teams that are designed to leverage the diverse talent, skills, and competencies of their individual members while also fostering a culture of collaboration through shared purpose are able to achieve far greater levels of performance than anything those individuals could achieve working independently. However, high performing teams do not just happen, no matter how talented the individual members may be! Successful teams need the support of a leader to help them establish a shared purpose, who can set clear performance goals, foster collaboration, and sustain individual and group commitment. This course will cover select leadership and management theories to establish an understanding of the strategic aims and tactical goals for using teams in organizations. Students will learn to identify the steps necessary to shift the mindset (their own or others) from that of individual contributor to a member of a high-performing team. They will learn to recognize the complexities leaders face balancing strategies needed to drive collaboration on a team, while also recognizing the contributions of individuals to keep them motivated and engaged. Specific leadership styles will be reviewed and students will be able to evaluate how (or if) certain approaches are more effective in leading teams to high performance outcomes.Through in-class activities, projects and case studies, students will analyze real-world situations and develop suggested approaches to solutions using their personal experience in team and/or leadership experience and the application of academic theories covered in the course.