Team Leadership Roles

From Dr. Meredith Belbins research on Team Leadership roles based on Action-Oriented, Thought Oriented and People-Oriented Team structures, He, Belbin defines a ‘team role’ as “a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way”. Therefore, by analysing how leadership is effected in teams you can categorise team leaders into the following.

• Driver: controls team direction at a. detailed, tactical level. Defines things, steers and shapes group discussions and activities.
• Coordinator: controls the team’s direction at the highest, strategic level. Moves the problem-solving forward by recognizing strengths and weaknesses and making the best use of human and other resources.
• Originator: provides leadership in ideas, innovating and inventing ideas and strategies, especially on major issues.
• Monitor: analyzes problems from a practical point of view and evaluates ideas and suggestions so that the team can make balanced decisions.
• Implementer: converts concepts and plans into work procedures and carry out the group’s plans efficiently and as agreed.
• Investigator—Explores and reports on ideas, developments, and resources outside the group. Creates external contacts that may be useful to the group.
• Finisher—Ensures that all necessary work is completed in all details. Seeks work that needs greater than average attention to detail, and maintains the group’s focus and sense of urgency.

When Dr Meredith Belbin decided to investigate the way teams of executives tackled a team-oriented task at the Henley Management College in the 1960s, it is unlikely he expected the results to still be used all over the world 50 years later. However, the Belbin Team Roles model, finally published in his 1981 book ‘Management Teams’, is commonly used for identifying the roles individuals play in their teams and how these roles can be combined to maximise performance. If you find this interesting you can dig further Team roles Belbin