Organizational Behavior: The Role of Managers as Team Players

This essay delves into the complexities of organizational behavior, specifically focusing on the roles of managers and whether they can effectively function as team players. It explores the advantages of individual work for managers, such as reduced interruptions and increased focus, while also highlighting the disadvantages of managers attempting to be team players, such as a reliance on existing skills and a potential lack of leadership qualities. The essay contrasts managers, who primarily manage systems and processes, with transformational leaders, who build relationships and inspire teams. It draws on various sources to support the argument that, while managers are crucial to organizational success, they often lack the skills and qualities necessary to be true team players, and that true team effectiveness relies on effective leadership. The essay concludes by suggesting that best managers can enhance their skills to become effective team players.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Organizational Behavior
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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Introduction
The best managers are the ones who understand their responsibilities towards the team
and the team’s performances. They must work hard in order to develop certain skills and
abilities. They are highly responsible for the success of the team members. However, best
managers are not the team players. The best managers alone cannot manage the team
properly, if there does not exist any effective or efficient leader. Obviously, a manager is
responsible for the success of the team, but he/she cannot be the team player. A
transformational leader can be a team player as they are responsible for creating the vision,
mission and goals of the organization. Moreover, a manager stick to his/her own work,
refining the systems, processes as well as structures in order to make those better.
Managers cannot bring innovation to their systems, they just manage things. In
addition to this, managers just copy the competencies or behaviors from the leaders and adopt
their style, instead of defining their own. Managers do not have the potential to take risks and
they prefer working on the short term goals. They are not like leaders, who are risk takers. In
an organization, taking risks play a major role in the success or failure of the business. Even
though, the best managers are not at all bold and courageous. They just copy from their
leaders and rely on the existing skills to achieve their tasks. The leaders are responsible for
building relationships among the team members; however a manager build processes and
systems. Therefore, we cannot say that a best manager is a team player.
Advantages of individual managers
It is always advantageous to work individually and be the boss. Individual managers
have a major advantage in this field. They can work alone without any disturbances or
differences in the opinions or views. They are answerable to the senior authorities for their

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own mistake, not someone else’s. Moreover, he/she can take full credit for the work, as the
job is completely done by him/her. If a person prefers to work alone, he/she will not have to
face any issues regarding acknowledgement, which is a major disadvantage in working with
teams. For instance; if a manager comes up with a new campaign of marketing, which is
individually created and revised, he/she will get acknowledged for the work. Conflicts among
the team members do not exist in individual work.
According to Gahler (2017), individual workers can easily focus on the job, he/she is
performing. Interruptions are less, which further makes it more convenient to concentrate on
the work. In a group, an individual can get carried away by someone else’s decisions and
opinions. Moreover, if the team members are not effective, the productivity also hampers to a
huge extent. For instance; if an individual manager prefers working alone, the outside
pressure is also less, which would help him/her to make right decisions at right time. This
will also help the person to explore his/her capabilities and in competencies. In addition to
this, working alone will make an individual fast, as it is totally his/her responsibility to finish
the work before deadline.
Figure: Working Independently
(Source: Gahler, 2017)

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In my opinion, working alone will reduce interruptions, which will bring in more
clarity. For instance; a manager, who is working with a team that lacks coordination, will face
severe problems in coping up. There might be conflicts within the team, which may mar the
progress. Effectiveness of the team highly matters, while working together. It is not an issue
for individual performers. A good team requires an effective and efficient leader, not
manager. Moreover, it is more interesting to work alone as it would help the individuals to
come up with new and innovative ideas. He/she will not have to rely on someone else for the
completion of the work. Working individually helps a person become more creative and fast.
As per Eisenhardt and Sull (2012), individual managers can make their decisions
alone, without any interference. Nobody will impose their thoughts or opinions upon them,
which happens in team work. He/she does not need to get any approval before completing
any work. This would also help him/her in motivating others to improve their level of
performance. They will come to know about their strengths as well as the areas of
improvement. Furthermore, an individual can engage more and understand the job
responsibilities on working alone. The administrative actions will also be fair and justified,
without any biasness. In my opinion, working individually will help you to explore yourself
and prepare for the worst situations. It will assist you to gain an understanding of your
responsibilities, abilities and in competencies. Therefore, start working individually and
challenge yourself through tough situations, in order to become more creative.
Disadvantages of best managers being the team players
Diefenbach (2012) in his journal mentions that, managers are the ones who rely on the
existing skills for managing the department. If they become team players, the organizational
success may hamper to some extent. Managers follow the leader’s footsteps for success. They
make some changes on the readymade plans, which are already successful, and implement

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those. Moreover, a company’s progress depends on its pre planned mission and vision. The
organizational leaders are responsible for setting up the goals, mission and vision, not the
managers. Managers are responsible for managing the systems and processes of the
organization, but leaders build relationships between team members. Managers can never
become team players as they lack certain leadership skills and qualities.
In Burgoyne’s (2012) opinion, the managers are more focused on their own work,
goals and objectives rather than the organizational mission and vision. Thus, if a manager
becomes the team player, the effectiveness and efficiency of the team greatly degrades.
Managers can only direct their employees to work effectively; they cannot mentor or coach
them. Leaders can build relationships with the stakeholders and influence them for the
organizational benefits. However, an organizational best manager lacks such qualities. They
are incapable of creating bonds with the organizational publics. They only have employees,
whereas a leader has followers. Leaders have many people following and working for
him/her with utmost sincerity. A leader, with his/her oratory skills, can influence a large
number of people, but a manager lacks such skills.
Figure: Organizational management
(Source: Noruzy et al. 2013)

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According to Belbin (2012), teams need a transformational leader and management
skills, which a manager cannot provide. An effective leader makes sure that the team is
working in a right manner, with proper resources and management tools. He/she leads the
team to the success; on the other hand a manager can only control the team. A manager is
only focused with his/her own work. Unlike a manager, a leader s followed because his/her
personality, beliefs and behavior. Managers do not take any responsibility for the success of
the employees. He/she is more concerned about his/her own self. Managers are only
responsible for reshaping the policies and procedures of the organization. Leaders only can
provide the employees with useful insights on how to follow those policies and why it is
required. This is the major difference between best managers and transformational leaders.
Figure: Management to Leadership
(Source: Cmaa.org 2017)

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Figure: Leadership Graph
(Source: Cmaa.org 2017)
According to the survey conducted by Cmaa.org (2017), it is found that factors that a
team’s success depends on how the management is inspiring its employees to perform better.
Leaders act as the source of inspiration, their ability to think out of the box help them bring in
creative and innovative ideas. Best managers lack such communication skills and abilities,
which prevents them from becoming the team players. Therefore, it is evident that even the
best managers can never become team players. They can only set up rules and regulations on
how to complete a work. Guiding and mentoring the employees falls under the leader’s
responsibility. If a best manager becomes team players, the team will face tough situations on
fulfilling the organizational targets. They can direct the employees, not guide them.
Literature Review
Diefenbach, T., 2012. Why many managers get it wrong. Organizational Change, Leadership
and Ethics: Leading Organizations Toward Sustainability, p.149.
In his journal, “Why managers get it wrong” Diefenbach (2012) mentions that the best
managers are not necessarily the team players. Teams need certain management skills as well

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as leadership skills. Managers do not have the potential to take risks and they prefer working
on the short term goals. For instance; Anita Viherpuro is a senior manager of a multinational
company but she is not the team player. A manager can lack certain qualities which prohibits
them from becoming the team players. Team players need to understand their employees’
issues and problems, which the managers fail to perform. Therefore, a manager may lack
certain skills and thus, they cannot be the team players.
Conclusion
To conclude, team effectiveness depends on how the team is formed and managed
towards achieving a common goal or target. The points I have presented here are all justified
and evident to oppose the fact that best managers are not team players. Managers lack several
qualities and skills, which prohibits them from becoming the team players. They do not have
the ability to challenge the existing system. They are self centered and focus on their own
work, rather than the employees’. A leader can invent and innovate, whereas a manager can
only organize. Managers can never come up with new and innovative ideas. He/she relies on
the organizational control. They cannot assess or analyze the failures of the organization.
They can only accept the existing policies, rather than attempting to change those.
Managers are the ones who count the values and cannot create values. They can direct
the employees, not influence them to work effectively. However, a manager is an important
part of the organization. Without him/her the organization will not succeed. Therefore, a best
manager needs to do a lot of homework before becoming a team player. It is not everyone’s
cup of tea. A manager can only become a team player if he/she focuses on the team’s
effectiveness and efficiency. This can be achieved after years of experience. Not all can
become transformational leaders, only the ones who have influential power over others, can

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achieve a lot. Therefore, best managers can start polishing their skills and abilities to become
a team player.

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