THEORY 41

MACCOBY’S GAMESMAN THEORY

Use to identify the type of leader your team needs.

Michael Maccoby concentrated on the role and responsibilities of the team manager. He identified four character types that can be found acting as team manager:

Illustration
  • Craftsman: Leads by issuing commands and expects staff to follow orders. Individualistic, they can be inventive, self-contained, resolute and sincere but also obstinate and suspicious.
  • Jungle fighter: Tough, bold and competitive. They thrive on power and the desire to win and will fight to protect the team. But they can also be ego-driven, paternalistic and authoritarian and upset team members with their aggressive attitude.
  • Company man: A true team player who is loyal, hard working and eager to please. They thrive on creating an atmosphere of discipline and order but are too conservative to lead a team where innovative thinking or risk taking is required.
  • Gamesman: A risk taker who is fascinated by new techniques and ideas and loves problem solving. They thrive on competition and generate enthusiasm within the team. But they can be detached, dispassionate and fail to inspire loyalty.

HOW TO USE IT

  • Identify which stereotype you are. Be realistic when you make this call. Better still, ask others what characteristics you display. Don’t use the terminology that Maccoby uses – that might scare people. Depending on the relationship you have with team members you can be blunt or subtle with your questioning. The important thing is to find out how you are perceived.
  • Once you know what staff think of you take action to emphasise the positive aspects of your character and minimise the negative. Consider importing some of the virtues of the other characters. Of course some characteristics could be ingrained and you may find it difficult to change (see Theory 11). For example, a Company Man might struggle to lead a team where blue-sky innovative thinking is required. In this instance, delegate the role of leading on innovation to one of the other members of the team (see Theory 40).
  • Recognise that different types of team leaders are required at different stages of the team’s evolution. Craftsmen are essential in the beginning, making tools and weapons for protection. Jungle Fighters use the tools to conquer the environment and make it safe. Once the environment has been tamed, Company Men move in and start the socialisation process. As people become a cohesive unit Gamesmen move in and drive the survivors to higher levels of performance.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • At what stage of development is the organisation/team?
  • What type of leader does the team require? Can I provide that type of leadership? If not, whose help on the team can I enlist?
..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset