Reviewed by Claire Frost
Rather than focusing simply on the leader and pathways to success, 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork shifts the attention of a leader to that of the entire group. While a leader is essential, he or she is nothing without the people who willingly follow. In order to make sure that the followers remain loyal and dedicated to the project, the leader or manager must keep certain details and attitudes in mind and be able to convey those in the rest of the group as well.
The first of the laws, the Law of Significance, touches on the natural human quality of the ego and that we must fight against it when working in a group so that one does not try to overshadow the rest. Although each member is important, one is too small a number to accomplish anything on their own. Everyone needs help and team to stand behind them and support them. The Law of the Big Picture ties in with the first with its focus on the end goal of the group rather than the smaller agendas and roles of the team members. This again forces ego aside for the greater good of the group. While the focus of each member can never be solely their own roles or plans, the job of the leader includes helping each see their specific strength and purpose within the group in what Maxwell calls the Law of the Niche. Exercising the power of this Law also means that a leader or manager must know and understand their team members’ strengths and the team situation. Based upon the understanding of the team’s situation and goal, the Law of Mount Everest encourages managers to base the organization and roles of the members around the dream. As the challenge changes so too the manager must be willing to change the group to be most productive in the new atmosphere.
Maxwell also describes the Law of the Chain, meaning that even if all but one member is strong and productive; one weak member can cause major problems. It is a manager’s responsibility to note this and then take appropriate steps to encourage and strengthen that member. This moves into his Law of the Catalyst. Every team needs these people, the ones who get it all done and then go the extra mile for the good of the team. But where would all these great efforts go without good direction? Much like the Law of Mount Everest, the Law of the Compass makes sure that a team has a clear and understood vision between all members. This vision is also made up of the moral fiber of the team, or a code of conduct. These are crucial if all are to work loyally for the team’s goals.
One of the largest pitfalls in any group or team is a rotten attitude, talked about in Maxwell’s Law of the Bad Apple. Whether it is negativity, resurgence of the ego, constant competition between everyone, lack of the ability to admit mistakes or a number of other ruinous factors and traits, a horrible outlook and behavior can bring everyone down. This ties into his next law, the Law of Countability. As the title suggests, if each member does not feel that they can trust the others, the group begins to falter and the power of one begins to emerge again. It is on the manager’s shoulders to ensure trust is established and sustained early within the group. Another major reason for failure in a group is the neglect of the inevitable price that the members must pay for the team’s success, referenced in the Law of the Price Tag. Late nights, sacrifices, personal development and forgetting personal desires and agendas are all part of what we must give to the group in addition to a great attitude and good ideas. As with any team, knowing where the team stands amongst its competitors or other constraints is also important, and helps assess if adjustments need to be made. Maxwell calls this the Law of the Scoreboard, and it is the duty of the manager to pay attention to the scores and make sure everything on his or her team is ready and adequate for the goals to be met.
The Law of the Bench brings to light the idea of having depth in a team. A team without balance of talents and personalities will surely make for an idea that falls just as flat, which also happens when the Law of Identity is not strictly followed. This Law helps to bring a team together with strength of conviction in each other. Making the team unified with one name, one goal, one set of ideals will show as the team works and when they finalize and present the project. Maxwell then moves onto the Law of Communication, noting that interaction is the key to action and effectiveness as a group. When one person has a concern or suggestion, praise or compliment, a group with good communication will grow stronger when lead and encouraged by an effective leader to express those well. It is also the job of an effective manager to lead a team to success but realize too when it is time for them to step back and let others lead when others are better educated or experienced in a certain area. This comes into play with the Law of the Edge. Tying into the earlier Law of the Bad Apple is the Law of High Morale, which basically points out that when a team is in good spirits and feels confident in its success, it’s easy to get things done and done well. When things are done well, these build into the Law of Dividends. This is based on the idea that the things you do early and over time they compound into a great, efficient, productive team that is happy and joyful in the work that they are all doing. It is up to the manager to keep everything in his or her mind, appropriately choose what the keep in the minds of the team members and the appropriate times for such reminders, and then help encourage and build them up to become strong and grow in the experience.
This book offers things that every PR professional should know and most likely already does. The anecdotes that Maxwell offers could help those with a visual mind build a stronger concept of the message, but overall, these 17 laws are things that come with most learning of social graces and leadership skills. The approach in and of itself is an effective one. The message is good, encouraging and truly important to the development and maintenance of a team. However, when mixed with a rather arrogant attitude, repetition and simple style, the message becomes banal and loses much of its impact. Considering our class discussions about leadership, there are many aspects about the skill of being able to lead others that could add to the book. For example, from the Arlene Blum case study from The Leadership Moment by Michael Useem, there is a value in listening and taking in the value of others in the group. Leadership is never all about actually leading or dictating to a group. While necessary at times depending on the task and group, Blum’s case shows that Maxwell needs to add some different aspects of leading others in other ways. Based upon his attitude and style, I would recommend looking up a synopsis of this somewhere and sticking with that. The ideas are good but not worth the price of the book, and could be found in numerous other outlets for those really looking to grow their ability as a leader or manager.
The idea of teamwork is indeed a noble one and a cause worth learning more about when wanting to become a better leader or manager, or step into such a position within an organization. 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork would make a better poster than book.
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