The Power of Many

Since the completion of a course entitled “Group Process” while enrolled in a Masters Program in the 1980’s, I have been intrigued by the influence, both negative and positive, that members within a group can have on one another.  My thesis paper for that course was about the Charles Manson cult of the 1960s and how Manson and his underlings insidiously convinced one another that a life of drugs, casual sex and murder was perfectly acceptable and justified.

The Bad Seed

There has been many a disussion, and many an article written, about the energy boost certain personalities are capable of injecting into their teammates.  The same, of course, is true about the destructive force of others.  This has been exhibited in all walks of life, from the top performer in a sales organization to the superstar in athletics.  I have been fascinated as, year in and year out, sports writers pen articles predicting the doom and gloom of the latest franchise about to go bust during the upcoming season due to the loss of the team’s star player.  The player’s individual achievements given much more weight than their attitude in the clubhouse. 

Not so fast

Conversely, a fascinating phenomenon often occurs in the absence of the team’s star.  The spirit of the entire team is re-energized and the talents of each individual are unleashed in the group’s quest for a common goal.  Invariably, by season’s end, the team performs at a higher level than they did the year before.

Walking the walk and talking the talk

Though many of those who lead know the reality of this phenomenon, seldom do they have the courage to mitigate the negative behavior of a top achieving group member.  They have an unquenching fear that the group’s production will deteriorate without the top producer, and all that has been gained will be lost.  Thus, it was interesting to read over the weekend that the CEO of Barclay’s bank in London is taking the proverbial “bull by the horns” and invoking a ‘No Jerks’ rule.  He commented that it doesn’t matter how talented the bankers are if they “can’t behave with their colleagues.”

The lesson for Realtors

Many realtors have become members of the new wave of teams that are formulating throughout North America or are at least considering doing so.  Within any given community there are numerous choices.  I suggest researching the way in which the team leader deals with conflict as you calculate your options.  Every successful team consists of diverse personalities.  The fact that challenges will occur throughout the year is a given.  A team can either be enriched by such challenges or dibilitated, depending on the strenth of their leader.  Don’t allow the power of many to impede your professional growth.

What say you?  Please leave your comments below.

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