Are You Really Leading a Team?

In this episode of The Leader’s Kitbag, I challenge the common assumption that every group of direct reports is automatically a ‘team’. 

Spoiler alert: they’re often not. 

Drawing on three key characteristics, shared goals, interdependence, and mutual accountability, I offer a simple framework to help you identify whether you’re truly leading a team or just a group of individuals working in proximity. 

Recognising the distinction is more than semantics; it has a real impact on how we lead, motivate, and structure our people. Get this right, and you’ll be leading with clarity and purpose. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• The 3 defining features of a true team 
• How to spot if you’re leading a group, not a team 
• Why mislabelling workgroups as “teams” drives the wrong leadership behaviours 

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