Leader Behaviors Affecting Team Performance: Similarities and Differences Between Leader/Member Assessments

Team leaders and team members do not always view leader performance in the same way, particularly in terms of leader behaviors related to team performance. In this study, self and other assessments of leader performance were compared. Data were collected for 32 organizational teams and analyzed by means of t-tests and qualitative methods. Results indicate that self-assessments of leader performance were more favorable than were assessments by team members for 12 of 13 measured dimensions of leader behavior. Leaders and members agreed, for the most part, on leader strengths and weaknesses; there was less agreement, however, on the effect of specific leader behaviors on team performance. Implications for leadership assessment and development are discussed.