VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
----------------------------

Leadership and Team building

Class: INS205901
Lecturer: Ph.D. Đào Công Tuấn

Student Name: Nguyễn Bích Diệp

Student ID: 21070891

Hanoi, 24th, December, 2023

I. Introduction:

1. The importance and rationale of leadership and team building:

Leadership and team building are pivotal in organizational success. Leadership offers
direction, motivation, decision-making, conflict resolution, and talent development.
Team building enhances communication, collaboration, morale, identifies
strengths/weaknesses, and improves problem-solving. Effective leadership supports
team building, creating a synergistic environment where both work together to drive
organizational success.

2. The literature review about leadership and team building:

2.1. Trait approach to leadership:

The core traits of effective leadership consist of intelligence, self-assurance, resolve,

integrity, and sociability.

Intelligence involves the capability to swiftly process and interpret information,

enabling leaders to make insightful decisions aligned with a forward-looking vision.
Additionally, leaders must not only possess astute judgment but also excel in working
with diverse individuals.

Self-assurance fosters the confident bearing of an exceptional leader, enabling them to

make resolute decisions and actions. This confidence establishes credibility among
employees and fuels their motivation toward shared organizational objectives.

Determination denotes the capacity to swiftly make decisions, propelling the

organization forward by averting delays caused by hesitation. Moreover, adept crisis
management and problem-solving skills are integral facets of this trait.

Integrity, a cherished quality in leaders, earns the trust and admiration of subordinates.
Leaders guided by integrity ensure that all their decisions and actions adhere to
principled standards.

Sociability contributes significantly by fostering a friendly and approachable

atmosphere for employees, thereby enhancing their work performance and creating a
comfortable work environment.

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2.2. Leadership skills:

Leadership skills are typically classified into three primary categories: technical, human,
and conceptual abilities.

Technical skills encompass expertise and proficiency in specific tasks or fields. These
skills involve mastery in a specialized area, a grasp of relevant knowledge, and the
adept use of appropriate tools and methodologies.

Human skills denote the comprehension and adeptness in interacting with individuals.
These capabilities enable a leader to effectively collaborate with subordinates, peers,
and superiors, fostering cooperation among team members to achieve organizational
goals.

Conceptual skills revolve around the capacity to work with abstract ideas and theories.
Unlike technical skills related to tasks and human skills linked to interpersonal
interactions, conceptual skills involve working with theoretical concepts. A leader
proficient in conceptual skills excels in communicating business objectives and
possesses a comprehensive understanding of the economic principles influencing the
organization. Such leaders are comfortable maneuvering through abstract and
theoretical ideas.

2.3. Leadership style:

There are five primary leadership styles: Country-club management, Team management,
Middle-of-the-road management, Impoverished management, and Authority-
Compliance management.

Country-club management: This style focuses on creating a relaxed and welcoming

environment by addressing individuals' needs for meaningful connections, fostering a
compassionate atmosphere in the workplace.

Team management: Emphasizing dedicated individuals working collectively, this style

cultivates relationships built on mutual respect and trust, promoting interdependence
and a shared commitment to the organization's goals.

Middle-of-the-road management: This approach seeks adequate organizational

performance by balancing the need for productivity with maintaining satisfactory
morale among people.

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Impoverished management: Involves exerting minimal effort to fulfill necessary tasks,
primarily to sustain organizational membership, without significant engagement or
investment.

Authority-Compliance management: This style aims for operational efficiency by

structuring work conditions to minimize human interference, focusing on strict
adherence to rules and regulations to achieve tasks.

2.4. Communication skills:

The functions of leadership communication encompass motivating, inspiring, training,

guiding, fostering relationships, persuading, and uniting staff.

There are three primary communication styles within leadership:

Autocratic manager-leader: This style involves one-way communication, a top-down

approach that includes giving orders, issuing memos and reminders. This manager
expects implicit compliance and is a go-getter.

Consultative leader-manager: Utilizes two-way communication, listens to the team, and

adopts a considerate, bottom-up approach, encouraging input from team members.

Democratic manager-leader: Embraces a participative style where group members

actively participate in the decision-making process. Everyone is encouraged to
contribute, ideas are openly exchanged, and dialogue is promoted.

2.5. Leadership challenges:

Encountering challenges is an inevitable aspect of leadership. To overcome these

hurdles:

Firstly, leaders must gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand. This
involves pinpointing its root cause and comprehending its impact on the organization.

Secondly, they should set clear, measurable goals aligned with the organization's
capabilities. These objectives should be well-defined and consistent.

Next, leaders ought to craft a detailed plan outlining specific steps, a timeline for
implementation, and the necessary resources to achieve the established goals.

Following the planning phase, leaders guide their teams in executing the plan, ensuring
to monitor progress and make adjustments if needed.
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Finally, post-implementation, leaders assess the results to determine goal attainment. If
the objectives aren't met, they analyze the reasons and adapt the plan accordingly for
future implementation.

II. Interview:

1. Introduce about the information of interviewees:

The interviewee I chose to interview is my father.

Full name: Nguyen Ngoc Binh

Position: Director of Finance and Social

Company: People’s Committee of Ba Vi District

Number of years of leadership experience: 14 years, from 2009

2. Questions for interview:

a. What personal qualities do you believe contribute to your effective leadership

within the organization?
b. How do you cultivate a positive work environment for your team members,
enabling them to achieve peak performance in goal accomplishment within the
organization?
c. Describe your approach to leading your team within the organization.
Additionally, how do you foster unity among your team members to achieve
overarching objectives in your daily work within the organization?
d. Do you maintain strong relationships with your subordinates within the
organization? If so, how do you establish and sustain these relationships? What
methods do you use to encourage communication and collaboration among
employees within the organization?
e. Share an instance where your communication skills played a pivotal role in
accomplishing a goal within the organization.
f. Have you encountered challenges related to communication or conflicts in the
past within the organization? If so, how did you manage and resolve those
situations through effective communication methods?

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 g. Reflect on some of the leadership challenges you've faced within the
organization. Explain how you tackled and overcame these challenges.

3. Analysis the interview:

3.1. Leadership traits:

My father has identified four remarkable traits: intelligence, determination, sociability,
and integrity, as key attributes that significantly aid him in effectively leading a
organization. These qualities, including his intelligence in decision-making, unwavering
determination, sociable nature in fostering relationships, and unwavering commitment
to integrity, collectively contribute to his success as a leader within the organization.

• Intelligence: He has the ability to read, comprehend, and analyze information

swiftly and accurately, enabling him to make sound decisions and take
appropriate actions with a clear vision. Besides his sharp intellect, he also
possesses a visionary outlook and knows how to leverage the strengths of others.
He might not have the highest IQ, nor be the most technically proficient, but
overall, he is someone who can amalgamate various factors effectively to
achieve success in his leadership role.
• Determination: His ability to make quick and confident decisions enables him to
solve problems, lead the organization through challenges, and achieve its goals.

Being decisive doesn't mean being impulsive; it means making decisions based
on thorough understanding and careful assessment of the situation. A decisive
leader requires knowledge and confidence in their field. They also need the
ability to analyze situations, evaluate options, and make the best decisions for
the organization. His decisiveness has helped him: Resolve issues swiftly and
effectively; Guide the organization through challenges; Create motivation and
inspiration for employees; Build credibility and respect among employees and
partners.

• Sociability: Communication and presentation skills are crucial for a leader.

These skills demand sensitivity, flexibility, knowledge, as well as managerial
social experience.

His social skills have allowed him to work effortlessly and exchange
information with his employees. Moreover, this is considered the most critical

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 communication skill for a manager. If he has ideas but cannot persuade others,
it's likely to lead to failure. He may conduct regular weekly or monthly team
meetings to listen more to his employees. While communicating, he can make
his employees feel valued by consistently acknowledging their input.

• Integrity: "I will never lie just to get what I want from others; my life is guided
and enriched by my values; I always keep my promises, no matter what; I dislike
pretense; and being open and honest about my own emotions is crucial." He
shared these principles with me.
When evaluating a leader's success, the first aspect to consider is the unity,
strength, and effectiveness of the team they lead. The ability to foster
connections among employees, prevent comparison, and promote fairness in
assessments contributes significantly. This approach helps employees stay
connected, focus on their work, and respect their leader.

3.2. Leadership skills:

• Conflict resolution: Ideally, as a good leader, he should be able to maintain his

composure and make thoughtful decisions when handling disagreements.
Effective leaders possess the skill to prevent conflicts and possess the capability
to quickly resolve them if they arise. It's pivotal for a proficient leader to
maintain their composure and exercise sound judgment when faced with dissent.
A prime demonstration of adept conflict resolution involves a leader engaging in
active listening while facilitating resolution between a manager and their
subordinate. This ability to handle disputes exemplifies a leader's capacity to
mitigate conflicts and steer toward resolution through attentive communication
and mediation.
• Decision - making: Decision - making skills stand as a cornerstone among the
array of leadership abilities essential for guiding staff through the work process.
At every juncture where a decision arises within the workplace, administrators
are compelled to engage in a process of consultation and analysis. Each decision
requires meticulous consideration, akin to a careful weighing and measuring
before the finalization of a plan. The gravity of this process lies in the
recognition that a single misstep in decision - making could precipitate the
downfall of the entire business-a weighty responsibility that underscores the

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 profound significance of prudent decision - making in leadership. The impact of
decisions within an organization extends far beyond mere operational choices;
rather, it profoundly influences the very existence and sustainability of the
enterprise itself.

3.3. Leadership styles:

My father led his subordinates with wholehearted dedication in guiding their

development. Whenever initiating a new project, he consistently organized meetings to
ensure department heads and supervisors fully comprehended their goals, aspirations,
and tasks. Throughout their work, he frequently engaged in discussions to better
understand the challenges faced by various departments, seeking pragmatic solutions.
These actions highlighted his value for team spirit, demonstrating his leadership style
aligning with one of the five management styles: team management.

His practice of initiating a meeting before commencing a new project is indicative of his
profound respect for his employees; he fosters an environment where everyone grows
together and values their input during these gatherings. Additionally, to achieve their
objectives excellently, he consistently developed both short-term and long-term plans.
This wasn't just practiced by the leadership; even employees within the company
devised their own plans, leading to consistently high departmental performance. He
ensured equitable treatment and deserving benefits for everyone, establishing himself as
someone committed to meeting the needs of each individual, thereby creating an ideal
work environment.

3.4. Communication skills:

My father maintains strong bonds with his subordinates by prioritizing open

communication and fostering an environment where employees feel encouraged to grow
and innovate. He values employees' opinions, promotes skill development and
creativity, and actively supports their career advancement. Even when mistakes occur,
he chooses gentle guidance over rebuke, focusing on understanding the reasons behind
the errors without making personal remarks.

He not only emphasizes communication between leaders and subordinates but also
works towards enhancing interaction among all employees within the company. This
illustrates his dedication to fostering a collaborative environment and understanding the

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pivotal role of communication in the workplace. For him, effective communication
serves as a conduit for task delegation, setting the work atmosphere, encouraging free
expression, and facilitating feedback. Moreover, it enables leaders to clearly define team
objectives, ensuring everyone is aligned toward common goals.

3.5. Leadership challenges:

My father highlighted the multifaceted challenges inherent in leadership. One of the

most intricate issues he encountered involved navigating uncharted territories where
existing regulations and precedents didn't offer applicable solutions. It was during such
instances that he recognized a lack of coherence and synergy between departments and
units, compounded by inconsistencies in regulations and protocols.

Confronted with this complex scenario, he relied on his extensive expertise and
experience garnered throughout his leadership journey. Seeking guidance from domain
experts and collaborating with stakeholders, he meticulously crafted solutions that were
not only tailor-made for the situation but also aligned with legal parameters. This
demanded a delicate balance between innovation and adherence to established legal
frameworks. This episode underscored the necessity for agile decision-making and
leveraging his leadership acumen to bridge gaps in uncharted territories.

3.6. Advice of leader:

After 14 years of navigating both successes and challenges, my father wishes to share
some leadership insights:

• Maintain an open mindset and acknowledge the continuous learning journey,

avoiding rigidity in one's perspectives.
• Consistently self-assess and glean wisdom from personal experiences, setting a
precedent for subordinates to emulate.
• Acknowledge and fairly reward the contributions and accomplishments of others
within the workplace.
• Exercise thoughtful deliberation and decisiveness in decision-making,
displaying patience in the process.
• Endeavor to craft comprehensive and forward-looking strategies for each
solution proposed.

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 • Cultivate a work environment that promotes enjoyment and minimizes stress
among employees.

4. Conclusion the interview:

In conclusion, with a civil servant, I recognize that the critical importance of leadership
within public service. Leadership in this domain entails not only efficient administration
but also a deep commitment to serving the community and upholding ethical standards.
I believe in the power of principled decision-making, transparency, and accountability
in every action taken. Their goal is to lead by example, fostering an environment that
promotes public trust, innovation, and inclusivity. They are dedicated to leveraging their
leadership skills to navigate the challenges and complexities of public service, working
tirelessly to ensure the betterment of society.

III. References:

1, ET Special, Sep 18, 2023, Leadership and Team Management for COOs:
Effective Leadership for Team Success, The Economic Times, [online] available
at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/mid-career/leadership-and-
team-management-for-coos-effective-leadership-for-team-
success/articleshow/103474671.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm
_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

2, Ganesh, K., 06 Nov 2023, Why building team synergy is important: Examples
& questions, Culture monkey, [online] available at:
https://www.culturemonkey.io/employee-engagement/team-synergy/

3, Peter G. Northouse, 1965, LEADERSHIP NORTHOUSE, 8th ed.

4, Yasar,K., leadership skills, TechTarget, [online] available at:

https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/leadership-skills

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