- Introduction
- Learn about Team Role Profiles
- Stephen Harper
- Stéphane Dion
- Gilles Duceppe
- Jack Layton
- Elizabeth May
- Results for other politicians
- Take your turn
- Get a Team Role Profile
Previous Leaders
What did Belbin say about two famous leaders from the past?
What kind of leader were they?
When Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were in power Meredith Belbin routinely collected observer input on the two leaders from participants attending his management training courses. The purpose of these exercises was to demonstrate that people in particular jobs don't necessarily have the same team roles.
Peter Drucker echoed this sentiment stating essentially that in his experience leaders came in all shapes and sizes but that, "The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths in ways that make weaknesses irrelevant."
Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher are a good example of this precept. She demonstrated a very definite Shaper capability which combined with her #2 role of Specialist created a particularly hard driving, single minded leader. Ronald Reagan on the other hand was very strong in the social roles of Resource Investigator, Coordinator and Teamworker.
The bottom line, at least from a team role theory standpoint, is that it is how you play your cards rather than which cards you have that will influence your success.
