Team Vs. Group: Who owns the results?

Another way of making the distinction between team leadership and group leadership is by considering who owns or is responsible for the results.

In a team it is the team leader and the team members who have a shared responsibility for the outcomes meeting target. So in a sports team, all the players and the coach share the responsibility for what happens on the pitch.

In a group - for example a group of sales people - it is usual that each member is only responsible for her own performance. The leader takes overall responsibility for the aggregated results of each individual meeting the overall sales department target.