Virtual management of teams

Tyler, M. (2008). Virtual management of teams: A revolutionary approach. Proceedings from EABR & TLC ’08: The European Applied Business Research Conference, and The College Teaching & Learning Conference. Rothenburg, GE: Clute Institute.

According to Tyler (2008), to lead virtual teams in today’s dynamic workplace, a project manager must be a serving manager instead of a directing manager. In distributive computing, there is one computer that services all the other computers to allow them to do their individual work. Yet this computer is the focal point for all computers to pass data through, store data, exchange data, and reconcile any differences. This computer is called a “server” because, while it is not the most powerful, versatile, or expensive computer, it is a workhorse that is reliable, available, maintainable, and dependable (Tyler).

Tyler’s (2008) premise that, in the development of a virtual team, you must also look for a team leader that holds these qualities. This new paradigm turns the historical concept of managing upside down. This “upside down” approach has precedence dating back to the early days of Christianity, and to prominent thinkers, such as Douglas McGregor, Frederick Herzberg, and Abraham Maslow (Tyler).

Based on your readings and your personal and professional experiences, how accurate is this hypothesis? Do you agree that a servant leadership can be effective? What are the pros and cons of this leadership style?