I think the idea of decisioning by consensus has been confused by effective listening by great leaders. Yes, it’s important to weigh all of the options, listen to ideas and view points that are different, but ultimately the final decisions must be made by the leader(s) involved.

Think about a chef in the kitchen flailing with how your salmon should be served and it finds its way to your table with 5 different styles of preparation reflected on your entree! Yes a great chef will always listen to his/her crew, but if your name is on the menu, use that good input and go with your decision. Everyone, your crew, your partner and most importantly, your customer will thank you for doing what you are paid to do, lead.

If we’re in an obstinate mood, we can likewise find situations in which they don’t fit. But neither reaction unequivocally validates or invalidates any leadership style. Rather they point out the need for flexibility, adaptability and discernment to know when to apply the right one.

When Dan says, “Teams decide by consensus” he’s obviously thinking of a specific situation in which this type of leadership makes sense. But you’re also right in saying it doesn’t make sense as a general rule as there are numerous situations in which this approach would be catastrophic.

The bottom line is, the term “Team” does not connote a particular leadership style, consensus or otherwise. A team is a feel-good label that implies the voluntary participation of all members is necessary for success.

That may or may not be the case for all teams, but that is the implication.

A team is a group of people working toward a common goal. But a team doesn’t imply unanimous opinion. Rather, a team is a commitment to work together despite differences of opinion.

Looking at Dan’s original post, I wonder at his definition of “team”. He says, “If ultimate decision making is reserved for the “team leader,” you don’t have a team. You have a decision maker with advisors.”

Teams can be lead in a variety of ways depending on their size and objective. A decision maker with advisors is a perfectly acceptable style of team leadership. But then, so is consensus leadership.