On Leading - The Team

	A team is one of the most fundamental tools a leader has at his disposal for completion of his goal. As such, there is much behind the management, inspiration, and preservation of said team. From the leader perspective, the team should be seen as the functional part of his body. It moves them forward, it performs actions, and it completes the goal. All the leader is is the head. The brains. You need your team, even if it is only composed of yourself. Otherwise, you'll never make progress.
	The management of a team is multifaceted. There are dozens of effective ways to keep a team functional and inline. The two that I personally feel most knowledgeable about, is the Authoritarian way, or the Supportive way. The Authoritarian tends to lead my force and to some extent fear. If done reasonably and fairly, teams tend to be less unruly. However, it could easily suppress innovation and differing viewpoints. On the other end of the spectrum, is the Supportive way, where your leadership style is more passive, and you tend to ask things of your team rather than dictate the terms. My own personal style is the latter. With the Supportive, however, there is more room for differing opinions, and should you fail to manage your team properly, insubordination is more likely to take place. Supportive tends to be more manipulative with incentives to keep the team moving towards the goal. The best style I can conjecture would be to place yourself somewhere between those two. Be Authoritarian where it counts, and be more forgiving at other times. Keep in mind that both styles are valid, but they both can falter if done improperly.
	When managing your team, you want to keep insubordination and difficulties from arising. To do this, you merely have to be a fair leader. Do the right thing for the greater good. Be inspirational, your team should look up to you. If you are having insubordinate members, be fair to them. Don't slight them for having different viewpoints, except as a last ditch effort. Above all else, keep drama low. Drama kills teams. When difficulties arise, make them seem like not so big a deal. I have found that when the head honcho doesn't worry about a situation, neither will the followers. Ultimately, management is merely moving the team towards the goal, while preserving it.
	On the subject of preservation, one particular subject is insubordination. When dealing with such a person or group number one, listen to what they have to say. If their arguments are valid and reasonable, then consider revisions to your policies or style. If they are unreasonable then work to pacify them. If they are working to undermine you, do not attack them. Attacking them will only serve to make the martyrs if done in haste. Instead, weather them out. Work towards gaining support for yourself. Work to pacify them and defend against them. You will find that they will destroy themselves in the process by losing popularity. If they become unpopular and the team pressures you to take action, then take action, for the unruly ones cannot make themselves martyrs and are only seen by the team as insubordinates. Popularity and pubic opinion are important as a leader. If your team likes you, then they'll be willing to follow you. if not, then there will be issues.