THERE is no shortage of books about leadership – but there are not so many on the complicated business of being part of a team.

Nick Fewings, a Bournemouth-based “teamologist” who has spoken at events around the world, has aimed to fill that gap in the market with his book Team Lead Succeed.

Mr Fewings started his working life putting bank statements into envelopes for Barclays when he was 19. He worked his way up to become a change director at the bank before leaving to provide change consultancy to FTSE 100 companies.

His studies of high performing teams led him to develop the Team DyNAmics Model, which measures effectiveness across 16 areas of teamwork. And when the first Covid lockdown suddenly cleared his diary in 2020, he set to work on the book that people in his workshops had often asked him for.

“I set out to help people who are in teams, not just leaders, because a lot of books are about leadership. This one gives an overview to any team member who reads it,” he said.

As he says in the book, Mr Fewings knows the feeling of dreading work on Monday because you are part of a dysfunctional team.

People in teams sometimes often “know there’s something not quite right but they can’t put their finger on it”, he said.

People will often say trust is the most important aspect of teamwork, but Mr Fewings believes purpose is the most crucial.

“There are certain things that go wrong on a regular basis. One of the biggest chestnuts is a lot of team members don’t have clarity about what their team exists to do – their purpose,” he said.

Team members will have different behavioural styles and communication needs which need to be accommodated.  

“Psychologically, the biggest difference in the team is those people who are extroverted in their preference – who are gregarious, will talk, will share their thoughts – as opposed to more introverted people who will keep quiet because they like to think things through and are less likely to voice their opinion in case they get it wrong,” he said.

“I try to build that culture where diversity of both technical skills and behaviour skills are appreciated by everyone.”

The book is peppered with true stories intended to make its lessons memorable, as well as quotes from 11 leaders who, the author says, are loved by their teams.

Members of a team which is not working might feel better able to speak up and change things as a result, he said.

And he aims to ensure any reader, whatever their level of seniority, will get something from it. “I’ve always believed in writing something so anyone in the organisation can understand it,” he said.

More about the book is at teamleadsucceed.com