The Merit Systems Protection Board has identified a unique perspective among team leaders in its 2007
merit principles survey that stem from their having more responsibility than authority.
It said managers and supervisors having team leader subordinates should be aware of and take into
consideration the predicament faced by team leaders as they try to balance the authorities and
responsibilities given to them.
A supervisor is defined in the general schedule supervisory guide as someone that "accomplishes work
through the direction of other people," while team leaders are defined as those who "work with team
members to achieve specific tasks, produce work products and services and meet program and production
goals."
According to MSPB, team leaders were less satisfied in areas having to do with achieving results than
managers, supervisors or even other non-supervisors.
While team leader attitudes regarding "distributive justice" were inline with their organizational
status – generally the higher you go the more positive your view of fairness across a range of indicators,
team leaders seemed to indicate through the survey that while they are held accountable for achieving
results they don’t have little or no formal authority over those they lead.
Team leaders were less likely than others to express positive views about understanding what they need to
do to earn higher performance ratings and whether steps are taken to deal with poor performers, and they
tend to feel that poor performers are not adequately addressed in their work units, according to MSPB.
