Teamwork gets the job done

Creating the right balance of individual skill and collective effort is paramount for the success of any organisation, writes Dave Boland

Mark de Rond, professor of organisational ethnography at Cambridge Judge Business School, pictured in Afghanistan

One of the most enduring myths of the world is that history is shaped solely by individuals. It speaks to an intrinsic, romantic desire to place a hero at the heart of every story.

However, it ignores the collective efforts of dozens, hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people who work together towards a shared goal. Genghis Khan alone did not conquer China. Napoleon did not sweep to power in Europe by himself. ...