SELF-LEADERSHIP
Belbin Team Roles
A team is not just a bunch of people with job titles. It’s a complex system of individuals and roles working in conjunction. Management researcher Dr. Meredith Belbin identified nine clusters of behavior that can be found in the most successful teams.
Goals
- Maintain better team dynamics
- Take advantage of every
Tool themes
- Leadership
- Team management
- Human resources

Resource Investigator
Strengths-
The Resource Investigator has an inquisitive nature that they use to explore opportunities and bring them back to the team. They are outgoing, enthusiastic and good at coming up with ideas. These traits make them good at developing contacts outside the team or organization and getting resources from stakeholders.
Weaknesses
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The Resource Investigator may lack the follow-through to stay focused and interested in the project. They can also be overly optimistic.
Team Worker
Strengths-
The Team Worker provides support to others. Flexible and diplomatic, they are good internal negotiators, bringing people to work together. They are also good listeners, especially when it comes to their peers’ problems, and are often referred to as the “glue” that creates cohesion in the team.
Weaknesses
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The Team Worker can be indecisive. They tend to avoid confrontation, and have uncommitted positions during team discussions.
Coordinator
Strengths-
The Coordinator focuses on objectives. They are typical team leaders: They clarify goals, obtain resources, listen to others, recognize talent among the team members and are generally good-natured.
Weaknesses
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The Coordinator may over-delegate, leaving themselves with little work to do. They can also be manipulative at times.
Plant
Strengths-
The Plant is creative, free-thinking and imaginative. They are the innovator of the team. They generate ideas and solve difficult problems and like to sit on their own while doing so. They love to be praised by the rest of the team.
Weaknesses
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The Plant can be overly sensitive about criticism. Their ideas can sometimes be operationally impractical and ignore the project’s constraints.
Monitor Evaluator
Strengths-
The Monitor Evaluator is objective, confident and dedicated to analyzing and evaluating the situation. They are strategic and critical thinkers, taking into account all pros and cons. In general, they tend to be quite outgoing.
Weaknesses
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The Monitor Evaluator can be detached and not very good at motivating the rest of the team as they are reactive rather than proactive. In addition, they can be slow to make decisions.
Specialist
Strengths-
As the name indicates, the Specialist possesses skills and knowledge in a specific area. They are experts in their fields and fully dedicated to the team.
Weaknesses
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Their contribution to the team may be limited, as their focus on their field can be narrow and lead to a preoccupation with technicalities. In addition, they may overload others with information.
Shaper
Strengths-
The Shaper is dynamic and challenges the team to improve. They are driven and courageous, and they tend to put pressure on other team members to maintain focus and motivation.
Weaknesses
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Sometimes the pushiness of the Shaper can offend people's feelings. There is the risk that they become aggressive and competitive in their attempts to get things done.
Implementer
Strengths-
The Implementer like action and plans. They are efficient, practical, reliable, and generally get things done. They can be conservative and disciplined, but they are able to turn ideas into actions by organizing the work and being reliable.
Weaknesses
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They can be a bit inflexible, resistant to change and slow to adapt their plans to changing situations.
Completer Finisher
Strengths-
The Completer Finisher takes the project over the finish line. They can be perfectionists, consistently focused on avoiding errors and and dedicated to polishing and perfecting.
Weaknesses
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They can be inclined to worry unncessarily and to become anxious, and they may be reluctant to delegate.