Abstract
When conducting research into the process of leadership, it is necessary to view it from the standpoint of both the leader and the follower. This is because most studies focus on the characteristic behaviors of the leader as opposed to the team member. While knowledge of these leadership characteristics are tantamount to the success of any project, the implication should not be that guidance and direction only flows “top-down” from leader to subordinate. The relationship between one who leads and one who follows is intrinsically linked, so the perceptions of both should be taken into account when studying the leadership process. With this in mind, the collaborative approach taken by an R & D team in their development of a drug used to treat Alzheimer's, Aricept, is the focus of this paper. The field research I conducted was motivated by this collaboration. I approached this study from a narrative style in obtaining data, as I believe this style best represents the thought processes of the narrator as well as the actions of the participants. The key element of this case study is that the team leader diffused responsibility equally, and cultivated feedback from all members, in the successful development of the drug. This collaboration allowed the team's creative juices to flow continuously, enhanced project efficiency, and contributed to the realization of this innovative drug.
