Cross-functional teams are significantly different from teams that are united on one functional level. The HR team at Google has team members from a wide array of specialties and each person has his or her own perspective and issues. This diversity is both the reason why cross-functional teams can be highly effective, but it’s also the reason that they're often problematic. Leadership is key to the success of this type of team. Having strong leadership creates and nurtures team unity. Because of outside pressures, this type of team must have internal strength and commitment to survive. At the same time, the team leader has to know when and how to allow functional experts to take the lead. Bringing together a diverse group of highly talented people, many individuals within the team may know more about the problem, especially from their own perspective; even more than the team leader. This type of situation requires a careful leadership balance. Responsibilities must be