Whether you are enrolled in a business degree program or any other pre-professional path, you are bound to encounter people who stress the importance of team work, collaboration, project management, group dynamics, delegation, leadership, etc. They'll tell you that despite your 4.0, you can still get fired if you're not a 'team player.'
But I believe this claim is largely misleading, for two reasons:
1. The team work skills you build in school do not come into play until you're at least 5 years into your career (unless you start your own business)
2. Project management has evolved, but the divide & conquer method has evolved more
The explanation for this varies for different companies and situations, but it is basically rooted in something called the client-server model. Although the term is most often referenced in a computer science context, it serves as a good example of a common business model where one company (server/consultant) is getting paid to satisfy the needs of another company (client). In order to optimize this relationship, it makes sense for the server to have 'specialists' who can carry out deep dives which tackle some business issue at its core. Above the specialists, are 'managers' or 'account executives' who serve as a point person for easy client communication. Below the specialists, are all of you - the analysts, associate consultants, researchers, interns, etc. who simply divide up the work of the specialist and generate reports which influence the specialist's recommendations.
Sure, you are part of a 'team.' But you wont be expected to apply your teamwork skills until you progress to a more client-facing role. Obviously, the key word here is 'expected.' Don't hesitate to seek out or create situations which let you use your management skills. After all, exceeding expectations is the name of the game, internally and externally.
At the end of the day, you should be able to look back and know that it was all worth it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E09smoPKLuA
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