1. Leadership in Small Groups
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2. 1. Leadership in action Is this an effective group?
Does the “leader” think it is effective?
Do the members feel it is effective?
What specific actions influenced the level of effectiveness?
Suggestions?
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3. 2. What is leadership?
acts of guiding, influencing, directing, inspiring, and/or motivating the actions of others to achieve organizational goals.
Designated leader vrs. Actual leader
Person vrs. Group Activity
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4. 3. Sources of influence Legitimate power (positional or role)
Referent power (attraction, identification, charisma)
Expert power (knowledge)
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5. 4. Leadership Theories Traits approach (born to win) Styles approach
higher IQ, taller, more attractive, larger
leadership emergence approach
Styles approach
democratic
Laissez-faire
autocratic
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6. Theories cont. Contingency Functional approaches
Needs of group members
Downs & Picket study (high social needs)
Functional approaches
Task vrs. People
Leader as medium - assist group in creating an organizing scheme (rules/procedures) for problem solving (how - through leader)
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7. Theories cont. Specific functions
Leaders provide sufficient info.
Leaders enact a variety of functions
Leaders make sense of decisions
Leaders focus on the here-and-now
Contingency approach (Task & Relationship)
You can not adapt (Fiedler)
You can adapt (Hersey & Blanchard)
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8. Theories cont. Communication competencies of effective leaders:
encode ideas clearly & concisely
firmly understand the group’s task
skilled in mediating info. & ideas supplied by group (critical thinking)
express opinions provisionally
express group centered concerns
respect others when they speak
share rewards and credit with the group
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9. 5. Distributed leadership
a group may be able to function without a leader, but it cannot function without leadership
Basic idea - group members share leadership functions
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10. 6. Key leadership skills Leader as completer
Equalize opportunity to participate
Address comments to group
Be a gatekeeper
Actively listen to those who speak less often
Avoid commenting after each speaker
Request opinions of others on key issues
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11. Leadership skills cont.
Stimulate critical thinking
Focus on analysis 1st, solutions 2nd
Encourage evaluation of info.
Clarify assumptions, standards, & criteria
Test solutions against standards & criteria
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12. Leadership skills cont.
Foster meeting-to-meeting improvement
Determine areas of improvement
Routinely assess strengths/weaknesses
Establish & Maintain Trust
Establish norms, stick to them
Confront trust violators
Be a principled/ethical leader
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13. Leadership skills cont.
Promote teamwork & cooperation
Use the right pronouns
Create symbols of group identification
Watch out for hidden agendas
Share rewards with all the group
Argue about facts/issues, not personalities
Make it fun!
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