Groups 2: Leadership Boogaloo

In class this week, Brady and Josh led a fantastic discussion on leading groups. One thing we talked about was the characteristics of an effective leader. We argued that leaders were communicative, empathetic, friendly, and dedicated among other things. When it comes to leading groups, leaders have to model effective behavior. If they want a project to be successful, then they have to show the rest of the group the behavior that will lead to success. If the person in charge is a slacker, then everyone else might not care about the project. Leaders also recognize and reward. I feel this is extremely important because working in a group can be stressful. If a group manages to effectively work together and complete a project, then they should be able to celebrate somehow. Furthermore, if one person in a group does a fantastic job, then a leader should recognize that person and let other members of the group know that the behavior of that person enabled success. Personally, I feel that a leader needs most of the qualities that Josh and Brady mentioned, but all leaders will not have all of the qualities. Some situations may call for certain traits and may not require others. Also, being a leader is a learning process. It requires reflection after the leadership role has finished in order to understand what traits need to be improved upon and what traits have already been excellently used.

Brady and Josh also talked about the impact on the physical environment on groups. It is always a surprise when you realize how you are seated can affect the nature of a group. Personally, I am a fan of living-room seating because it is the most comfortable and allows for easy discussion. However, this arrangement will not work for every group. Some arrangements such as horseshoe seating and roundtable seating may be more important depending on the project or what is being discussed. In terms of theater seating, I am not a fan. It seems too boring, and it doesn't seem to allow discussion. Still, this arrangement may be necessary for lectures or certain presentations. So while one method may seem better, it is important to know that all of these seating arrangements may come in handy at one time or another. 

So now that you know the good qualities of a leader, maybe we should take a look at a leader who leads groups poorly.