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Chapter 12
Leadership in Group Communication
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
In this chapter, students will learn:
• Different perspectives on understanding leadership
• Ways to encourage productive communication in a group
CHAPTER OUTLINE
PERSPECTIVES
ON
LEADERSHIP
Who are leaders? Are leaders born to lead, or are they created in crisis? Are they tough? Compassionate?
Laid back? Powerful speakers? All of the above? By understanding how researchers study and view
leadership, one thing becomes clear: leaders are not one thing but a mix of different communication skills
and styles.
• Leadership in the context of small group communication is defined as the ability to influence and
direct others to meet group goals.
• Shared leadership refers to each group member’s capacity to influence and direct the group in
achieving its goals.
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TRAITS VIEW
• The traits view of leadership assumes that all talented leaders share certain personal and physical
• Although this view helps us think about a leader’s desirable qualities, a person with the “right
leadership traits” still may not perform well as a leader.
o It’s important to remember that the traits view is not an “all or nothing” perspective.
STYLE VIEW
• The style view of leadership focuses on the behaviors leaders use to influence others and identifies
three basic behavioral styles. While it gives us a way to talk about leadership, it doesn’t address the
question of which style will be most useful in a given situation.
o Someone who uses an autocratic leadership style directs others, telling them what to do, and is
often willing to accept limited input from others in the group.
• The style view of leadership gives us a way to talk about leadership, but it doesn’t address the
question of which style will be most useful in a given situation.
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SITUATIONAL VIEW
• The situational view of leadership maintains that effective leadership is determined by the group’s
readiness to take on a task, including its motivation and group members’ experience and knowledge.
• A group’s readiness determines the appropriate leadership style. For example:
o A telling or autocratic style would fit a team that has just been assembled and that has little
o A selling style would fit a team that has a moderate degree of experience and motivation,
requiring a leader who gives encouragement while still maintaining control over how the work is
done.
o A delegating style would fit a team with a lot of experience and motivation, whose leader gives
group members complete responsibility for organizing and doing the work.
• The situational view of leadership explains two important things:
o A leader’s skills and style must fit the needs of the group.
• Its limit is that it focuses on the characteristics and approaches of the leaders, not the communication
within the group.
FUNCTIONAL VIEW
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o In any group, some communication behaviors help get the job done (task roles), while others help
build interpersonal bonds within the group (maintenance roles).
• The functional view sees leadership as a responsibility of each group member rather than a quality
that’s inside a single person or position.
o Through shared leadership, groups draw upon the different skills, experiences, and talents of
LEADING
WITH
COMMUNICATION
Competent communication within a group doesn’t just happen; it takes work. This is not the responsibility
of a single, designated leader, however. Instead, if all group members communicate openly and respond
to conflicts, the group can create and maintain a supportive environment.
SUPPORTING GENDER AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
• Gender and cultural differences within a team can make it challenging to work as a cohesive unit.
Ignoring these differences―or, worse, allowing stereotypes to guide your perception—leads to poor
communication, uneasiness, and a general lack of trust within a group.
• Three additional ways to support gender and cultural differences are:
o Recognizing that a socially diverse team enhances creative and critical thinking about the task.
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o Expressing empathy, which allows you to experience issues from another person’s point of view.
CREATING A COMMUNICATION CLIMATE
• The communication climate, or emotional tone, within the group can influence all aspects of the
group; it arises from the verbal and nonverbal messages that group members exchange.
o Defensive communication climates are created when members insult one another’s ideas, promise
o Supportive communication climates are created by exchanging respectful and supportive verbal
and nonverbal messages. When team members focus on the ideas being expressed instead of the
individuals expressing them, an environment of psychological safety is created.
PREVENTING GROUPTHINK
•
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when an overly cohesive group wants to maintain harmony
more than anything else, so they avoid challenging one another’s ideas.
o Highly cohesive groups become particularly vulnerable to groupthink when they have a long
history of success, are under time pressure, or there is a high-status or particularly persuasive
individual on the team.
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• Appointing a devil’s advocate. Have someone in the group take responsibility for expressing
dissenting points of view.
DEALING WITH CONFLICT
• Substantive conflict revolves around disagreements about the group’s tasks, procedures, or decision
options.
o A moderate amount of substantive conflict can help prevent groupthink.
• Affective conflict stems from interpersonal, gender, or cultural differences between members, power
struggles, or simply bad feelings.
• Choosing the right approach to dealing with both types of conflict really depends upon the nature and
severity of the conflict.
o A collaborative approach may be appropriate in instances with too much substantive conflict or
affective conflict because it gives everyone a say in the resolution and is thus viewed as fair.
Taking a collaborative approach to managing a conflict involves applying these five practices:
• Focus on common ground rather than proving who’s right.
• Use active listening skills by asking questions and paraphrasing what you’ve heard someone
else say.
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LEADING PROBLEM SOLVING
A common reason you might be part of a small group is to solve a problem. But even with such a direct
task, groups still need leaders to provide structure to the process. To lead a group in problem solving,
you need to fully understand the problem and thoughtfully consider all possible solutions.
• A problem is a gap between a current situation and a desired condition.
o Some problems can be solved by an individual with the right expertise working alone.
STRUCTURED PROBLEM SOLVING
• The structured problem-solving approach examines and solves a problem and helps groups
maintain a focused and orderly discussion of the problem. To apply it, teams collect information on
the nature and scope of the problem facing them. Then they systematically search for a solution. The
approach generally follows these five steps:
1. Define and analyze the problem. Gather information to understand the nature, scope, causes, and
effects of the problem. Group leaders are responsible for making sure the team gathers enough
information about the problem and critically analyzes that information.
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4. Choose the best solution. Using the solution criteria and the discussion about possible solutions,
identify the solution that seems optimal. Watch out for overly quick agreement on a solution; this
could suggest that your team is falling victim to groupthink.
GROUP BRAINSTORMING
• Group brainstorming is when a team focuses on generating as many ideas as possible to solve a
defined problem and is often integrated with step three of the structured problem-solving process.
Brainstorming can help groups think creatively or “outside the box” when coming up with solutions.
• Alex Osborn, the author of Applied Imagination, provides four guidelines for effective brainstorming:
o Encourage wild ideas. Even far-fetched ideas can spark creative, workable solutions.
o Quantity is important. The more ideas a group can generate, the greater “raw material” it has to
use as the basis for designing a good solution.
• Recent studies have also shown that group members can get better ideas from a brainstorming session
if they come up with some ideas before the discussion and visibly post them for teammates. This
helps trigger additional thoughts in other members during the group brainstorming.
• Limitations of group brainstorming include the following:
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o Team members may be afraid others will judge them or their ideas, so they may avoid making
contributions.
• An effective leader can help combat these potential downfalls by doing the following:
o Sharing Osborn’s four guidelines with the entire group before starting a brainstorming session.
o Reminding group members that the goal is to generate lots of ideas without judging them if any
criticism occurs during a brainstorming session.
LEADING
DECISION
MAKING
Small groups make tons of decisions—everything from who should be in the group to how to achieve its
goals. How do members make such decisions? Should the leader decide for everyone? Should there be a
vote? Or should the group discuss choices until everyone agrees? Depending on the group’s goals, the
leadership style, and the decision being made, it could be any of those options.
DECISION BY AUTHORITY
• An expert or designated leader makes decisions on behalf of the group. Relying on an authority or
expert is appropriate when a group must make a decision quickly or when an individual member has
expertise that’s especially critical for solving the problem at hand.
• An effective leader who uses decision by authority will find it helpful to listen to any questions or
concerns of the group members to ensure the decision is as informed as possible.
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DECISION BY VOTE
• Leaders identify two or more options and all members of the group vote. Since leaders pick only a few
choices for members to vote on, decision by vote can be efficient—particularly in larger groups where
discussion of various options can take up a lot of time.
• This is not a good approach when a quick decision is needed.
DECISION BY CONSENSUS
• Consensus is when the leader attempts to have all members support a given course of action. This
works well when a group is responsible for not only making a decision but
also putting that decision into action.
• Although it often takes considerable time, groups that decide by consensus often report greater
member satisfaction with the decision than groups relying on majority rule.
o The discussion encourages input from all group members and helps build cohesiveness in a
team.
• To promote decision by consensus, leaders must:
o Encourage open discussion.
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LEADING MEETINGS
Small groups do much of their work in face-to-face and virtual meetings. But when meetings are poorly
planned or managed, people get frustrated and time is wasted. When leading a group, you can ensure
that meetings run smoothly by developing an agenda, encouraging participation during the meeting, and
following up afterward.
• Although meetings are critical for conducting group work, many are hugely unproductive. In one study,
business professionals identified what they saw as the top-five meeting problems:
o Participants get off subject.
o No clear agenda is provided.
PLANNING MEETINGS
• Planning helps ensure the meeting is useful; it defines the purpose of the meeting, which might
include the following:
o Information briefings update participants on key developments of an event or situation.
• Develop the meeting agenda, which is a structured, written outline that guides communication
among meeting participants by showing which topics will be discussed,
in what order, and (often) for how long.
o Without an agenda, team members may start talking about different subjects at the same time or
go off on tangents.
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• Distribute any readings, reports, or other materials that will be discussed in the meeting
in advance so participants can come prepared.
CONDUCTING MEETINGS
• Begin by clarifying the meeting’s purposes and anticipated outcomes.
• Watch and listen for people who are dominating the discussion, and encourage quieter members to
provide their input.
• Pay attention to how much time the group is spending on each agenda item, and keep the discussion
moving forward so all items get covered. If a particular task needs more detailed conversation,
suggest covering it in a separate meeting. Encourage the group members to help manage the
discussion by keeping track of time, speaking up when the discussion gets off topic, and offering to
take notes.
FOLLOWING UP ON/EVALUATING MEETINGS
• Within 24 hours of a meeting, send meeting minutes, a written record of the discussion, actions, and
decisions, to everyone who attended and to anyone who did not attend but needs to know what
happened.
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CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
How does groupthink influence decision making? Are there times when a group leader might
want to encourage groupthink? If so, give an example.
•
Discuss how groupthink is common in our society. Remind students of how sports teams,
schools, and other groups benefit from an unrealistic belief that they are “#1.” Have students
2. How do the types of tasks assigned to a group or the nature of the group influence the type of
leadership the group needs to be effective? Think of a group that you were a member of that
was ineffective. What type of leader did that group have? Would a different type of leader have
made the group more effective? If so, why?
•
Discuss with students how an important part of a group’s formation is ensuring the right type of
3.
Explain the importance of communication in being an effective leader. Give an example of a
leader who has demonstrated effective communication as a leader. Explain your choice.
• Allow students to share their examples. As students discuss their effective leaders, list the
important traits they have identified on a whiteboard or flip chart. Have students then think of
4. Give an example of a time when you were a member of a group that experienced conflict.
Which of the two types of group conflict discussed in the text was it? Was the conflict handled
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effectively? Did the group’s leader play a part in finding a solution to the conflict? What would
you have done differently if you had been the leader?
•
Review the two types of group conflict, and have students give examples of each. Discuss the
5.
Discuss the four guidelines given in the textbook for effective group brainstorming. Describe
what could go wrong with brainstorming if the group doesn’t follow these guidelines.
• Discuss the guidelines for effective brainstorming. Have students participate in a quick
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Who’s the Leader?
Goal: To help identify leadership roles and traits.
Time: 45 minutes
2. Plan to show either the complete episode or a few excerpts from it. Before viewing it, ask
students to select one tribe, identify, and take notes on the following:
a. Who is the most dominant leader?
b. Who is attempting to influence the group as an informal leader?
3. Once complete, discuss the students’ findings and ask them to identify what types of leadership
they witnessed in the episode.
2. Leaders in Action Interviews
Goal: To allow students to meet and observe local leaders in action.
Time: 60 minutes
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1. Form students into groups of four or five.
3. Each group is to request an interview with their selected leader. Ask students to review the
appendix about interviewing, included in their text, before conducting the interview. The primary
objective of the interview is to ask their leader to identify his or her ideas about the top five
leadership traits. Allow students to develop other interview questions they feel are pertinent.
3. City Hall Economizing Exercise
Goal: To help students understand the role of a leader.
Time: 60 minutes
1. Make enough copies for groups of six of the following roles:
a. Mayor Reynolds: You are the mayor of a small town. You are the committee leader of a
group interested in helping the town save money. You have a budget of $1,000.00 to use to
to listen to each group member and decide how to invest the $1,000.00.
b. Julie Anderson: You are in city administration and a member of the mayor’s committee,
c. Police Chief Younger: You are the police chief and a member of the mayor’s committee,
which needs to find creative ways to save money for the city. Your goal is to suggest and
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d. Marvin Odunsi: You are the tax accountant for the city and a member of the mayor’s
committee, which needs to find creative ways to save money for the city. Your goal is to
e. Louis Longstreet: You are a supervisor in the building and grounds department of the city
and a member of the mayor’s committee, which needs to find creative ways to save money
f. Tina Oliver: You are a supervisor in the city building and grounds department and a member
of the mayor’s committee, which needs to find creative ways to save money for the city. Your
2. Cut the character information into strips and place each role in a different envelope.
3. Divide the class into six-member groups.
4. Explain to the class that they each have been given a role. Their character will be attending the
5. Bring the groups back together to discuss the results. Ask each group to discuss what type of
leader the group had. What type of decision making was used? How effective was the group?
4. Disruptive Roundtable
Goal: To teach students how an effective leader deals with disruptive group behavior.
Time: 25 minutes
1. Have students sit in a circle.
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2. Go around the circle and ask the group to imagine they are a leader of a group and describe how
they would handle a group member who was
a. monopolizing the discussions.
b. talking when the others are speaking.
e. exhibiting erratic, irrational behaviors.
f. laughing at others’ suggestions.
g. constantly getting away from the subject matter or discussion.
3. Go around the group again with the same question, but ask them to describe how a group could
be affected if the leader fails to address the problem.
5. All-Time Best Decision-Making Activity
Goal: To allow students to understand the differences between decision by vote and decision by
consensus.
Time: 30 minutes
1. Divide the class into groups of at least five.
3. Each group needs to first use decision by vote and then decision by consensus to answer of the
following questions:
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4. Once complete, have the groups discuss the differences they experienced while making their
MEDIA RESOURCES
1. Leadership
2. Here Comes the Boom (Columbia Pictures, 2012)
This two-hour comedy is the story of a high school biology teacher who tries to organize and lead a
small group of teachers to raise money to save the extracurricular activities at their school. This
movie offers an inspiring example of leadership and the perils often faced as a leader.
3. The Tribes We Lead
In this 18-minute video, entrepreneur and blogger Seth Godin discusses the importance of effective
4. Office Space (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 1999)
This comedy set in a corporate office offers a great example of horrible leadership and demonstrates
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5. Why Leaders Eat Last
In this 50-minute presentation, ethnographer, and author Simon Sinek discusses the hidden dynamics