Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Lecture Notes
Chapter 10: Listening to Out-Group Members
Learning Objectives
1. Describe the challenges and opportunities of working with out-groups within a team or
organization
Chapter Outline
I. Introduction
A. Out-group members: Individuals in a group or an organization who do not identify
with the larger group.
II. Out-Group Members Explained
A. Distinct from the larger group: The term out-group members refer to those
individuals in a group or an organization who do not identify themselves as part
of the larger group.
B. Disconnected: They are disconnected from the larger group.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
ii. Social identity theory: This suggests that out-groups come about because
some individuals cannot identify with the beliefs, norms, or values of the
dominant group members.
F. The Impact of Out-Group Members
i. Some of the downsides are insignificant, such as causing minor
inefficiencies in organizational productivity.
III. Out-Group Members in Practice
A. Strategy 1: Listen to Out-Group Members
i. Unheard voices: The fact that some people sense that they are not being
heard is at the very center of why out-groups exist.
B. Strategy 2: Show Empathy to Out-Group Members
i. Empathy: One in which the leader suspends his or her own feelings in an
effort to understand the feelings of the out-group member.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
i. Expectancy theory: Tells us that the first step in motivating others is to let
workers know they are competent to do their jobs.
D. Strategy 4: Help Out-Group Members Feel Included
i. Belongingness: One of our strongest interpersonal needs is to know
whether we belong to the group.
E. Strategy 5: Create a Special Relationship with Out-Group Members
i. Leader-member exchange: The most well-known study on out-groups was
conducted by a group of researchers who developed a theory called leader–
member exchange (LMX) theory.
ii. Offer new challenges: Special relationships can develop when a leader
challenges out-group members to be engaged and to try new things.
F. Strategy 6: Give Out-Group Members a Voice and Empower Them to Act
i. An equal footing: Giving out-group members a voice lets them be on equal
footing with other members of the group.
ii. Empowering others: Means a leader allows out-group members to be more
involved, independent, and responsible for their actions.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
iv. Empowering offers most benefits: Empowering others is one of the larger
challenges of leadership, but it is also one of the challenges that offers the
most benefits for members of the out-group.
v. Inclusion not always a requirement: It is important to note that out-group
members don’t always want to be included.