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Adopt an Effective Leadership Style

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When called upon to lead a group, bear in mind the four broad styles of leadership, and select the participative model:

Autocratic (leaders make decisions and announce them to the group)
Consultative (leaders make decisions after discussing them with the group)
Delegative (leaders ask the group to make the decision)
Participative (leaders make decisions with the group)⁹

Research suggests that often the most effective leader is participative—that is, one who facilitates a group’s activities and interaction in ways that lead to a desired outcome.

Set Goals

As a leader, aim to be a catalyst in setting and reaching goals in collaboration with other group members. It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that each group member can clearly identify the group’s purpose(s) and goal(s).

Encourage Active Participation

Groups tend to adopt solutions that receive the largest number of favorable comments, whether these comments emanate from one individual or many. If only one or two members participate, it is their input that sets the agenda, whether or not their solution is optimal.¹⁰ When you lead a group, take these steps to encourage group participation:

Directly ask members to contribute. Sometimes one person, or a few people, dominate the discussion. Encourage others to contribute by redirecting the discussion in their direction (“Patrice, we haven’t heard from you yet” or “Juan, what do you think about this?”).
Set a positive tone. Some people are reluctant to express their views because they fear ridicule or attack. Minimize such fears by setting a positive tone, stressing fairness, and encouraging politeness and active listening.
Make use of devil’s advocacy and dialectical inquiry (see Quick Tip on p. 240). Raise pertinent issues or concerns, and entertain solutions other than the one under consideration.

Use Reflective Thinking

To reach a decision or solution that all participants understand and are committed to, guide participants through the six-step process of reflective thinking shown in Figure 27.1, which is based on the work of educator John Dewey.¹¹

FIGURE 27.1 Making Decisions in Groups: John Dewey’s Six-Step Process of Reflective Thinking