This is “Summary”, section 8.6 from the book An Introduction to Group Communication (v. 0.0). For details on it (including licensing), click here.

For more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page. You can browse or download additional books there. To download a .zip file containing this book to use offline, simply click here.

Has this book helped you? Consider passing it on:
Help Creative Commons
Creative Commons supports free culture from music to education. Their licenses helped make this book available to you.
Help a Public School
DonorsChoose.org helps people like you help teachers fund their classroom projects, from art supplies to books to calculators.

8.6 Summary

PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently in draft form; material is not final.

In this chapter we have discussed what leadership is, examining the amazing range of behaviors, actions and traits associated with leadership across contexts and cultures. We also explored how one becomes a leader, through a democratic election, by appointment, or through a process of emerging as a leader to meet a need, address an issue, or through experience or skill. When people turn to you to help them solve their problems it is a sure sign you’ve become, in some respect, a leader. We explored a range of theories associated with leadership, from the idea that there are born leaders with universal traits, to the recognition that the situation or context can make a significant impact. We also discussed transformative leadership, where the leader, through energy and enthusiasm, motivates the group or team to accomplish their goals with the conclusion: “We did it!” Leadership is an important part of teams and groups, and learning to listen, to recognize skills and talents, and how to facilitate a positive team environment can make all the difference. Leaders are an important part of groups, and they use their effective communication skills to get the job done.

Chapter Review Questions

  1. Interpretive Question

    1. Our world is changing rapidly in terms of technology, economics, political forces, and other features. Which of these changes, if any, do you feel may call upon outstanding leaders to behave differently than they might have in the past? What do you expect those differences to be?

  2. Application Question

    1. In a small group of students, identify a task or situation which requires leadership. Now have half the group think of a male leader whom they admire and the other half identify such a female leaders. Have each half of the group write a paragraph or two describing the key behaviors it feels the leader would be likely to exhibit under the circumstances you’ve set forth. Compare the paragraphs and discuss whether and to what degree the gender of the leader might account for differences between the descriptions.

Additional Resources

Read about groups and teams on the business website 1000 Ventures. http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/team_main.html

Learn more about Tuckman’s Linear Model. http://www.infed.org/thinkers/tuckman.htm

Learn more about Dewey’s sequence of group problem solving on this site from Manatee Community College in Florida. http://faculty.mccfl.edu/frithl/SPC1600/handouts/Dewey.htm

Read a hands-on article about how to conduct productive meetings. http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/How-To-Conduct-Productive-Meetings-/132050

Visit this WikiHow site to learn how to use VOIP. http://www.wikihow.com/Use-VoIP

Watch a YouTube video on cloud computing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PNuQHUiV3Q

Read about groups and teams, and contribute to a wiki about them, on Wikibooks. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Managing_Groups_and_Teams

How did Twitter get started? Find out. http://twitter.com/about

Take a (nonscientific) quiz to identify your leadership style. http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl-leadershipquiz.htm

A review of leadership qualities in a self-assessment format. http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/LeadSA.html

Leadership Self-Assessment Activity. http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/survlead.html

The Trusted Leader Self-Assessment. http://www.thetrustedleader.com/self-assess-1.html

Personal Reflection, Hill Consulting Group Leadership Self-Assessment. http://www.hillconsultinggroup.org/assets/pdfs/leadership-assessment.pdf

The Leadership Motivation Assessment from MindTools. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_01.htm

Leadership Self-Assessment Tool from the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/areas-of-expertise/reflective-practice-program-development/leadership-self-assessment-tool.html

Leadership Self-Assessment, Online Form and Scoring, from McGraw-Hill. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070876940/student_view0/chapter6/activity_6_4.html

WikiBooks: Managing Groups and Teams/Effective Team Leadership. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Managing_Groups_and_Teams/Effective_Team_Leadership

Successful Small Team Leadership: Manage the Group, Not the Individuals. http://knowwpcarey.com/article.cfm?aid=229

TealTrust, What makes a good team leader? http://www.teal.org.uk/et/page5.htm

About.com: 10 Ways to Become a Better Leader. http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/tp/become-a-better-leader.htm

12 Rules for Team Leadership (Transformative Model). http://www.legacee.com/Info/Leadership/TeamLeadership.html

Leadership Exercises and Tips from the University of Oregon. http://leadership.uoregon.edu/resources/exercises_tips

PLEASE NOTE: This book is currently in draft form; material is not final.