Saturday, July 17, 2010
Choosing a Leader
As I read chapter seven I found myself drawn to the idea of leader emergency. In the text we hear about Fisher’s idea of leader emergence in terms of participant elimination. Does this really seem right? Haven’t you ever been in a situation where you simply never wanted to even speak let alone be the leader of a group? However, I suppose that at the onset of any discussion all participants could be considered in equal contention for the noteworthy honor of leader. Fisher goes on to tells us that he believes all initial conversation is a bid for the spot, and natural attrition begins to set in. Eventually people drop out in order to take on other roles, and finally one person, potentially with the help of his/her group, take the lead. Then the tough task of leading the group towards accomplishment sets in. Hopefully the group chose the right person.
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I too find Fisher's idea of leader emergence interesting. With my own experience, I find that I initially tend to be tentative and often have little interest in becoming the leader, unless the group is working on something I am passionate about. However, even in groups where my passion is low, I often step up into a leadership role if i find the group is lacking a clear choice for leadership. In some instances, there has been a member in the group who desperately wanted the role of leadership and assumed the role right out of the gate. Sometimes these members have little experience in leadership and fail to guide the group effectively. If this type of leader fails to recognize his or her shortcomings it can be difficult and uncomfortable for everyone. I will often start to take on a leadership role in these times to provide an alternative fro leadership, but it can be difficult to not alienate the ineffective leader, who often posses other traits that allow him or her to excel in another role.
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