How to Be a Leader

Any group needs a leader. Someone has to make sure the group is working toward finishing the project.

Sometimes the leader is chosen by the teacher. She might choose the leader based on what the group is doing or she might randomly assign the leader.

Sometimes leaders naturally appear. Maybe the leader for this project is someone who knows a lot about the topic and next time a different leader will appear. Many times people take turns "taking the lead" on a project.

At some point, you will find yourself in a leadership role. Here are some tips for being a good leader.

• Keep the group focused on the problem or project. Sometimes group members will want to wander off and do their own thing or will try to talk about what they are doing this weekend instead of working on the problem. A good leader notices this and tries to pull the person back to the project.

Example: The group is cutting out magazine pictures to make a collage about their topic. You notice that Johnny is just playing with the scissors, making cuts without trying to cut out a picture. A good leader would get Johnny to focus on the task again. Maybe the leader would say, "Johnny, have you found any good pictures in that magazine?" or "Johnny, if you're not finding anything in that magazine, let's see if we can get another one." Sometimes the leader just has to say "Johnny, we don't have time to play around. Please cut out the picture so we will be finished on time."

• Make sure each group member has a chance to contribute his ideas. Some people are very outgoing. They don't mind sharing their ideas and opinions and can take over the group if the leader isn't careful. Other people are not outgoing and don't like to have the attention of others, but that doesn't mean they don't have a good idea. The best idea might be in the quiet person's head, but no one will ever hear it if the leader doesn't make an effort to include everyone.

Example: The group is brainstorming ideas for how to present the information. The leader notices that Susan is talking a lot, but Seth hasn't said anything. The leader might say, "Seth, do you have any ideas?" Sometimes the leader has to say, "Susan, you've given us some good ideas. Let's hear what Seth has to say."

• Let the group members choose what tasks each of them will do. Being the leader doesn't mean you are the boss.  Keep the strengths of your group in mind. Each person has special gifts to contribute to the group. The project will be most successful if the best person for the job is doing the job. List the jobs that need to be done and then ask for volunteers for each job. If no one steps forward, ask a group member who is good at that task.

Example: The group needs someone to draw a picture and someone to write the caption. No one wants to do the writing. A good leader will say something like "Johnny, you have the neatest handwriting of our group. Will you write the caption?"

• Try to get the group to agree. The group members will work better if they are all in agreement on the project. But everyone's ideas can't be used. Try to come up with a compromise that everyone can agree on. Encourage the group members to stay focused on the best solution to the problem. Solving the problem or completing a good project is more important than what any group member wants.

Example: Seth wants to use green lettering on the poster and Johnny wants to use brown. The leader asks each person why they think their color is the best. Seth says green is better because it is bright and colorful. Johnny says brown is better because the project is about soil and soil is brown. The leader agrees with Johnny and suggests that brown be used for most of the writing, but green for the heading since green is bright and colorful and will get the reader's attention.