Page 205 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

188 Chapter 7

trade rewards for group or team member performance. Leaders use their power to
95
influence group members to do things for the group. However, an inspirational leader
can transform group members so that they perform beyond original expectations. 96
Transformational leaders do not use rewards or even punishment to sustain their
influence; instead, they use creative and dramatic messages to craft a powerful inspi-
rational vision that motivates members to exceed expectations. Four characteristics
define transformational leadership. First, these leaders give the kind of individual
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attention to group members that we discussed in the LMX models. They coach, advise,
and treat members as unique individuals who matter to the group. Second, these lead-
ers are charismatic, portraying a spirit of confidence that is attractive. Members find
them inspirational in their communication, which in turn motivates them, through
symbols and rhetorical visions, to aim higher. Third, transformational leaders blend
their socioemotional skills with an intellectual stimulation that is contagious, encour-
aging members to be sharp critical thinkers and problem solvers. Finally, here is the
bottom line: These leaders inspire members of a group or team and thus empower
them. When people are empowered, they have been given the freedom to discover
their own self-efficacy—self-determination and confidence in their ability to perform.
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You can now understand why transformational leadership is often associated with
helping to buffer divisions that can occur in deeply diverse groups and why it has been
associated with less social loafing. 99
Transformational leadership can elicit extraordinary performance from group
members, but it can also trigger higher levels of conflict. Transformational leaders
engender greater task involvement among group members, increase members’ capac-
ity to debate ideas constructively, and engage members’ emotions. However, these
factors may prompt members to fight harder to defend their positions, so transforma-
tional leadership can be a “double-edged sword.” 100
In addition, how transformational leaders are perceived depends partly on char-
acteristics of the group members. Members whose levels of extraversion and agree-
ableness are similar to those of the leader perceive more transformational leadership
from that leader. Thus, perceptions of a leader are not based only on what the
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leader does but also on characteristics of members. Do you think members of the
broadcast advertising team believe Jennifer is a transformational leader who inspires
and empowers them?

Distributed Leadership Distributed Leadership and the Leader as Completer
The concept that
group leadership is Leadership is the property of the group, not the individual who happens to hold the
the responsibility of title of leader. We believe strongly that although a group’s designated or emergent
the group as a whole, leader bears a lot of responsibility for coordinating and structuring the group’s activi-
not just of the ties, all members can and should be equally responsible for the leadership of the
designated leader; group. The idea of distributed leadership explicitly acknowledges that the leadership of
assumes that all a group is spread among members, with each member expected to perform the com-
members can and munication behaviors needed to move the group toward its goal. Counselman
should provide 102
needed leadership described a group that had been active for 17 years without a designated leader.
services to the group. Various leadership functions had been picked up by members of the group. The most
important of these were providing structure, gatekeeping, setting group norms, and

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