Page 200 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Leading Small Groups: Theoretical Perspectives 183

communicative competency model of group leadership, which is based on two assump-
tions: Leadership involves behaviors that help a group overcome obstacles to goal Communicative
Competency Model
achievement and communication skills (competencies) are how leaders actually
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lead. This model maintains the task and relationship distinctions mentioned earlier The model that
assumes that the
and assumes that leaders are flexible enough to draw on a repertoire of task and rela- communication-
tionship competencies. related skills and
Good leaders know which competencies are needed when, and these members abilities of members
use ethical principles to ask whether they should enact these behaviors. Silicon Valley are what help groups
CEOs of start-up companies found themselves under attack for less-than-competent overcome obstacles
leadership. Travis Kalanick, founder of Uber, one of the richest Silicon Valley start- and achieve their
ups, was ousted as CEO over his reported “leadership problems,” including being goals.
referred to as combative, brash, and cocky. The late Bill Campbell, a renowned exec-
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utive coach, was brought in to help teach Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos better leadership
communication competencies, and Apple’s Steve Jobs, recognizing his own deficien-
cies, asked Campbell to join his board of directors. Demonstrating these competen-
cies is critical to any group’s success. Note as you read each of the following
competencies how they mirror our five ethical principles from Chapter 1: integrity,
personal and social responsibility, encouraging equitable participations, honesty and
openness, and respect for self and others.
1. Effective small group leaders communicate actively, clearly, and concisely.
Research consistently finds that emergent leaders are high in verbal
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participation, although not necessarily the highest in a group. Involvement in
group discussion and decision making alone is not enough; group leaders had
better communicative skills than other members. 61
What are these skills? Leaders were perceived as speaking more clearly and
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fluently than other members. They were better at verbalizing problems, goals,
values, ideals, and solutions. These skills become even more important when
the task is complex, member roles are ambiguous, and the climate is negative. 63
2. Effective group leaders communicate a good grasp of the group’s task.
Above all else, their communication behaviors reveal extensive knowledge about
the task, skills for organizing and interpreting that knowledge, and an
understanding of procedures that facilitate task accomplishment. They have
technical know-how, are credible to the members, and know when to ask others
for help. 64
3. Effective group leaders inspire team members’ confidence in themselves.
Effective leaders set clear expectations and let their members know they have
confidence in members’ abilities. Empowering members affects both the
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members’ collective confidence and their performance. They bolster
members’ self-assurance by providing clear performance goals, by assigning
responsibilities that demonstrate the leader’s trust in them, and by
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accentuating the positive. Showing confidence in team members increases
their desire to achieve, decreases their fear of failure, and can produce
extraordinary successes!

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