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From: pedersen%math.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.society.women
Subject: Leadership in Small Groups
Message-ID: <5397@ecsvax.uncecs.edu>
Date: 21 Sep 88 19:56:36 GMT
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I understand, from things I've read here and elsewhere, that research
has indicated that small groups do not operate as groups of complete
equals, but instead have a leader, and that the leader is chosen
within moments of the group's formation.  This choosing is tacit and
occurs even if the group, as in a social setting, does not explicitly
plan to have a leader.

Are there ways to change these dynamics?  If you're in a small group,
and are not the leader, can you effectively take leadership at times
anyway?  I see at least two aspects of this: 1) what do you do to _be_
a leader, and 2) how do you take leadership from the current leader?
I'm interested in the answer both for work groups (for me work is
academics/research in math) and for social groups.

--Sharon Pedersen
  Math Dept., Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA  94720
  pedersen@math.berkeley.edu,  ucbvax!math!pedersen