Leadership Theories, Groupthink, and Group Decision-Making Psychology

Leadership

A process of influencing, persuading, and inspiring others to enhance their motivation to pursue and achieve shared goals.

Key outcomes in the leadership process

1. Attempted (Effort & Emergence), 2. Successful (Compliance & Commitment), 3. Effective (Motivation, Goal Accomplishment, & Ethics).

Central question of Trait Theories of leadership

How are leaders different from non-leaders? What traits predict who emerges as a leader versus who is an effective leader?

Big 5 personality traits linked to leadership

Extraversion is the strongest predictor, followed by Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience.

Dark Triad traits

1. Narcissism, 2. Machiavellianism, 3. Psychopathy (or Psychopathology).

Key personal attribute predicting leadership success

Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ).

Groupthink

A phenomenon where group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views.

Groupshift (or the risky shift)

The phenomenon where a group's final decision becomes more extreme (either riskier or more cautious) than the initial inclinations of its individual members.

Classic description of groupthink (Janis, 1982)

"A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action."

Antecedent conditions for groupthink

(Any three of the following): High group cohesiveness, Leadership with a strong preference for a particular decision, Insulation from qualified outsiders, High stress or pressure to perform, An illusion of invulnerability or moral superiority.

Symptoms of groupthink

(Any three of the following): Self-censorship of dissenting ideas, An illusion of unanimity (believing everyone agrees), Direct pressure on members who dissent, The presence of "mindguards" who shield the group from dissenting information, Stereotyping outsiders as incompetent or evil.