Discussion 04: Group Leadership
Please note: In order to successfully complete the program, you must respond to this post. Your comment/response should answer the questions/show that you completed the given activity (if any). Read the post carefully and implement the learning in the chat rooms. If you didn't participate in Discussion 03: Group Development & Therapeutic Factors
, then check here!
Now that we have considered the therapeutic processes that are available for group building and development to move a group towards its common goals. We will discuss the role of a group leader/ facilitator/ specialist who seeks to activate it. Certainly, every leader varies tremendously based on the type of groups they facilitate, the approach, intellectual and personality characteristics, and other factors. Yet we know that to become an effective leader, one could develop common sets of skills and characteristics. The roads can vary but the destination must be the same to ensure members have the best experiences in the group support.
Leading the group is different from individual support.
Listening & supporting in 1:1 setup and leading and supporting in the group set up is different. Because in group setup, you are not just one but sharing the space with a number of other members too who may be going through similar or different situations.
You will notice a level of anxiety among members. The anxiety of how they will share in the group, what if others will judge them or don’t understand, or what if they feel stuck in the middle of sharing, and so on. And, in an open group, when a new member joins in while a member is sharing, they might not feel comfortable as a new person joined and who do not know what sharer is going through.
In such situations as a leader, you would be managing and addressing the collective anxiety of the group. Acknowledging and supporting each member to feel comfortable and so the new member who joins in as well. Reminding them how they all are part of the group and each of them has valid struggles. So, as a leader, you are interacting with a bunch of members and ensuring they get support as well as providing support to each other.
Group dynamics can give insight into how the clients react in social situations outside of the group.
As a leader, you gain insights into how members could behave in the group setup. So, it is important, you make better choices while being a group leader:
How much leadership to exercise. Every group is different. Some members are more comfortable speaking up and sharing with each other while some groups would need gentle nudges to make them talk and seek and provide support. So, as a leader, you need to choose and decide how much leadership you need to exercise based on the group you participate in.
How to structure the group. You can structure the group i.e. how the group will function. Whether all interactions will be parallel or it will be turn-based setting so one share and others listen and process repeats.
When to intervene. Some like to sit back and listen and support the members as the chat goes while some leaders like to have tight control and decide how the chat will move. Every leader is different. And, interventions will vary based on groups too. If all members are supportive and comfortable discussing, a leader would let members discuss and support each other. While if some members join in with unacceptable behavior, the leader would need to take the lead and remind them to have appropriate behavior.
Personal Qualities of a Leader
Every leader has their own strengths and weaknesses and has a unique style to approach the group and lead it. But to be an effective group leader, it is important to have some common skills and traits like Constancy, Active Listening, Firm Identity, Confidence, Spontaneity, Integrity, Trust, Humor & Empathy.
You need to build your own firm identity in the group as there would be different leaders at different time periods. So, to build a healthy connection with the group members, it is important members know what kind of leader you are so they feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging when you present in the room. Moreover, be an empathetic leader who communicates with each member with respect and acceptance. Encourages them to discuss, share more, and take action. Compliments the members from time to time to keep them motivated and remind them their actions are getting noticed. Gently persuade them to speak more and take steps to progress and improve. And, provide support to all so everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging.
As a leader, you are modeling and shaping the behavior of the room and group members. You would need to set an example and inspire group members to be like one and collectively have a modeled group support in the room. Your activity, participation, professionalism, and support determine how the group will be doing.
Discussion: How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader? What is one thing you need to make it happen?
Activity: Respond to at least two of your fellow trainees' comments with thoughts on their share.
After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next discussion here! Ensure to implement the learning from these discussions in the chat rooms to build and support the group. You must take part in the brainstorming/activities given in all of these discussions to successfully complete the program.
@ASilentObserver Discussion: How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader? What is one thing you need to make it happen?
i see everyone being supportive of one another, being inclusive and welcoming, and taking part in the conversations. one thing i can do to make this happen is welcome everyone who comes in, ask how everyone was, ask open-ended questions, and try to bring up topics that many members are passionate about or would like to answer so they become familiar with one another by their common interests and replies <3 this is so helpful with people getting to know each other and creating friends in the support rooms. the more this happens, the more lively the support rooms are :0
@ASilentObserver
How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader? What is one thing you need to make it happen?
In an ideal group room, i envision that I would be calm, collected and enthusiastic as a group leader. I also imagine that the room would be filled with caring members who are aware of the chatroom's goals and rules. Thus, together we help each other create a kind and supportive environment where everyone is respected.
In order to make this happen, first of all, I need to be aware of the chatroom's guidelines and rules myself. I can start familiarizing with new rooms by reading available guidelines and revising 7cups's values. I can also visit other rooms as members to see how other host and Mod take care of a group room.
@kindLemonade
Knowing the guidelines is definitely a good step and be comfortable with guidelines.
hello @ASilentObserver , thankyou for the discussion !
How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader?
I visualize an ideal group support , where everyone feels welcomed , inclusive, prompted to chat and share their feelings and thoughts , feels safe and comfortable , where everyone is willing to seek and offer support , where the rules and guidelines are followed , where members / listeners / Mods are all equally respectful and collaborative in keeping the room environment friendly, , encouraging, approachable and supportive for all .
An ideal group support would also be something that people would want to come back to and spend more time building supportive relationships and genuine bonds based on mutual help and support .
As a leader it would mean so much to me if a member remembers me and feels safer and comfortable to share in my presence !
What is one thing you need to make it happen?
One thing I need to make it happen is to continue being a friendly face in the group support chatrooms , be an approachable and engaging room participant.... be mindful for when I need to adapt my leading skills , when to drive conversations , when to intervene , when to give verbal reminders and warnings, when to step back etc .
I feel a more centralized moderating system , more training for Mods, refreshers , guidance and back up support could really do wonders !!
Also a little support and cooperation from members is always appreciated --- I feeel more roles could be introduced for members or more awareness about the room supporter role itself , so that most members can become more mindful of chatroom guidelines and feel more responsible themselves in keeping the room supportive and inclusive for all .
Hello Everyone!
Discussion: How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader? What is one thing you need to make happen?
As a Group Leader, I envision an ideal group support system as one in which everyone may receive support, help others, respect others and respected by others, care for others, feel cared for by others, and could feel included. An ideal group room has its own set of rules that must be obeyed by all members of the group, with the leader not being a tyrant yet a representative.
One thing I'll need to make this happen is a positive attitude and good moderation in the group room. A good moderation would be to check-in and make sure that everyone is following the room's rules and that the space is safe and welcoming to all. A group will itself become supportive, compassionate, and welcoming if everyone has a positive attitude toward others.
Thank you 
Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader? What is one thing you need to make it happen?
In an ideal group support, participants are facilitated smartly and effectively towards a positive exchange of messages. The best of them is invoked and inspired. For this to happen, requires a keen insight of the needs and collective anxieties in the room and facilitating the conversation accordingly – it needs time and patience to develop this skill.
Here is a growth path to help you smile https://www.7cups.com/path/playlist/smile/
@Fristo
Very true, Fristo.
@Fristo That's true. Time and patience are crucial in a lot of things other than what you mentioned too but it's often some of the hardest things for us as listeners to give. Great point there!
An ideal group support and chat involved members and listeners who respect each other and support one another while maintaining community guidelines. The chats should also give everyone an opportunity to be heard and talk freely about what is going on in their lives. In order to implement this, leaders must be willing to grow and learn new things on their journey as well as expand their training. All members in a chat should also follow guidelines and stay on topic to show full respect to the speaker.
@hopefulSnow8833
Hello Snow, well done on the prompt answers! I think reminding the member of room's guidelines is important and great idea to emphasize on being respectful to hosts.
@hopefulSnow8833 I agree! Respect is very important in group settings to keep the environment safe for everyone <3
@ASilentObserver
How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader? What is one thing you need to make it happen?
i visualize an ideal group support room as a room where both members and listeners feel welcomed, understood, respected, and as part of the group. one thing i need to do in order to make it happen is to welcome every person who is joining the room, as well as not ignore them when they message something in the group.
@ASilentObserver
I visualize a an ideal group support room as a non judgemental safe area with support for people to share how they feel.
For this I think more people should more participants of the group support rooms to have seen the chatroom guidelines. I was thinking to do this there should be something similar to the member/listener oath where you need to sign that you have read the chatroom rules. They can then get a badge once they have posted in the thread. This could also become a requirement to unlock group support chatrooms.
Also I think there should be some more mod coverage to make chatrooms safer but am not sure how to get more mods apart from advertising it more
@considerateParadise6717 Those are wonderful ideas! Having badges would definitely help improve engagement though I think we have those now? Not sure about that though! (Wise One, Helping Hand etc.)
@ASilentObserver
How do you visualize ideal group support and group room as a group leader?
I visualize Ideal group support as being inclusive, respecful and non judgemental, Where everyone feels comfortable and is prompted to the part in the conversation, and as such feels heard too. Where leaders are not too dominating and there is everyone as equals rather than cliques and groups. Ideal rooms should be a place where members and listeners feel like coming back rather than staying away and fearing judgements and conflicts. Every participant respects the rules and abides by it, and the rules are not enforced but rather respected by every individual.
What is one thing you need to make it happen?
This is easier said than done, Human behavior is a personalized thing and each person is different, What binds them together are their common goals and interests. This is the best way to bring them together. Encourage them to use topic specific rooms instead of clustering them in the newbie hub. People of alike interests and minds will find it much more easier to settle in and support each other when they are together.
@DigitalKnight
Lovely answers, Knight 
@DigitalKnight
Well said, Knight. I have seen cliques in support room, which can be an obstacle on creating a respectful atmosphere. It is hard too, to host a support room with cliques in it.
I visualize Ideal group support as people being accepting of differences, open to new thoughts, curious and inquisitive about each other, a strong sense of commitment towards the group and welfare of everyone involved. Hence being attentive to each other, taking responsibility for our own behavior, aiming to be better as a group, to always incompensate new developments which lead to a more understanding approach towards each other.
I visualize an ideal group to be ever evolving, with an aim towards kindness and mutual understanding, communication. Moreover a group which takes into account ethical considerations, on how their group setting impacts the larger community or the people involved. An ideal group is hence a group willing to learn and grow.
One thing I need as a leader to make it happen is practicing this myself in groups, affirming others when they do so, largely being mindful of group dynamics and continuosly evaluating what steps I can take to make it better and remind others of this commitment, get them on the same page.
@Xe
Taking into account ethical consideration sure is important but can be forgotten, I'm glad you brought it up and so happy to have you as a host/ leader here at 7cups.
@kindLemonade
Glad to have you here as a leader as well.