The evolution of leadership during group development

This paper is based on the view that the theory of the group-as-a-whole is illuminated and clarified by a developmental perspective. Beck's theory of group development is used as the framework within which the evolution of four leadership roles across nine developmental phases are discussed. Leadership is defined as a shared function in which four participants play important roles in a dialectical process through which the structure of a group is developed, maintained, reinterpreted or modified as needed. Data are presented on verbal participation and on a sociometric questionnaire to illustrate changes in the four leaders' behavior and the members' perceptions of them across the phases of group development.