Interpersonal Communication: leadership

Group Leadership: Bales

Bales: task leaders and maintenance leaders

Bales has pointed out that a group might well have two leaders who complement each other - one a 'task' leader who leads the group towards the achievement of its declared aims, one a 'maintenance' leader who is concerned with maintaining morale, well-being and group cohesiveness. These might be two people; they could be united in one, particularly effective, group leader.

The task leader will keep reminding the group of its aims and bringing them back to them whenever they stray from their problem-solving purpose, coming up with new ideas when they get stuck.

The maintenance (or 'social-emotional') leader is particularly sensitive to other people's needs, uses praise and other forms of feedback and is more inclined to ask for suggestions than give them. (Bales (1953) in McConnell and Philipchalk (1992))

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