Why Do High Self‐Monitors Emerge as Leaders in Small Groups? A Comparative Analysis of the Behaviors of High Versus Low Self‐Monitors¹

Abstract

The current study examined the relationship between self‐monitoring and leader emergence focusing on the specific observable behaviors that differentiate high and low self‐monitors in small decision groups. Consistent with previous research, high self‐monitors were more likely to emerge as leaders than were low self‐monitors. Further, observational ratings of task‐oriented and relationship‐oriented leader behaviors made by trained raters blind to the purpose of the study indicated that high self‐monitors emerged as leaders by engaging in significantly more task‐oriented leader behaviors. In contrast, no differences were found in relationship‐oriented leader behaviors between high and low self‐monitors. The findings are discussed in the context of behavioral approaches to the study of leadership and research on self‐monitoring. Implications for research on leader emergence, group process, and research methods are also provided, along with directions for future research.

Emotion recognition and emergent leadership: Unraveling mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions

“…Likewise, Lord (1977) demonstrated that directing others' actions, developing orientation, and facilitating evaluation formed "the basis for … leadership perceptions" (p. 126). More recently, Dobbins, Long, Dedrick, and Clemons (1990) and Eby, Cader, and Noble (2003) have underscored these findings by also demonstrating relationships between behaviors aimed at coordinating team tasks, on the one hand, and leader emergence, on the other. Theorists have argued that this pivotal role of task coordination may arise because this type of behavior conforms to individuals' implicit notions of leadership, such that a team member is regarded as a leader by others primarily to the extent he or she facilitates team task accomplishment (Neubert and Taggar, 2004).…”

Distributed leadership in online groups

“…The nature and quality of leadership in small groups and its effects on group outcomes have been studied for many years by researchers in different disciplines and across many varied contexts and age levels (e.g., Chemers 2000;Eby et al 2003;Hare and O'Neill 2000;Kozlowski and Ilgen 2006;Li et al 2007;Mumford et al 2000;Scribner et al 2007). However, the role of leadership within small collaborative-learning groups in authentic instructional settings has explicitly been examined very infrequently Hmelo-Silver et al 2007).…”

“…While leadership can be emergent or assigned (Northouse 2007), it can also be thought of as trait based (Eby et al 2003) or as a set of skills that can be learned (Northouse 2007). Some perspectives emphasize its situatedness and underline the fact that some people are more effective leaders in certain contexts (Northouse 2007).…”

Will the peer leader please stand up? The personality of the peer leader in elite and non-elite sport teams

“…A number of studies have found that individuals who behave in a manner that is highly responsive to social cues and their situational context (i.e., high self-monitoring skills) emerge as leaders to a greater extent than individuals with low self-monitoring skills (e.g., Eby, Cader & Noble, 2003;Zaccaro, Foti & Kenny, 1991).…”