Social Influence And Leadership

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             On some occasions when new groups are formed there is not an established "pecking order". This is when attained status comes into play. This type of status is earned or accomplished. It can be the results of our effort or lack of effort. People normally rise to positions of high-attained status based on the merits of their own individual accomplishments. The effects of status can influence our own behavior along with others in group interaction. While e may find that we have a high degree of status in one group, we may have a low degree in another. .
             Leadership Styles.
             Another form of social influence is leadership styles. All groups, no matter what their size, have leaders, although they may not hold a formal position in the group. A leader is someone who influences the behaviors, opinions, or attitudes of others. Some people are leaders because of their personalities, but leadership involves much more than this. Our text defines a leader as "one who leads others to lead themselves. An effective leader is essential for optimal group performance".
             Some experts make a distinction between formal leadership and informal leadership. Formal leaders have legitimate power of position within an organization to influence others to work for the organization's objectives. Informal leaders usually have no such authority and may or may not exert their influence in support of the organization. Both formal and informal leaders make use of several kinds of power, including the ability to grant rewards or impose punishments and possession of expert knowledge. .
             For many years, leadership was viewed as a combination of personality traits, such as self-confidence, empathy, intelligence, dependability, and personal characteristics. Achieving a consensus on which traits were most important was difficult and attention turned to styles of leadership behavior. Several styles of leadership have been identified, authoritarian, laissez-faire, and democratic.