June 2007

Kirkpatrick's Column
The role of the leader in meetings

Is a meeting leader more effective as a catalyst than as a strong leader?

Your answer will depend on your interpretation of “catalyst” and “strong leader.” To answer the question, take a look at the role of the leader in different types of meetings.

Information-giving meeting

In this type of meeting, the role of the leader is to communicate the information so that the group understands. A meeting might be 100% participation by the leader and 0% by the group. In other words, the leader does all the talking. Questions from the group might alter participation to 90% by the leader and 10% by the group.

Instructional meeting

The role of the leader is one of teacher. The percentage of participation would depend on subject, objectives, and the knowledge and experience of the group, as well as on the personal style of the leader. For example, if the leader is an effective lecturer (speaker, presenter, etc.) and the group has little knowledge of the subject, the percentage may be 75% to 90% leader and 25% to 10% group.

If the leader prefers discussion, case studies, and management games, the figures may be evenly split, even if the group knows little about the subject.

If the group is knowledgeable in the subject, the leader may be 20%, with 80% of the participation coming from the group.

Problem-solving meeting

The leader's challenge is to guide the group in the best solution to the problem. In this kind of meeting, the leader would accomplish the following tasks:

• Present information (that is, a statement of the problem, why it is important to solve, and background information).
  
  
• Get all members of the group to participate in solving the problem.
  
  
• Present ideas that will be considered in solving the problem (the leader steps down from the leadership role and becomes an equal member of the group).
  
  
• Control the meeting so that it moves toward the accomplishment of the objective, with minimum loss of time, friction, conflict, and antagonism among the participants.
  
  
• Conclude the meeting with a summary of what was accomplished and what happens next.

The ratio for participation should be somewhere between 40% to 60% leader and 60% to 40% group.

Information-getting meeting

This kind of meeting requires an entirely different role by the leader. The leader must get attention and clarify objectives. In addition, the leader may provide some background information. The leader would probably participate 10% to 20% while the group dominates with 90% to 80% participation. The role of the leader is to get the group to participate and control the participation to accomplish the objective.

The role of the leader can vary dramatically. Sometimes, the role varies within the same meeting. For example, in a problem-solving meeting, the role includes presenter, stimulator, participant, and controller.

Now, look at the question that began this section: Is a meeting leader more effective as a catalyst than as a strong leader? Webster’s defines catalyst as “substance that accelerates a reaction and is unchanged in the process.” Based on this definition, the role of catalyst is appropriate in certain meetings and entirely inappropriate in others. It is appropriate for information-getting and brainstorming meetings and in some sections of problem-solving and instructional meetings. It is inappropriate in informational meetings and some parts of problem-solving and instructional meetings.

If we ask various people to define strong leader, we will get many answers. Some people look at this as a negative term that means “domineering,” “authoritarian,” “arrogant,” “bull of the woods,” and “dictatorial.” I consider it a positive term that connotes “control” and “flexibility.” A strong leader is necessary to keep the meeting productive, which is to accomplish objectives in minimum time with satisfied participants. The leader must know when to lecture, dominate, and be the authority. The leader must also know when to serve in the role of catalyst, stimulator, and listener.

Donald L. Kirkpatrick
From chapter 5 of How to Conduct Productive Meetings,
published in 2006 by American Society for Training & Development