A online Leader - a critical view

this is my first blog on this forum, which i hope people enjoy to read and learn from

Not all are born leaders

In an online game a leader of a group comes in many forms. They can either be a leader of a guild, a kingdom, a clan, or an alliance. Whatever the group is called, a heirarchy exists and a leader is in charge of that group. In most games requirements have to be met, such as a decent level, buildings and resources, but some games demand no such requirements and there are also a few games where groups are formed upon registration.

commitment and responsibility are the keys...

So, if you are wondering how you can be a good leader, here are some things you can look for:

-1 you should understand your role
You need to recognise that you are boss. You should be an active participant and you should be comitted. Recognising that you are boss only means that ultimately you call the shots, but that you should also heed the advise of the other members of your group and have them participate in your decisions as much as you can, while the leader has the greatest responsibility, every other member should also contribute to the group.

-2 you should have a goal for you and your group
The goal you set for the group ought to be assertainable. Take things step by step and look at what you and your group are capable off. Don't just try to be the best, aspire to your maximum ability and you get satisfactory entertainment if you manage to achieve your goal. Remember you are a leader of a group that plays online games.

-3 you need to set up rules and guidelines
Just like in real life, rules have to be enforced to keep the group organised. A leader therefore should not just be a leader who leads, a leader should also rule. Rules should be clear, but flexible according to the situation. The sanctions should be firm and strictly applied according to the rules, but the enforcement should be fair. Distributing benefits to the members of the group is to be fair, but also done according to the merit of the group as a whole, when and where to choose between the either is politics and for that you need to listen to the group and decide accordingly. Have the members of the group have their say when you set up the rules and let it be clear they should oblige to the rules.

-4 you need commitment
You don't necessarily have to be the most active member of the group, but you certainly shouldn't take things easy. You need to be active enough so that you are on top of things. You need to be commited to the goal and you need to make sure the members of the group are committed likewise. The entire group needs to rise at the right occassion.

-5 you should be wise
A leader is expected to have good knowledge and understanding of the game mechanics, but foremost a leader needs to know how to apply that knowledge to the benefit of the group. You do not need to know everything, because in a complex game that is impossible and in a simple game getting to know the game is easy for everyone. You do not have to be the one with the greatest knowledge of the game mechanics and know every deep and intricate trick there is, no one person can be expected to be flawless that is what you have your members for and why you have every person contribute to the strength of the group. A strong leader therefore uses the strength of his or her group and knows how to assess the strength and weaknesses of the group. What a leader needs to have is a strategic mindset, because the knowledge can be aquired from experience or reading the game guide. Knowledge is not everything, a leader should first and foremost be wise.

-6 you should assess your capabilities and style of leadership
Not everyone is cut out to be a leader. Not every leader works the same and no leader has the same style of leadership. In that sense a leader is also a bit of a politician. With each style of leadership comes different strengths and weaknesses. A good leader knows how to use his or her strengths and knows how to obscure his or her weaknesses from his or her foes. There are however some traits that are more commonly found in leaders of an online group. No leader has all of these traits, but a leader should at least have some of these traits and recognise his or her style of leadership, thus in knowing who you are, you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

leader archetypes
Next follows a list of archetypical types of leaders, their leadership styles and their strengths and weaknesses. In all truthfulness no person adheres completely to the style depicted, but i've made it this way for both non-leaders, leaders and would-be leaders to more easily recognise the style and behavior which closely adheres to them or whom leads them. I've have highlighted the flaws of the styles more readily. These archetypes are commonalities found in the more politically active subgroup of the online population.

1. The Narcissist
The narcissist greatest strength lies in the fact that he or she has an unshaken believe in oneself. He or she will not easily surrender in battle and will often fight till the very end, in this the narcissist makes for a dangerous opponent. He or she is a good manipulator and knows how to use the members of his or her group. The narcissist is self-absorbed, shallow and shows little to no real compassion for anyone but himself or herself. He or she is a politician pur-sang. If unopposed they tend to rise quickly through the ranks and can achieve greatness. The narcissist is most easily recognised in his or her need for idolisation and his or her profile is directed towards oneself. He or she can create a good and coherent group and can be popular, but once members of the group get to know the leader better, then he or she will have trouble maintaining respect. The username often tends to start with the words like "the", "me" or "my" and the profile often contains personal preferences, or references to beauty and fame.

2. The Alcoholic
The Alcoholic greatest strength lies in his or her ability to create a good and warm atmosphere, that attracts members towards his or her group. Members of the alcoholic's group are often very committed to the cause and willing to do battle. He or she will often be a popular leader, but the alcoholic tends to have a poor attendance rate. He or she will be on top of things through improvisation, but he or she often has to rush to the occassion. Enforcement of the rules tends to be soft and he or she can have trouble maintaining a good order in the group. He or she can have greatness, if he or she aquires enough mass and gets orderly and caring people around him or herself. The profile of this type of leader is often directed towards things about music, videos and comedy.

3. The Communicator
The communicator greatest ability is to seek out the abilities of others and mold a group. He or she tends to create a coherent group, that is flexible to the occassion. The communicator is thoughtful and tends to plan well in advance and is capable of knowing every detail, but sometimes loses overall perspective of the situation. The group atmosphere can go both ways, and morale is often tricky. The communicator can be either very well loved or distrusted. He or she can have good knowledge of the game, but often lacks strategic insight. The profile of the communicator often includes the use of common household items, pets, characters and titles of books.

4. The Officer
The officer greatest strength lies in the fact that he or she tends to plan well and is able to maintain order. The officer's group is kept in good order, with a strict hierarchy and a good commitment of the group, with everyone steered towards the goal that they try to achieve. The officer is cool, practical, clear and strict to enforce rules, but is often unable to create a warm atmosphere for the group. He or she tends to have very good strategic insight and a clear workable knowledge of the game mechanics and members of the group tend to admire the officer through example. The profile of the officer often contains references to heroes, weapons and tools.

5. The Tyrant
The Tyrant is good in creating a strict hierarchy and a sense of belonging for the members of the group and ensures the greatest amount of pleasure is taken out of an event. The Tyrant is dogmatic and his or her greatest weakness lies in his or her need to score and he or she will quickly lose hold of a group when the group is unable to get the pleasure it seeks and does not meet their goals. He or she is a harsh ruler and will not treat everyone fairly, often bullying those that he or she thinks are not part of the group, or are in disagreement with the rules or his or her style of leadership. The tyrant tends to be loved and idolised by friends and allies, but hated, feared and despised by foes. The profile of the tyrant often uses names, or makes references to symbols and acts.

6. The Campaigner
The campaigner greatest strength lies in his or her ability to assess the situation. He or she gets to know the inmediate members surrounding him or her very well. The campaigner is open, methodical, tolerant, personal, but can create an atmosphere of debate, instead to create coherency within the group the campaigner focuses on trust and commonalities of the group. Not the greatest of communicators, the campaigner tends to rely on others to have an intuitive understanding of the situation. He or she is greatest in times of adversity for the group. The campaigner greatest weakness is his of her commitment towards the group and this commitment tends to be lower if the atmosphere within the group is bad and if trust is absent. The profile of the campaigner often refers to idols, statesmen, ideals, ideas or loved ones.