Those who consistently lack information can't assume leadership of a group. If you are inclined to tell people what to do, you had better have formal authority. If you don't, Fisher and Sharp say the best way to reach a solution is by asking questions and soliciting input from others, as well as offering your own ideas as a possible solution. Five tools suggested Here are five tools the authors say a team leader should use to lead effectively when you don't have formal authority over members. Any team's first order of business must be to write down exactly what it hopes to accomplish.
People typically plunge into the topic at hand and start arguing over what to do.
Effective leaders help the team to lay out the necessary data, analyze the causes of the situation and propose actions based on this analysis. In a group, leaders keep participants focused by asking appropriate questions. Most teams wait until the end to figure out what they've learned. It's more effective to learn as you go. That means every team meeting should end with a review of what's been learned.