Hakuna matata

# Tutorial: How to be a successful leader for your group

By ShatteredXFeather and Lightningpelt7

A couple of weeks ago I was surfing through the wiki and I found this group with a nice looking page, the coding was awesome, the leaders used descriptive words in the introduction, and it just appeared to be well built. I check on this page a week or two later and the clan members are pulling each others’ hair out in the comments and the whole clan is disbanding. It was rather surprising for me. I then noticed that this was not the only group. Several clans that look fun and promising are made every week and the majority of them are gone by the end of the month.

What is going on?

I thought about it for a bit and then I remembered how difficult it was for me and my friend when we first started leading, in fact I almost stepped down during my first week of leading, I just barely was able to pull through. We were not the only people who were struggling, the whole clan was!  People were leaving and obnoxious drama was happening in Shadowclan.  But after continuously attempting to guide Shadowclan through the garbage that kept on getting in our way, leading became so much easier for us. We eventually got the hang of it and the clan with only about 10 active role-players transformed into a clan with 50+ members. My buddy and I successfully  lead for about a year.

This comes to my conclusion; *the leader is one of the most important roles when it comes to groups on animal jam*. In most situations (not all of them), if the leader is not of quality, the clan is in danger of falling apart quickly.  Of course, members are what makes a group a group. But the leader is the advocate, the protector, organizer, and the person who represents what the group stands for.

A good clan needs a good leader.

But how exactly do you be a good leader for your clan?

Now before I begin discussing this topic I wanted to point out that I am not going to be showing you how to create a page or come up with group ideas or clan names because I know there are already tutorials on how to do that and I am certain pretty much every active member on this wiki is able to come up with a name/create a page. Instead I am going to focus more on the journey of leading itself. You will be given a few clan tips along with a more personal aspect of how to guide your group.

Also, you must understand that I am not a professional at leading. I still make several mistakes every once in a while. But I believe I am much more experienced than when I first started. These are just some of the things I wish I had known when I first started. Anyways lets begin!

# The three major do’s and don’ts of makings a group

**1. Don’t create a group/page for “when (random group) disbands”**

Not only is this insulting to the people who are in charge of that group, you also will have no exact idea when your clan will be ac

2

**The most important things to ask yourself when you are leading**

Sometimes you are just getting the impression that there is something wrong but you just can't your finger on it. We totally understand that so we made some essential questions that you need to ask yourself when you are roleplaying. If you answer 'no' to any of these questions, you must find a solution.

-Are they respecting you?/ obeying your commands?

-Are they actually
roleplaying?

- Are they enjoying  roleplay?

-Are you enjoying roleplay?

# Getting the recruits

As I said earlier; members are what makes your group a group, they are a necessity. But you do not need 40 members in your group for it to be considered ‘successful’, in fact sometimes its better to have a smaller assemblage of role-players’.  Here are some of my tips for recruiting.

1. **Don’t be afraid to be different:** Do not let other people prevent you from doing what you want to do. If you want to make a clan that uses “traditional” styled role-play and uses cheetahs as their cat oc instead of a wolf, go for it. In fact making your group unique is usually a good thing and can draw a lot of attention which is exactly what we want.
2. **Don’t stress out about your clan’s appearance:** You should be judged by how your clan role-plays, not how advanced your vocabulary is or how big your role-play den is. I have seen packs/tribes/clans that are inactive or have terrible members that get lots of attention because they have a nice page and it is completely unfair. As long as your page has all of the information necessary to roleplay. You shouldn’t have to worry.
3. **Don’t depend on your page alone to obtain new members:** Even though it seems rather “noobish”, going to Aldan and recruiting members can be more effective. Yes *a lot* of people in Aldan are edgy 7 year olds who do not know how to role-play but some of the best clan role players I have in ShadowClan came from the Sarepia Forest in Aldan. Never underestimate recruiting the good ‘old fashion’ way.
4. **Be picky about who you let into your clan.** Trust me its better to have a clan with five excellent role-players than a clan with fifty idiots. If they cannot role-play correctly or they seem to be very rude and immature then don’t let them into your clan it’s as simple as that.
5. **Give a good first impression.** What a recruit sees the first time they first walk into your den is important. Make sure they get a taste of how welcoming your group is or how fun it is to role-play. If your new recruit has a good time with your group and they are comfortable with you, they will most likely come back again. There are several different ways to do this. You can give them a ‘test’ to see how physically fit they are, you can have the recruit perform some sort of ancient joining ceremony, or you can do something as simple as giving them a big welcome. I usually give new members a tour of our territory. We show them what we hunt and what dangers are in certain parts of the land. It helps them visualize what role-play usually looks like in our group and the new members enjoy it!
6. **Be patient.** Those loyal members are out there somewhere. As long as you keep trying new things and persevere though everything. They will find your group!
7. **Be intimidating.** When that new recruits first meets you, you better be sure to look and talk like you mean business. Shoulders back, chin up, fur neatly groomed, and a nice, stone cold face will ensure that the new recruit knows who is the boss in their new clan. When you talk to them, keep your composure, talk smoothly and be very sophisticated, so they know what to expect from you as a leader.

# Keeping order

**Every clan at one point gets overloaded with trouble. The trick is to learn how to get around it and move on.**

1. **You see that foot of yours? Put IT DOWN.** Don’t let your clan members control you. If they are doing something you don’t want them to do then make them stop. I hate punishing others (even if it is not real) but things will get out of hand if I don’t. Take action when your rules are not being followed. A long lasting clan has order, keep that in mind before you allow another member to run their mouth.
2. **Don't ever bluff.**If you say you are going to do something do it! Sometimes all you need to do to put someone back in their place is to give them a simple warning but other times you need to do more than that.
3. **Do yourself a favor and ignore the haters.** You should openly accept constructive criticism but do not listen to the haters. These people only want to watch your group rip apart. Don’t give them that pleasure. Animal jam is just a game and you should roleplay for fun, not to impress a stranger. The people who think there is only one  right way to roleplay should be ignored
4. **If things start getting difficult, DO NOT Rant/Panic!** (at the disco) When you feel yourself getting angry or upset with someone, take a deep breath and use your head. If you rant on the page in all caps letters, screaming at that person who is upsetting you, not only will you cause more drama but you will also drag the people who were not involved into the situation. Lectures are completely fine, however as long as they are done in a composed way.
5. **Stay calm.** When your group is in a difficult situation, they will look up to you to solve the problem. If they see you admitting defeat or screaming they will start to lose hope in you and your group and there is a high chance of them leaving. Keeping cool will do more good for you than letting out all of your anger on your group.
6. **Don’t be ignorant.** If a member is having an issue with you or your group, listen. You should be firm, but you must always try to hear both halves of the story before you make up your mind.  Clan members have brains and feelings to. A leader who doesn’t listen well is going to have a lot of trouble.
7. **Solve the issues as quickly as possible.** If you leave a problem your group is dealing with alone for too long, it can get so much worse. Groups can disband from these sorts of things. Do what you need to do to fix it and get it done fast.
8. **Don’t be afraid to get nasty.** Now by far the worst thing that I’ve seen a leader do, is be too soft on their clanmates. You will never earn or get respect if you let your clanmates walk all over you like you’re a new member, you have to draw the line! If one of your warriors is acting up, kick them in the tail and punish them! Otherwise, if you do not show your nasty side, they will never feel obligated to respect and listen to you as a higher authority. This without a doubt goes for high ranks too, they don’t get a free-be just because their a deputy or elite, you put them in their place too.
9. **Make sure your punishments are parallel to what they have done.**This just means, if someone breaks a rule outside of roleplay (such as being silly or powerplaying) they should be given a punishment that is out of roleplay and if someone breaks a rule while roleplaying(running away, talking during clan meetings, being disrespecful) they should be given a roleplay punishment. It does not make any sense for you to make someone clean a den for dressing in a goofy outfit saying "Ends NN"

# Ceramonies/ Clan meeting

**Tips for choosing someone to be your second in command ( or other high rank)**

Choosing someone to take your place when you are done is not always easy.

I am aware nobody is perfect I made a quick checklist of qualities a person must have to be a good deputy.  Of course its okay if a person you want to be deputy doesn’t have ALL of these traits because nobody is perfect, but that roleplayer you are making deputy must at least try to make an effort to fix their flaws. You can assist the person by pointing out the areas they need to work on.

**-They enjoy roleplaying!** If that person *often* tends to goof off or chat instead of roleplay, it probably means they are bored with it. Members who do not like roleplaying can have trouble finding motivation to get online, especially if they are getting a more stressful job than before.

**-They don’t constantly beg or sugar-coat you for a high rank.** Some people just want that high rank so badly that they pressure you into choosing them instead of letting you make a choice for yourself. Don’t fall for it. People who are selfish like this shouldn’t be put up on the throne.

**-They respect you and follow orders.**

I don’t think I need to explain this one.

**- They are trustworthy and do not gossip/back-stab-**

**-They have high standards and act as a role-model to others-**

**-They don’t constantly steal the spotlight.**

Its okay to show of your character’s and their personal struggles but a leader must

**Don’t be afraid to demote a high ranking member if they are not doing their job**

# Enjoying Roleplay

**~**To the clan members

The best way for you to help your leader out is to support them and to follow their orders. It makes their jobs that much easier.

This may seem like a simple task and m hilarious