group leader

An individual who facilitates group processes. The leader can be an indigenous member (for example, one of the students in a class) who, through charisma, skill, or other attributes, influences the others. The leader also can be external (for example, a group therapist) whose position or expertise usually results in some influence over the group. Each group has a leader (whether or not the group recognizes it as such), but the leader may change from one meeting to the next or from one minute to the next.