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How does a support group leader evolve?

There are many answers to this question.

  1. A person feels that s/he could do some good, sees a need and fills it, somewhat selflessly.
  2. A person is looking for information for him or herself, ends up sharing with others and a group is born. Taking and giving is a good thing, especially when it is balanced. However, in life, nothing is perfectly bal­anced. So a warning for ME/CFS patients: Be aware of how much of yourself you give away. Watch yourself and don't over-do. However, do not protect yourself to the point where you don't do anything. Being totally selfish is only taking, and is just as unbal­anced and unhealthy as being totally selfless. In this writer's experience, it is the balance between the two that is the goal.
  3. The leadership position is arrived at by default. A person ends up as the leader, not by deliberate choice, but because no one else has stepped forward.
  4. A person has leadership skills, can work well with others, delegates jobs and coordi­nates people. S/he takes the leadership role naturally.
  5. A leader has stepped down and the next in line takes over, just to keep the group going. In many cases, this works out well. Some­times it doesn't and the group falls apart.
  6. An ego trip: Some people like the idea of being a leader, but in reality, their skills fall short.