Describe some ways that leaders can influence collective learning on teams.

Student answers may vary. Theories of team leadership identify several ways leaders can influence collective learning and creative problem solving. The leadership behaviors relevant for influencing creativity by an individual are still relevant, but additional leadership behaviors are needed to explain the synergy and interactive aspects of collective learning and creative problem solving by a group. Leaders can influence the group to use systematic procedures for analyzing problems, encourage the use of helpful procedures for generating creative solutions (e.g., brainstorming), encourage discussion of a broad range of options, and prevent the team from rushing to a decision without carefully considering the potential costs and benefits (e.g., by developing best- and worst-case scenarios). Leaders can encourage group members to build on each other's ideas rather than being too critical. Relevant behaviors to facilitate collective learning include encouraging the team to experiment with competing solutions to assess their consequences and using after-activity reviews to improve group performance of repetitive tasks. Some of the leadership behaviors that facilitate creativity, collective learning, and systematic problem solving can be shared among the members of a team.