The leader is the key factor in the results of a group project. As long as you provide great leadership, it's a sure bet your group will develop an outstanding project. A leader who hesitates is detrimental to the group's overall survival. Follow this guide on how to lead a group project.

Be aware of the steps that need to be completed. If you are appointed group leader you need to take charge immediately. If you show that you are confident you will inspire your group members to trust you and they will want to perform well for you. After inspiring their trust, you need to begin setting out action plan for the project. Meetings with project members are a good way to see where you are and where you are going. Make a to-do-list and give everyone a copy.

Find the best people and delegate. When you know what has to be done in order to complete the project, start to delegate all the required tasks. Pick associates to get the job done who are qualified the most. Then, within the group talk about what each person required to do their assigned tasks. It is also important to discuss the expected outcome for each task. As a leader you need to let your team know what you need to do, and how it needs to be done. Everyone in the group should be aware of the levels of acceptable work quality and it is the group leader who must convey this to all involved. Just note that you should not aim to be a dictator! Try to act as a motivated team player and you should get much better results.

Be sure to note what each member accomplishes. When team members begin to carry out their tasks, be sure that you are involved in the process. Even when supervising the project from a distance, continue to keep your presence. Let them know that you are available for questions or any arising concerns. In addition, showing your continual presence discourages slacking. You should also take on a large portion of the project work yourself. Continue to inspire and motivate your team members. As project completion is the ultimate goal, you as leader must work to keep everyone heading toward the same goal. Be sure that all team members have what they need to do their job well meet the completion deadline.

Go over and review the whole project before submitting it. Make sure that you are happy with the standards displayed so that you can proudly submit your group project.

Tiffany Provost writes about group project management and education for www.HowToDoThings.com.