Noreen, Good insights! Often times, I make the determination about whether to select the leaders or let them self-select based on a couple of criteria. First, how long is the assignment? If it is a long duration, like an entire semester, it is more critical to select people that have a propensity to lead or are willing to take your direction. Another factor is how much time you have to mentor the person. If it is not a leadership course, and the curriculum is already jam packed with learning objectives, you may not have the time or ability to coach a new leader like you would like. Lastly, I look at the result if the team does not succeed. If the team’s project impacts part of a grade vs. an entire course grade or impacts a small project at work as opposed to one that has major financial implications, I am more inclined to allow leaders to try and fail and try again. As the leader, you need to know that you have the time to mentor and train new leaders if you give them a higher stakes project. If not, it is likely to impact the morale of the other team members. Dr. Jamie Morley