In a typical Role-playing Game party is there really a party leader or is it a position taken up by the most vocal players over those that tend to be more quiet?
Being a party leader is a position that many want to have but few can do well. You have to be able to listen to all the party members and then make a decision that will be best for the party. Sometimes that is not always easy or well received but must be done for the good of the party.
There will always be a party leader in any group. How strong a leader they are then depends on the composition of the party as people either contribute, debate or follow the chosen leader. Sometimes, the leader may change depending on the situation. The dynamics of a group and what it is trying to accomplish will often lead to a different player fronting the group, as each player may be better suited to the lead role. A good party trusts their leader to guide them through the tasks at hand, and will give feedback and constructive input to influence the party's path. A reluctant leader is usually the best, because they are typically suited for the role, but will accept everyone's input and adjust accordingly, mainly because they don't want to be the sole responsible person for choices made.
I think its a pseudo position because in the end each player dictates what their character will do.
Granted it could be a pseudo position at times as each party member does their own thing but if it is something the party leader wished them to do then it is not a pseudo position at all. You as a leader always should know that the best laid plans always seem to go awry once the combat starts and trusting your people to do what is right is always a good thing. Even with wayward monks *smile*.
It varies between campaigns in my experience. But also in my experience, every cohesive group has a leader.
In some cases, the leader takes a rather subtle role, simply being the one to bring everyone's contributions together, or nudge others into motion. In others, they may be rather direct, making decisions for everyone without overtly getting the input of others. Many variations beyond these two exist.
Either way, the leader may not be the same person all the time. In one prior group of mine, the leader changed to being whomever had the most insight into the situation at hand. Crypt full of undead? Cleric called the shots. Trap filled labyrinth? Everyone got ordered about by the rogue. So on and so forth.
Edited: daishain on 30th Nov, 2017 - 5:39pm
Sometimes a leader's job is to juggle personalities, but most times it should be juggling abilities and assigning whomever is the most appropriate to the task at hand. A good coach doesn't put his running back into a position that doesn't use his ability - he makes him run!