Can a group of people function effectively without someone being in charge?

During the late 1500's, many explorers had set out to India through the sea in order to attain the gold that was much coveted and discussed during that time. However, none were as successful as Christopher Columbus. When Christopher Columbus heard about the copious amounts of gold that could be found in the rich mines of India, he set out to seek financial aid which would finance his exploration into India for the gold. He finally convinced the monarch of Spain, Queen Isabella and King Charles to finance his explorations. Columbus' hard work was paid off when he successfully piloted a crew of sailors and explorers alike to the New World. There, Columbus was able to attain the gold he had longed for. We can see by this example, that leadership is crucial for a group to function effectively.  If there were no Christopher Columbus to lead the crew, the crew under Christopher Columbus was successful in their lust and craving for gold would have never attained their want.

Similarly, the Nation of Islam was a group of religious clergymen that believed that African-Americans should possess the rights they deserve. However, they were not successful at putting across their message until Malcolm X became their leader. Through Malcolm X effective leadership, they could propagate their belief that the African Americans were equal to any other citizen of America and that they should be given their rights. Here again, we can see that leadership was needed for a group to function effectively.

In conclusion, I reaffirm my thesis that leaders are essential for a group to function effectively, as we have seen in the case of Malcolm X and Christopher Columbus. Without their leadership, the group under them would not have achieved their goal, whatever that might have been.