One of the key concepts of a task force is that the leader be an expert in leading groups as opposed to an expert in a typical area.

The statement is correct. A task force is a temporary, cross-functional team assembled to solve a specific problem. Its members are chosen for their subject matter expertise. The leader's primary function is not to be the chief technical expert, but rather to be a skilled facilitator and process manager. Their expertise should lie in leading groups, managing dynamics, fostering collaboration, resolving conflicts, and keeping the team focused on its charter. This allows the diverse expertise of the members to be leveraged effectively without being overshadowed or biased by a leader who is also the dominant technical voice.

B. False: This is incorrect. Prioritizing technical expertise over leadership skills for a task force leader can be counterproductive, potentially stifling contributions from other experts and hindering the collaborative problem-solving process.

1. Hackman, J. R. (2002). Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. Harvard Business School Press. In Chapter 4, "A New Way of Leading," Hackman argues that a leader's main responsibility is to create and manage the conditions that enable a team to be effective, a role distinct from being the most knowledgeable member or "super-member."

2. Ancona, D. G., & Caldwell, D. F. (1992). Demography and Design: Predictors of New Product Team Performance. Organization Science, 3(3), 321–341. This study highlights the importance of the leader's role in managing external boundaries and internal team processes, which are leadership and facilitation skills rather than purely technical ones. (https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.3.3.321)

3. MIT Sloan School of Management. (2004). 15.322 Organizational Leadership and Change, Recitation 5: Leading Teams. MIT OpenCourseWare. The course materials emphasize the leader's role as a "designer, coach, and facilitator" who manages the team's process, structure, and context, rather than directing the technical work itself. (Available at: https://ocw.mit.edu)