I've been trained to lead 30 battle-ready soldiers into the maw of the enemy and achieve any objective assigned... but herding 5 or 10 or 25 guildies through an instance or raid... that's a role I don't think anyone can prepare for.

The best tactic I've found is to provide constant feedback and to be entirely clear and even-handed. If a warrior is charging too early, if a moonkin is spamming that knockback, if the mages are lagging on their sheeps... per fight I'll give feedback. This allows you to adjust things before they become a problem. People usually say 'ah.. okay' or 'yup, sorry... was being too aggressive' or 'sorry, wasn't paying attention'.

The entire time I've played WoW I've only kicked someone from my group once... but in any group I run it is an option. When I have the little king hat on I have to run the group as best I can... and if that means you need to take a hike, that's what will happen. I only consider kicking someone if they either resist instruction, or they can not improve, even if they seem to accept instructions. Most people that fall into the latter category offer to drop group. They recognize they're having trouble, that I want to do things they aren't up to, and offer to drop group so we can pick someone else up.

I take the tack of being direct but not being mean. I state things plainly. I'll advise someone in group chat once or twice... if I have to go beyond that I whisper them, and I'm a lot more direct. If I talk in party chat I'll say something like 'hey man, can you dial down that knockback a bit? '. If I have to whisper them I'd say something like; 'listen, you need to stop that knockback. I need these mobs in range. Take it off your hotbar if you need to, but I need that knockback to stop. Now.' If they still cause trouble... I'll get a little more plain... something like 'If you can't stop X, I'm going to have to drop you.' Next time... I don't say anything. They find themselves out of the group.

People know how I lead... they know when I'm in there I put my head down and get in the game, and if they aren't running their 'A' game at 100% they may find themselves getting ghetto-hearthed to Shattrath. That's why I usually don't lead groups. My guild is rather casual, and unless they're up against a real challenge I usually just run my character and will offer a suggestion or two up to the group leader.

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