What Does It Mean To Be The 'Friend Group Leader?' The Slang Term Explained

Every strong group of people needs a leader to guide them. According to the internet, that logic applies to even the most informal of groups, including the humble friend group.

Recently, memes about being the Friend Group Leader have spread from TikTok to Twitter to social media at large and the general idea behind them is sparking mixed reactions.

In case you're lost on all of this, here's why.

Where Does "Friend Group Leader" Come From?

The idea of friend groups having a leader comes from the idea that most professional groups, whether it's a political group or a workplace group, have a leader. Groups generally need one person to "lead" them to function and make sure everyone is on the same page.

A good leader might help the other members stay on task, provide guidance to the group and find what each member is good at and delegate appropriate work to them to generally help the group thrive and achieve their goal in a given setting.

While friend groups or cliques are (ideally) much more organic and not exactly working towards any goal, it's funny to imagine these groups having a leader. What's more, some friend groups might naturally develop a perceived leader.

Maybe it's the most confident or outspoken member of the group; maybe it's the person whose house everyone goes to for poker night or the one who always seems to have the best plans. In some cases, it might be the most manipulative and headstrong person in the group — think Regina George in Mean Girls.

The first known popular meme to mention the idea of a friend group leader was posted by TikToker @danessyauguste in March 2021 and imagines a conversation between a member of the group and the friend group leader, where the friend group leader gaslights them, portraying friend group leaders as stereotypically toxic. This negative connotation has carried through to many future memes on the topic.

How Is "Friend Group Leader" Used In Memes?

Memes about being the friend group leader are most often found on Twitter and TikTok. On Twitter, you're likely to find posts joking about what it means to be the leader of the friend group, either portraying it as something toxic, portraying the leader themselves as toxic, or, in contrast, placing them on a high pedestal.

On TikTok, users tend to make skits about the friend group leader, either playing the role of the leader or a lower-tier member of the group. Again, many of the skits focus on the "toxic leader" who is overtaken by the small amount of perceived power they've been given over their peers, such as a skit by TikToker @mw.luchi where the leader reminds his friend to kiss his feet when he enters the room. Of course, most of these are ironic and overblown for the sake of comedy; remember, if your friend group leader is a tyrant, they may not be a good leader at all.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7129688606620339499

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7126598161644358958

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7127411668434341163

Do Friend Groups Have Leaders?

There is not always a clear leader of the friend group. Some people refute the idea of a friend group leader altogether, such as Twitter user @TheColtonShow__, who writes, "if your friend group has a leader, that might not be a friend group."

TikToker @codenamejesse posted a video discussing the topic where he says there's "no leader in a group of guys," except in certain situations, where various members momentarily become the leader. He gives a few examples, saying the friend who's good at basketball is the leader when they're playing the sport while the friend who's best at gaming is the leader when they're gaming together. In the end, the "leader" of the friend group is something that everyone perceives differently. Some groups may have a more clear-cut leader, while others may not.

For the full details on the Friend Group Leader, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.