A team playing Rust will need to decide certain things and communicate the decisions (often by voice communication) to the team members in order to work together. Many of the decisions (or opportunities to take decisive action) happen in real-time, which makes it impractical to vote on what the decision should be (especially in time-sensitive cases such as battles). Teams often have a trusted decision-maker; among friends this may be the friend that suggested that they play the game together, while in clans this may be the clan founder. In a democratic system (like the Government) there might be an elected member to act as president.

The decisions made by a team leader do not necessarily have to be significant changes to how the group operates, but might only be choices such as where to build the team's base. So the decision-maker doesn't need to have a sense of power, but is simply trusted to be the one to make calls for the group when the need arises. Such decisions or duties might include:

• When to commit to an advance during a battle
  
• Leading a raid
  
• Skinning a team uniform
  
• Managing alliances
  
• Who to trust when inviting potential new members
  
• Arrange the building of a farm or community base
  
• Distributing farm harvests
  
• Concealing the team's boom
  
• Promoting sulfur sinkage
  
• Running a team system
  
• Coordinating with additional teams
  
• Ensuring members get bagged-in
  
• Keeping track of teammate's bases
  
• Prompting or leading farm runs
  
• Handling abandoned loot
  
• Progressing the arms race
  
• Securing door and gate codes
  
• Set up particular defenses like SAM sites
  
• Encourage clear grid callouts
  
• Keeping teamwork from slipping
  
• Raising morale
  
• Inspire, rather than pressure teammates
  
• Ensure team-member agency
  
• Set popular common goals

A team that doesn't take decisive action during a raid will likely get worn down and lose the battle, so having a decision-maker (or "shot caller") is important. A group member might put themselves forward as a shot caller, but (if accepted) might also step down from the role if they feel that nobody is listening to them or committing to the calls. Such a role can be energy-intensive when they're relied upon heavily, and constant information needs to be collected about which opposing bases are the most important to raid, or how group resources can best be spent (such as on a compound wall, or perhaps building and maintaining a farm or community base instead).

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