4.4 Resources
Leadership Styles
There are many different leadership styles. Different styles work in different situations. A team will be stronger with a variety of different leadership styles.
Take the quiz below to help you find out what leadership style you are more I inclined to follow:
Leadership Style Quiz
Circle the response that reflects your first reaction. There is no right or wrong answer.
| As a leader I tend to | Always | Often | Sometimes | Never |
| 1. Make my own decisions. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2. Tell others what to do. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 3. Suggest a decision to others. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 4. Persuade others to do things my way. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 5. Participate just like any other person. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 6. Provide resources to others | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7. Gather others’ feedback before deciding | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 8. Rely on my own judgment. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 9. Make sure the majority rules. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 10. Turn decisions over to others. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 11. Ask others to brainstorm choices. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12. Share my own ideas. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Add the numbers together from the above list of questions and place them next to each of the set of questions listed, e.g. if question 1 is 4, question 2 is 1, question 4 is 2 and question 8 is 2 the total is 9.
Add the numbers you circled for the Leadership Style for the following questions:
1) Question 1, 2, 4, 8 ___________
2) Question 3, 7, 9, 11 ___________
3) Question 5, 6, 10, 12 ___________
4) Question 1, 5, 4, 10 ___________
Bring the totals down and place them beside each style:
1) From the first set of questions … Autocratic Style ______
2) From the second set of questions … Democratic Style ______
3) From the third set of questions … Laissez-fair Style ______
4) From the fourth set of questions … Situational Style ______
The highest number will show what leadership style seems natural for you. You should strive to understand the different leadership styles and think of ways you might use them for different situations.
Autocratic Leadership Style
Autocratic leaders, also known as authoritarian leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be one, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from the rest of the group.
Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership. Kurt Lewin (social psychologist known for his field theory of behavior) also found that it is more difficult to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this style is usually viewed as controlling, bossy and dictatorial. Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group.
Democratic Leadership Style
Lewis’s study found that democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership, is generally the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin’s study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a much higher quality.
Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative.
Laissez-fair Leadership Style
Researchers found that children under Laissez-fair leadership, also known as Delegative leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation and were unable to work independently.
Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. While this style can be effective in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.
Situational Leadership
In situational leadership, three factors affect the leader’s decisions: the situation, the capability of the followers and the capability of the leader. The leader adjusts to whatever limitation is laid out in front of them by their subordinates and the situation itself. Adaptability is key here. The leaders need to be as dynamic as the different situations they are faced with.