Leadership Styles

Qualities of a Leader or characteristics
1. Desire for occupational success and responsibility
Leadership Styles
Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style

characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members.
Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgments and rarely
accept advice from followers. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over
a group.
Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership

Some of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership include:
•Little or no input from group members
•Leaders make the decisions
•Group leaders dictate all the work methods and processes
•Group members are rarely trusted with decisions or important tasks
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Benefits of Autocratic Leadership
Autocratic leadership can be beneficial in some instances, such as when decisions need to be
made quickly without consulting with a large group of people. Some projects require strong
leadership in order to get things accomplished quickly and efficiently.
Have you ever worked with a group of students or co-workers on a project that got derailed by
poor organization, a lack of leadership, and an inability to set deadlines? If so, chances are that
your grade or job performance suffered as a result. In such situations, a strong leader who utilizes
an autocratic style can take charge of the group, assign tasks to different members, and establish
solid deadlines for projects to be finished.
In situations that are particularly stressful, such as during military conflicts, group members may
actually prefer an autocratic style. It allows members of the group to focus on performing
specific tasks without worrying about making complex decisions. This also allows group
members to become highly skilled at performing certain duties, which can be beneficial to the
group.
Downsides of Autocratic Leadership

While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances where this
leadership style can be problematic. People who abuse an autocratic leadership style are often
viewed as bossy, controlling, and dictatorial, which can lead to resentment among group
members.
Because autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting the group, people in the group may
dislike that they are unable to contribute ideas. Researchers have also found that autocratic
leadership often results in a lack of creative solutions to problems, which can ultimately hurt the
performance of the group.
While autocratic leadership does have some potential pitfalls, leaders can learn to use elements
of this style wisely. For example, an autocratic style can be used effectively in situations where
the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group or has access to information that other
members of the group do not.
Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership, is a type of leadership style in

which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process.
Researchers have found that this learning style is usually one of the most effective and lead to
higher productivity, better contributions from group members, and increased group morale.
Characteristics of Democratic Leadership

Some of the primary characteristics of democratic leadership include:
•Group members are encouraged to share ideas and opinions, even though the leader retains the
final say over decisions.
•Members of the group feel more engaged in the process.
•Creativity is encouraged and rewarded.
Benefits of Democratic Leadership

Because group members are encouraged to share their thoughts, democratic leadership can leader
to better ideas and more creative solutions to problems. Group members also feel more involved
and committed to projects, making them more likely to care about the end results. Research on
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leadership styles has also shown that democratic leadership leads to higher productivity among
group members.
Downsides of Democratic Leadership

While democratic leadership has been described as the most effective leadership style, it does
have some potential downsides. In situations where roles are unclear or time is of the essence,
democratic leadership can lead to communication failures and uncompleted projects. In some
cases, group members may not have the necessary knowledge or expertise to make quality
contributions to the decision-making process.
Democratic leadership works best in situations where group members are skilled and eager to
share their knowledge. It is also important to have plenty of time to allow people to contribute,
develop a plan and then vote on the best course of action.
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Laissez-faire leadership, also known as delegative leadership, is a type of leadership style in
which leaders are hands-off and allow group members to make the decisions. Researchers have
found that this is generally the leadership style that leads to the lowest productivity among group
members.
Laissez-faire leadership is characterized by:
•Very little guidance from leaders
•Complete freedom for followers to make decisions
•Leaders provide the tools and resources needed
•Group members are expected to solve problems on their own
Laissez-faire leadership can be effective in situations where group members are highly skilled,
motivated and capable of working on their own. While the conventional term for this style is
'laissez-faire' and implies a completely hands-off approach, many leaders still remain open and
available to group members for consultation and feedback.
Downsides of Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-faire leadership is not ideal in situations where group members lack the knowledge or
experience they need to complete tasks and make decisions. Some people are not good at setting
their own deadlines, managing their own projects and solving problems on their own. In such
situations, projects can go off-track and deadlines can be missed when team members do not get
enough guidance or feedback from leaders.
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Leadership Styles

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Qualities of a Leader or characteristics

1. Desire for occupational success and responsibility

Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style

Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership

Downsides of Autocratic Leadership

Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership, is a type of leadership style in

Characteristics of Democratic Leadership

Benefits of Democratic Leadership

Downsides of Democratic Leadership

Downsides of Laissez-Faire Leadership

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