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Each person has a leadership style that they feel comfortable with. What students must realize is that there are MANY different styles of leadership that are required for different situations. All students like to believe that they are democratic leaders because that is the style that fits in with dealing with their peer group. What they must understand is that they may have to switch to a different style of leadership to get the job done.
Style |
Characteristics |
When Effective |
When Ineffective |
Autocratic |
• Tells others what to do • Limits discussion on ideas and new ways of doing things.
• Group does not experience feeling of teamwork. |
• Time is limited • Individuals/Group lack skill and knowledge
• Group does not know each other. |
• Developing a strong sense of team is the goals • Some degree of skill/knowledge is in members
• Group wants an element of spontaneity in their work. |
Democratic |
• Involves group members in planning and carrying out activities • Asks before tells
• Promotes the sense of teamwork. |
• Time is available • Group is motivated and or a sense of team exists
• Some degree of skill or knowledge among members of group |
• Group is unmotivated • No skills or knowledge is in members
• High degree of conflict present. |
Laissez-Faire |
• Gives little or no direction to group/individuals • Opinion is offered only when requested
• A person does not seem to be in charge |
• High degree of skill and motivation • Sense of team exists
• Routine is familiar to participants |
• Low sense of team/interdependence • Low degree of skill/knowledge is in members
• Group expects to be told what to do |
You have just been appointed the “person in charge” of the following situations. Identify the type of leadership style that would work best in each situation and briefly outline what you would do while using that style of leadership.
• You find yourself in a group project team that has been assigned to write and put together a dramatic presentation that will be filmed on video. There are people of all types of abilities in the group and most seem pretty keen on doing the project.
• You are a camp counselor assigned with a group of rookie campers. You will be competing against other cabins in a scavenger hunt held in half and hour. The other cabins have older and more experienced kids, but your group would like to show them up.
• The boss is away in the hospital but everyone has done the job before and they like working at their jobs and tend to socialize after work as a group. A major crisis occurs that involves everyone, but you can't call the boss.
• You find yourself in a group doing an assignment that nobody wants to do, including yourself. Unfortunately, this assignment will decide whether you and only a few others pass the course.
• A committee is planning the annual Christmas party for employees and their families. Last year was one of the better parties and all the people who are working this year had a job on last year's committee.
• You have thirty minutes left to decorate your hose for your best friend's surprise birthday party. Other friends have started decorating, but they keep asking you what to do.
Leadership styles are often based on personality type, our leadership role models or habits we develop because something worked in certain situation and we just keep doing it that way.
Adapted from Original Source: “Leadership Styles” - UT-Knoxville Leadership Guides.
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