Leadership Styles Autocratic, Democratic, Laissez-Faire

Autocratic: Leader-Centered Hard-boiled type believes... Benevolent type... in constantly checking on everyone praise will spoil people people should not question orders Example: Army is interested in the individuals within the group gives praise as well as criticism is seldom severe or harsh does not realize his/her leadership is autocratic Still a top down or leader-centered style of leadership

Effective When... Ineffective When... time is limited individuals/Group lack skill and knowledge dealing with a dependent person dealing with a hostile person, channel that energy constructively the goal is to develop a strong sense of team some degree of skill/knowledge is in members Remember The Titans clip In this style, the leader is the spark plug whose policies, ideas, and plans are the ones that get carried out.

Democratic: Group-Centered A Democratic Leader... involves group members in planning and carrying out activities asks before he/she tells gives praise and criticism based on results, not personal likes/dislikes shares success with the group

Effective When... Ineffective When... time is available group is motivated and/or sense of team exists some degree of skill or knowledge available in group group is unmotivated no skill/knowledge is in members high degree of conflict present Reason for being Democratic is to make Better Decisions

Laissez-Faire: Individual-Centered A Laissez-Faire Leader... gives little or no direction to group/individuals gives opinion only when requested Leaves responsibility with members for getting things done Tends to let things go hoping individuals will assert themselves

Effective When... Ineffective When... high degree of skill and motivation within group’s members sense of team exists dealing with a solo player dealing with someone who is withdrawn low sense of team/interdependence Low degree of skill/knowledge is in members Dealing with a group-minded person Apollo 13 clip When skilfully used in suitable situations Laissez-Faire Leadership can release a lot of creative drive

Myths Autocratic does not always mean a dictatorship, or wilful self-satisfaction at the expense of the group. Democratic does not mean putting all decisions to a vote. Laissez-Faire does not mean absence of leadership, a group left to lurch along without guidance or direction.

Further Leadership Styles The characteristics of each of the three leadership styles are extreme, and most leaders will employ different amounts of each style. Effective leaders should be able to employ all three styles depending on the situation that the group finds itself in. However, within each of these categories there are more narrow types of leadership.

Director Entrepreneur Identifies each problem and comes up with the solution May allow decision making process within the group, but will not let the members be a part of the final decision making Assigns roles to participants and outlines their responsibilities Relies primarily on his or her own judgment and “common sense” Makes decisions without notifying the group, and then persuades the group of the validity of the concept Describes how the decision fits both the interests of the group and the interests of the individual members

Counselor Allows the group to work through the decision making process on their own Gives background and may play devil’s advocate to the process Encourages group to consider as many solutions as possible Selects the solution that appears the most promising.

“Be the change you want to see in the world” - Mahatma Ghandi Lost Generation clip