How do autocratic democratic and laissezfaire leadership sty

How do autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles differ?

Solution

Autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership style differ in the sense that in autocratic leadership style, leader believes in direct supervision over followers in order to maintain required working environment. In this leadership style, leader sets the vision which may not be compatible with views of followers. Leader creates an environment of fear in order to keep followers in check and there is no or very little room for dialogue under this leadership style.

On the other hand, in democratic leadership style, leader does not take decision alone. He shares the decision making process with followers of group members as well. This leadership style is based on the premise that each member of group should play a role in decision-making and should have right to participate in decision-making process. This leadership style is considered to be the most effective leadership style and is also considered to be instrumental in generating better ideas and creative solutions as each member of group is contributing in the thought process.

The laissez-faire leadership style is the leadership style in which leader grants full power to followers with respect to decision-making process. In other words, followers have full autonomy to take decisions. Followers indulge in self-rule with leader acting as guiding light with guidance being provided when requested. In this leadership style, followers or workers are free to take decisions with leader providing them with resources that enable them to take decisions. Leader does not directly participate in decision-making process.

So, in a nut shell, under autocratic leadership, it is the leader who controls the decision-making process while in democratic leadership, leader shares the decision-making process with followers while in laissez-faire leadership style; leader fully delegates the decision-making process to followers.