Laissez-Faire Leadership

… a core concept in Leadership Skills and Atlas 109

laissez-faireleadershipConcept description

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.

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
Benefits of laissez-faire leadership

Laissez-faire leadership can be effective in situations where group members are highly skilled, motivated, and capable of working on their own. Since these group member are experts and have the knowledge and skills to work independently, they are capable of accomplishing tasks with very little guidance. This autonomy can be freeing to some group members and help them feel more satisfied with their work.

The laissez-faire style can be used in situations where followers have a high-level of passion and intrinsic motivation for their work. 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.

Laissez-faire leaders are often seen as uninvolved and withdrawn, which can lead to a lack of cohesiveness within the group. Since the leader seems unconcerned with what is happening, followers sometimes pick up on this and express less care and concern for the project.

If group members are unfamiliar with the task or the process needed to accomplish the task, leaders are better off taking a more hands-on approach. Eventually, as followers acquire more expertise, leaders might then switch back to a more delegative approach that gives group members more freedom to work independently.

Source

Drawn from Cherry, K. A. What is Democratic Leadership, at http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/laissez-faire-leadership.htm, accessed 31 December 2015.

Atlas topic, subject, and course

The Study of Leadership and Communication (core topic) in Leadership Skills and Atlas 109.

Page created by: Ian Clark, last modified on 31 December 2015.

Image: From Business Studies blog at http://businessstudiesleadershipemerson.blogspot.ca/2013/09/what-are-types-of-leadership-styles.html, accessed 31 December 2015.