Laissez-faire leadership is based on trust. People who enjoy a wide degree of latitude in making decisions and working on projects autonomously are often most comfortable with laissez-faire leaders. Show
At the opposite end of the spectrum, people who work well in a rigid environment with clear directives and routine goals typically prefer authoritarian leaders. The short version of laissez-faire leadership: Do what you want as long as you get the job done right.From a laissez-faire leader’s perspective, the key to success is to build a strong team — and then stay out of the way. Loosely translated from its French origins, laissez-faire means “let it be” or “leave it alone.” In practice, it means leaders leave it up to their subordinates to complete responsibilities in a manner they choose, without requiring strict policies or procedures. Although laissez-faire leadership does not fit every organization, industry or situation, some workplaces thrive under laissez-faire leaders. It’s all a matter of finding the right match. Read on to learn more:
Laissez-faire leadership definitionThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines laissez-faire leadership as: “A philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference, especially with individual freedom of choice and action.” This self-rule style empowers individuals, groups or teams to make decisions. Critics of this hands-off leadership style contend it is risky to universally delegate decision-making responsibility to staff members. Groups and teams do not have the power to make far-reaching strategic decisions, but laissez-faire leaders allow individuals or teams to decide how they will complete their work. What types of businesses attract laissez-faire leaders?Organizations or departments run by laissez-faire leaders frequently are either in the incubator phase of product development or they’re engaged in highly creative businesses. This leadership style is particularly relevant to startup firms, where innovation is crucial to a company’s initial success. Examples of businesses where laissez-faire leadership works well:
These businesses tend to prosper under leaders with laissez-faire characteristics. They hire experts and allow them autonomy to make decisions. The end goal is perfecting products, systems and services through trial and error. But not all ad agencies, social media and design firms work best under laissez-faire leaders. During the creative phase, a laissez-faire management style may work well. Once a creative campaign or customer service program is launched, however, quality assurance processes and deadlines require attention to detail that may be better suited for autocratic leadership. Laissez-faire vs. autocratic leadershipPeople who prefer working in environments with strict procedures, checks and balances work well with autocratic leaders. Bureaucratic environments are traditionally well-suited to autocratic leadership styles. State departments of motor vehicles are good examples of agencies where standardized processes and management controls are necessary. Established manufacturing facilities offer another example of mature businesses with streamlined processes that need strict protocols and tight quality assurance procedures. Laissez-faire leadership is the direct opposite of autocratic leadership. Instead of a single leader making all decisions for an organization, group or team, laissez-faire leaders make few decisions and allow their staff to choose appropriate workplace solutions. Laissez-faire leaders share these characteristics. They:
Who works best under laissez-faire leaders?People who are self-starters, who excel at individualized tasks and who don’t require ongoing feedback from other team members often prefer working under laissez-faire managers. Successful laissez-faire leaders typically work with people who:
History of laissez-faire leadershipKurt Lewin is often credited with developing the concept of laissez-faire leadership. Lewin was an early contributor to the study of social psychology. He was one of the first experts to research group dynamics and organizational psychology. Human resource experts still rely on Lewin’s research to assess and manage workplace productivity. Although Lewin recognized laissez-faire leadership as one of three primary management styles, he did not subscribe to it as his preferred leadership method. Lewin simply identified laissez-faire leadership as the opposite of autocratic leadership. Along with researchers Ronald Lippitt and Ralph K. White, Lewin identified the laissez-faire leadership style in the 1930s study “Leadership and Group Life.” They recognized laissez-faire leadership as requiring the least amount of managerial oversight. Laissez-faire is the antithesis of centralized leadership, whereby a CEO — or military general — makes most of the decisions and relies on subordinates to carry out instructions. Lewin and his research partners deduced that neither laissez-faire nor autocratic leadership styles were ideal. Instead, they concluded that democratic leadership was the optimal style. Laissez-faire economicsLaissez-faire economics and laissez-faire leadership share free-market traits, but they are not identical. Within the field of economics, the term laissez-faire came into vogue in the 1980s during the Reagan administration with the rise of libertarian theories. Laissez-faire economic policies are frequently associated with Alan Greenspan, U.S. Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006. But it was Greenspan’s mentor, economist Milton Friedman, who popularized the term laissez-faire. Both men espoused macroeconomic theories that reduce government’s role in regulating private industry, international trade and monetary policy. Because of their hands-off philosophy, people often misinterpret laissez-faire leaders as absent from the decision-making process. Although some absentee owners may take such an approach, most laissez-faire leaders are more involved in policy decisions than people realize. Examples of laissez-faire leadershipPeople don’t often associate laissez-faire leadership with government. However, there are many historic examples of large-scale endeavors led by political leaders that required delegating authority and decision-making to experts. Most of these examples entailed massive infrastructure projects that would not have been successful without some form of laissez-faire leadership. Examples of large-scale projects led by a laissez-faire leadership style:
Laissez-faire leadership case study: IntelWhen Intel was launched in the late 1960s, the leadership style of Robert Noyce helped inspire other Fairchild employees to join him. Initially, Noyce’s laissez-faire management style appealed to the brilliant engineers who founded Intel, including Andrew Grove and Gordon Moore, who coined Moore’s Law of exponential growth. As Intel and the semiconductor industry matured, Noyce’s laissez-faire management style was no longer optimal for a company increasingly dependent on perfecting quality assurance processes and scaling costs. Eventually, Noyce was succeeded by Grove, whose management style was more refined and autocratic — better-suited for Intel’s long-term survival. Today, similar transformations are occurring among social media companies that thrived under the dynamic, personal leadership styles of their founders. As innovative startups mature, from the incubator stage to full-fledged companies with narrow profit margins, their leaders must adapt. For such companies, this means changing from a laissez-faire management style to other forms of leadership, such as autocratic or democratic. Famous laissez-faire leadersHere are some famous leaders who adopted the laissez-faire management style or blended it with other leadership styles, such as autocratic, transformative and servant:
Quotes about laissez-faire leadershipHere are some quotations from leaders who embody the laissez-faire model while managing people effectively through a combination of leadership styles.
Laissez-faire leadership style requirementsLaissez-faire leadership entails giving managers and staff wide latitude in carrying out their responsibilities. People who work for laissez-faire leaders are responsible for completing tasks and identifying issues. Moreover, they are expected to anticipate near-term problems and spot upcoming opportunities. Laissez-faire leaders usually allow staff to capitalize on opportunities without having to check in with their superiors. To succeed, laissez-faire leaders need to:
Laissez-faire management style explainedWithin organizations — from private companies and nonprofit entities to government agencies — laissez-faire leadership starts at the top of the organizational hierarchy. For example, a CEO or executive director with laissez-faire leadership characteristics typically hires or appoints senior executives and department heads with considerable experience in their respective fields. Those individuals are expected to know how to run their departments. They are entrusted to do so with minimal supervision. When is laissez-faire leadership effective?Expert merchandizing managers and retail buyers are good examples of people who often work well under a laissez-faire leadership structure. Within fast-moving markets, purchasing and promotional decisions are based on fluctuating factors — from consumer trends and supply-chain bottlenecks to price increases and severe weather patterns. Product managers who work under laissez-faire leaders are given autonomy to pivot fast and make quick decisions without waiting weeks for an approval process to begin. In business parlance, this is called being nimble. It does not mean laissez-faire leaders are reckless or blasé. On the contrary, successful laissez-faire leaders are observant. They reward people for their successes and hold them accountable for their mistakes. Advantages and disadvantages of laissez-faire leadershipOne criticism of the laissez-faire leadership style is that it tends to favor success-oriented people rather than those who solve society’s most pressing problems. In other words, laissez-faire leadership tends to serve the needs of the people who most benefit from it. This can be counterintuitive to the objectives of corporate responsibility. Other management models, like servant leadership, focus on good corporate citizenship. The objective is to serve the needs of customers, communities and disenfranchised groups. However, if you look at laissez-faire leadership as a management style rather than as an economic philosophy, it can be used effectively to initiate positive change in the same way that transformative and servant leadership styles do. For example, a laissez-faire leader who oversees the R&D division for a pharmaceutical company or biotech firm may surround herself with highly qualified experts charged with developing new drugs to treat or cure cancer. A team led by a laissez-faire leader does not make the manager’s objectives any less worthy than a similar group led by a democratic or autocratic leader. Laissez-faire leadership prosLaissez-faire leadership styles tend to work best near the top of organizational hierarchies, where executives build teams of experts such as directors and give them wide latitude to run their departments. Teams focused on research and development, conceptual or creative projects require autonomy. A laissez-faire leadership style delegates decision-making to managers and senior staff with expertise in their fields. A positive laissez-faire leadership style:
Laissez-faire leadership consWhen laissez-faire leadership is used inappropriately in organizations, projects or settings, it can create more problems than it resolves. If groups or team members lack sufficient skills, experience or motivation to complete projects, the organization suffers. A mismatched laissez-faire leadership style:
Benefits of laissez-faire leadershipManagers who adopt a laissez-faire leadership style expect accountability from people who report to them. Whether the laissez-faire leader is a CEO, department director or group manager, he or she expects positive results. Some people prefer working under autocratic managers because they don’t want to be held responsible for failures. For these people, a laissez-faire leadership style is a mismatch. Future laissez-faire leadersTo be successful in an age of daily productivity metrics reporting, laissez-faire leaders need to establish milestones for staff. This means today’s laissez-faire leaders can no longer be completely hands off. Contemporary laissez-faire leaders must:
In summary, today’s laissez-faire leaders must delegate authority without losing sight of group objectives and individual performances. Additional source:
Education Leadership Programs
What are 4 types of leadership styles?Types of Leadership Styles. Autocratic.. Democratic.. Laissez-faire.. Transformational.. What are the 4 leadership behaviors?The 4 Leadership Behaviors that Really Matter. Solving problems effectively. The process that precedes decision-making is problem solving, when information is gathered, analyzed, and considered.. Operating with a strong results orientation. ... . Seeking different perspectives. ... . Supporting others.. Under which leadership style subordinates participate in the decisionParticipative leadership is a style of leadership in which all members of the organization work together to make decisions. Participative leadership is also known as democratic leadership, as management teams encourage all employees to participate.
Which leadership style will have the most positive effect on subordinate?Leadership wielded in an affiliative or participative style is more likely to inspire trust, respect and measurable positive effects among subordinates.
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