“Lecture notes: Three
Classic Leadership Styles
The earliest research on leadership styles was
conducted by Kurt Lewin (1939) and his students who identified three basic
styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. The autocratic style is
directive, assertive, aggressive, and controlling in relationships. Leaders
with an autocratic style use strict policies and procedures to control the work
environment. Followers have little power and are unable to challenge authority.
The leader with a democratic style is open-minded,
interactive, egalitarian, collaborative, and focuses on policies and procedures
less than the autocratic leader. Followers are a part of the decision making
process at all levels.

The leader with a laissez-faire style uses
a hands-off approach, gives followers a significant amount of autonomy to
complete tasks, determine goals, make decisions, and focuses on policies and
procedures less than the democratic leader. The laissez-faire style can be
risky and can create chaos for followers due to a lack of supervision.
Classic
Leadership Styles

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A general in the military may have an autocratic style of leading, a dean of a
college may have a democratic style of leading, and a retail manager may have a
laissez-faire style of leading. Over the years, there have been many debates
over leadership styles and what the optimum leadership style is.

Please begin by reading:
Leadership Toolbox. (2008). Leadership styles:
Democratic leadership style. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.html””>http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.html
Leadership Toolbox. (2008). Leadership styles:
Autocratic leadership. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.html””>http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.html
United Nations Public Administration
Network.(2010). Leadership styles. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/unssc/unpan024704.pdf””>http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/unssc/unpan024704.pdf
Assignment:
Then, drawing on the material in the background
readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 5-6 page paper
(not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:
Research
the company REI (starting with Fortune Magazines Top 100 Companies to
Work For 2011.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/full_list/””>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/full_list/ ), then answer
the following questions:Which
of the classical leadership styles exemplifies this company?What
is the added value of this leadership style?What
impact does this leadership style have on the organizations overall
image?Contrast
this leadership style with United Airlines, named the worst company in
America to work for by glassdoor.com.Based
on your experiences and research, what kind of leadership style is needed
to promote efficiency in an organization? What contingencies affect this
outcome? Justify your response.

Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be
evaluated on the following points:
Precision
– Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?Clarity
– Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are
paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to
the questions, or are excessive use of quotations how thoughts are
conveyed? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2
pages?Breadth
– Is the full breadth of the subject addressed?Depth
– Does the paper address the topic in sufficient depth?Grammar,
spelling and vocabulary – Is the paper written well – is the grammar,
spelling, and vocabulary suitable to graduate level work?Referencing
(citations and references) – Does the paper use citations and quotation
marks when appropriate?Critical
thinking – Is the subject thought about critically, i.e., accurately,
logically, relevantly, and precisely?
Lecture notes: Three
Classic Leadership StylesThe earliest research on leadership styles was
conducted by Kurt Lewin (1939) and his students who identified three basic
styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. The autocratic style is
directive, assertive, aggressive, and controlling in relationships. Leaders
with an autocratic style use strict policies and procedures to control the work
environment. Followers have little power and are unable to challenge authority.
The leader with a democratic style is open-minded,
interactive, egalitarian, collaborative, and focuses on policies and procedures
less than the autocratic leader. Followers are a part of the decision making
process at all levels. The leader with a laissez-faire style uses
a hands-off approach, gives followers a significant amount of autonomy to
complete tasks, determine goals, make decisions, and focuses on policies and
procedures less than the democratic leader. The laissez-faire style can be
risky and can create chaos for followers due to a lack of supervision.Classic
Leadership Styles.jpg”” alt=””https://cdad.trident.edu/displayApprovedImage.aspx?imgid=782″”>
A general in the military may have an autocratic style of leading, a dean of a
college may have a democratic style of leading, and a retail manager may have a
laissez-faire style of leading. Over the years, there have been many debates
over leadership styles and what the optimum leadership style is.Please begin by reading:Leadership Toolbox. (2008). Leadership styles:
Democratic leadership style. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.html””>http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.htmlLeadership Toolbox. (2008). Leadership styles:
Autocratic leadership. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.html””>http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.htmlUnited Nations Public Administration
Network.(2010). Leadership styles. Retrieved May 14, 2011 from.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/unssc/unpan024704.pdf””>http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/unssc/unpan024704.pdfAssignment:Then, drawing on the material in the background
readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 5-6 page paper
(not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:Assignment ExpectationsYour paper will be
evaluated on the following points:”