Leadership style

Lewin, Lippitt and White (1939) identified three types of leadership:

Authoritarian or autocratic style: coaches who possess an authoritarian personality may demonstrate ineffective coping skills with regard to ambiguity and avoidance of unstructured situations due to perceptions of such situation. Authoritarian coaches may fail to adapt to new situations and challenges, and also fail to achieve stated goals and objectives. Triandis (1971), authoritarians typically avoid introspection, approve of severe punishment, and tend to hold strong prejudices.  Lewin found that when the leader was absent, group members tended to stop or slow down their work and they became aggressive towards each other when things went wrong.

Democratic style: this style encourages the involvement of the members of the group, ideas are listened to and individuals are encouraged to participate in decisions related to the preparation and execution of group tasks. Lewin found that when the leader was absent, group members continued to work on their tasks and co-operate when things when wrong.

Laissez-faire style: this style is really ‘no leadership’. Laissez-faire means letting the group members get on with things in their own way. Although leaders may help members get out of difficultie, they offer no direction or involvement. The group goals are less likely to be achieved. Members of this types of groups are tend to be aggressive towards each other when things went wrong and tend to give up easily.

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