Your score is:

Authoritarian 35
Procedural 27
Transformational 43
Participative 39
Laissez Faire 25

Test results: explanations of the different styles of leadership

Styl Authorit Procedura Transformation
Participative
e
arian
l
al
Autocrat Taskic
orientate
d
Transact
ional: th Bureaucra
e
tic
transact
Manageri
ion is
al
that the
organisat Also
Oth ion
related
er rewards to authori
na (pays)
tarian
mes the
team, in
return for
their
work &
complian
ce.

Laissezfaire

Charismatic lead Democratic or Consultin Delegat

ership is very
g
ive.
similar, where the
Servant
leader depends
:A
on his/her
leader
charisma &
who is
energy to inspire
not
staff.
formally
recogniz
ed.
Leads
just by
meeting
the
needs of
the
team.
Whole
team is
involved
in
decisions
.

Exa Napoleon Florence

Barack Obama
mpl
Nightingale
e

Nelson Mandela

Am High: tel High: tellin Medium: selling, Medium: selling,

oun ling,
g,
reasoning,
reasoning, persuading,
t of directing, directing, persuading,

Mahatm
a Gandhi
Low: ad
vising,
counseli

controllin controlling. delegating.

g.

consulting.

The
leader
has a
lot of
power o
ver team
members
& has
the right
to reward
good
performa
nce or
punish
members
if they
don't
reach the
agreed
standard.

Builds consensus through

participation: the leader
makes the final
decision, but the team
to contribute to
the decision-making
process.

con
trol

Wh
at
it
inv
olv
es

Work by
the
book: tea
m
members
follow
procedures
precisely.

The leader
inspires team
with their vision
of what should
happen. They
supply the main
goal, but allow
members to
choose their own
way of reaching
it.

ng,
participa
ting,
observin
g,
joining.

Team
member
s make
the
decisio
ns but
leader
is still
The leader asks the team's
respons
Focuses
opinions & uses these to
ible for
only on
make decisions. The team
these.
getting
is kept informed & are
the job
The leader
allowed to discuss &
Leader
done, &
is totally
propose changes to policy. asks for
can be
focused
the
The leader can't know
quite
on organizing,
team's
everything: this is why
autocratic supporting &
opinions.
you employ skillful team
.
developing the
Team is
members.
team.
left to
Little
make its
This style is not a sign of
thought
The leader
own
weakness, more a sign of
given to
is always
They
decisions
strength your team will
the well- looking
tell
which
respect.
being of
for ideas that
their
are then
team
move towards the
team
sanction
members organisations
what
ed by
vision.
they
the
Task
want
leader.
Orientate Transformation
done & d vs
leaders are very
Leader
how
relationsh visible, & spend
particip
without ip
lot of time
ates in
often
orientate communicating.
the
asking
d: both
Communication
discussi
for
procedural is the basis for
on as a
advice
&
achievement by
normal
from
transforma focusing the
team
team
tional
group on the
member
members leaders are required
& agrees
. Team
usually
outcome. They
in
members

are given
little
opportun
ity to
make
suggesti
ons,
even if
these
would be
in the
team's
interest.

needed.
"managers
" focus on
tasks while
"leaders"
focus on
people.

dont necessarily
lead from the
front, as
they tend to
delegate respons
ibility.

advance
to carry
out
whateve
r
decision
the
group
makes.
Team
member
s are left
to get on
with
their
tasks.

It
should
normall
y only
be used
occasio
nally

Effective
if the
leader
monitors
what is
being
achieved
&
regularly
communi
cates
this back
to the
team.

The
focus is
on shortterm
tasks so
it's more
aa
method
of
managi
ng
rather a
true
leaders
hip
style
Wh
en
use
d

Works
well
when
you're sh
ort on
time,
& team
is well

Tasks
requiring
great atte
ntion to
detail.
Appropriat
e for work

This is the most

common
modern
leadership
style.

When
organisational flexibility &
a sense of individual
responsibility is needed,
Where team working is
essential

When
you
have co
nfidenc
e&
trust in
your

motivat involving s
ed
afety risks
such as
For
working
some ro
with
utine &
machinery
unskille
or
d tasks.
where larg
e sums of
In
a crisis. money are
involved.
With dif
cult
employe
es.

Pro Can
s
achieve
results
quickly

Clearly
defines
the tasks
& the
roles requi
red.

When quality is more

important than speed or
productivity.

Motivates the
team to be
effective &
efcient.

Mutual benefit: allows

members to feel part of the
team & leader to make
better decisions.

team.
Where t
eam
member
s are
experie
nced &
skilled;
they
can
analyse
the
situatio
n&
determi
ne what
needs
to be
done &
how to
do
it. (e.g.
team of
research
scientist
s).

Increasin
gly
necessar
y in a
world
In
Tends to lead
Members feel in
where
research
to good teamwo control & motivated to
leaders
done on Puts
rk & creative
work hard. Increases job
achieve
this
structures collaboration.
satisfaction by involving
power on
groups
in
the team in decisions.
the basis
The enthusiasm
were
place: plan
Helps to develop team
of
& energy of a
found to ning,
members' skills.
their ide
transformational
be most organizatio
leader is often
Most consistent in quality & als &
producti n &
values.
infectious.
productivity
ve under monitoring
autocrati is usually Can communicat
You can't
c, but if good.
do
e an
the lead
everythi
inspirational
er was
ng so
vision of the

absent
work
stopped
.

Con Team
s
doesn't
gain
from cre
ativity
&
knowled
ge of
member
s, so
benefits
of
teamwor
k are
lost.

The inflexi
bility &
high
levels of
control
exerted
can
demoraliz
e team
members,
& reduce
the
organisatio
n's ability
to react
to
Staff
changing
can't
circumsta
improve
nces
their job
satisfac Similar
tion&
problems
may
to
resent
autocratic
the way leadership:
they are difcultie
treated s in
leading motivatin
to high
g&
absentee retaining
ism &
team
staff
members.
turnover.
Serious
limitatio
ns but
still
much

future

Procedural &
transformationa
l leadership are
symbiotic. The
procedural
leaders
(managers)
ensure routine
work is done well,
while the
transformational
leaders focus on
initiatives that
add value. The
transformational
leader focuses
on the big
picture,
but needs to be
surrounded by
people who
take care of the
details.
Taken to
extremes, can
lead to failure to
achieve the
team's goals.

you have
to
set priori
ties &
delegate
some
tasks.
This style may result in
indecision, & some team
members may be left
feeling confused &
leaderless.

Often le
ss
effectiv
e in
terms
of
As participation takes
quality
time things may happen
and
more slowly than with an
product
autocratic approach, but
ivity tha
often the end result is
n other
better.
methods
.
Not
good in
competi
tive
situatio
ns.
Often
happens
naturally
in
situation
s where
manager
s are not
exerting
sufficient
control.

used.
Sometim
es
thought
of as
bullying
but this
isn't a
valid
authorita
rian
style.