Group Leadership Roles and Group Leadership Styles

Authoritarian Leadership

Focuses on instrumental concerns, takes personal charge of decision making, and demands that group members obey orders. Although this leadership style may win little affection from the group, a fast-acting authoritarian leader is appreciated in a crisis.

Instrumental Leadership

Group leadership that focuses on the completion of tasks. Members look to instrumental leaders to make plans, give orders, and get things done. Because they concentrate on performance, instrumental leaders usually have formal secondary relationships with other members. These leaders give orders and reward or punish members according to the group's efforts. Successful leaders enjoy more respect from members.

Laissez-faire Leadership

Allows the group to function more or less on its own. This style is typically the least effective in promoting group goals.

Expressive Leadership

Group leadership that focuses on the group's well-being. Expressive leaders take less interest in achieving goals than in raising group morale and minimizing tension and conflict among members. These leaders build more personal primary ties. They offer sympathy to a member going through tough times, keep the group united, and lighten serious moments with humor. Successful leaders receive more personal affection.

Democratic Leadership

More expressive and makes a point of including everyone in the decision making process. Although less successful in a crisis situation, democratic leaders generally draw on the ideas of all members to develop creative solutions to problems