Lewin's Leadership Styles
Lewin’s Leadership Styles is a model developed by psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1939, identifying three primary styles of leadership: Authoritarian (Autocratic), Participative (Democratic), and Delegative (Laissez-Faire). These styles were observed and analyzed based on their effects on group behaviour and productivity in an experimental setting.
Leaders provide clear expectations and make decisions independently, with a distinct division between leaders and followers.
Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group. Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership. Lewin also found that it is more difficult to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this style is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.
Leaders encourage group participation in decision-making while retaining the final say, promoting engagement and creativity.
Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Lewin’s study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is generally the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin’s study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a much higher quality.
Leaders offer minimal guidance, leaving decision-making to group members, suitable for highly qualified groups but often leading to low productivity and motivation.
Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. While this style can be effective in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation. Researchers found that children under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-fair leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation and were unable to work independently.
In 1939, Kurt Lewin and his colleagues conducted an influential study to identify different styles of leadership. They assigned schoolchildren to arts and crafts projects under three distinct leadership styles: Authoritarian, Participative, and Delegative. The researchers observed the children’s behaviour and productivity, establishing the foundation for understanding how different leadership approaches impact group dynamics.
These leadership styles have been widely applied across various domains, including business, education, and management. Understanding Lewin’s leadership styles helps leaders adapt their approach to different situations and group dynamics, aiming for optimal performance and satisfaction among group members.
Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership emphasizes inspiring and motivating followers to achieve their highest potential and fosters an environment of intellectual stimulation and personal development. Like Participative Leadership, it encourages engagement and creativity, but goes further, focusing on long-term vision and personal growth, by transforming the underlying values and beliefs of their followers.
Situational Leadership: This model, developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, posits that no single leadership style is best. Instead, the effectiveness of leadership depends on the situation and the maturity level of the followers. It aligns with Lewin’s framework by recognizing that different contexts may require different leadership approaches. Though compatible, Situational Leadership explicitly adjusts leadership style based on the followers’ competence and commitment, whereas Lewin’s styles are more static and do not change based on follower readiness.
Transactional Leadership: Transactional leadership is based on a system of rewards and punishments to manage followers. Leaders set clear goals and provide rewards for achieving them while punishing those who fail to meet expectations. Though similar to the ‘Authoritarian leader’ in the Lewin model, Transactional Leadership is more focused on achieving specific tasks through a system of incentives and penalties, whereas Authoritarian Leadership in Lewin’s model may not necessarily involve such transactional elements and focuses more on the leader’s control over decision-making.
Servant Leadership: Servant leadership, as articulated by Robert K. Greenleaf, emphasizes the leader’s role as a servant who prioritizes the needs of others, fosters a sense of community, and promotes the well-being of followers. Like Participative Leadership, it involves the leader working closely with followers and valuing their input. Servant Leadership focuses more on the leader’s responsibility to serve followers and develop their potential, whereas Participative Leadership is primarily concerned with collaborative decision-making.