Let It Be. Yes, it is the title of a very popular song recorded by the Beatles in 1970. Yes, it is a great song, but it is also a translation for the term laissez-faire, which originates from France and means “leave alone,” “let them do,” or “let it be.” thus, it comes as no surprise that the laissez-faire leadership style is more of a hands-off approach. Laissez-faire leaders tend not to be micromanagers. Their involvement in the process and guidance are limited. Laissez-faire leaders depend on employees to utilize their creativity and other resources to achieve organizational goals.

What this may look like:

A laissez-faire leadership style is evident in industries such as technology and advertising, where team members are highly skilled in their respective areas. Instead of providing a rigid path to the desired outcome, participants can create their way with little to no parameters. Prime examples of laissez-faire leaders include Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Each encourages innovation and creativity. Google, Twitter, Apple, and Meta leaders provide limited feedback to team members, and out-of-the-box thinking is encouraged. Employees are promoted based on their creativity and innovation. 

Advantages of a laissez-faire leadership syle:

1. Demonstrates confidence and trust in employees, which can build a strong bond between the leader and the team.
2. It affords freedom for team members to explore their ideas and solutions. 
3. Fosters creativity and innovation as team members are allowed to work independently.
4. It provides flexibility by allowing team members to work at their own pace using their best methodologies. 
5. It creates a culture infused with autonomy.

Disadvantages of a laissez-faire leadership style:

1. It provides little direction to employees. Without guidance from the leader, team members may be unsure of their part in the process and feel lost. Lower productivity and higher confusion levels may result without clear guidance.
2. It can lack accountability in the process. Self-discipline may falter when team members are not held responsible for their work or mistakes, and work performance can suffer.
3. Unknown structure levels may hinder effective collaboration. It can also disrupt the employees’ abilities to communicate their ideas with one another. 

Before Adapting a Lassiez-faire Leadership Style:

Leaders must realize that the laissez-faire leadership style is only practical and suitable for some teams or projects. Before utilizing this style, an effective leader must evaluate whether this style will work well with their team and organization before using it. While there are situations where this leadership style will be beneficial, the leader must consider the pros and cons of this style before deciding to implement it within their team.

Transitioning Away from a Laissez-faire Leadership Style:

Before communicating a transition from a Laissez-faire leadership style, leaders should clearly understand why a change is needed and how it will impact the team’s performance and engagement. As with any change, setting goals with identifiable markers is vital to determine success. This approach will assist in providing the structure lacking within the laissez-faire leadership style. Maintaining consistent communication and feedback throughout the process will decrease the chances of disengagement and confusion among team members.

Once the team has transitioned into a new working environment with a different leadership style, it is essential to institute an evaluation method where you can identify what is working well and what is not serving the team. Adjust and modify where needed to ensure your team’s success in achieving the organizational goals.

Take Action

Does your organization embrace a lassiez-faire leadership style? Does this style of leadership align with your values and goals? Can you use this approach in your current role? What impact do you see it having on your team’s performance? As always, we invite you to jump in and be a part of the conversation and movement to impact how leaders lead positively! To learn more about how we can create a learning experience for your organization, email us at ala@deneenattard.com.

Learning on a Dime is a collaboration between DeNeen K. Attard and Jeni McIntosh-Elkins.  

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