What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? Is It Lazy or Is It Fair?
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Once you get past the quick lesson in French, understanding the laissez-faire leadership style is a walk in the park. Or should I say “promenade dans le parc”?
In any case, let’s explore what exactly laissez-faire leadership means, its defining characteristics, a little history lesson, some examples, and the pros and cons.
What is Laissez-Faire Leadership?
Laissez-faire is a French expression that means “let it be”. It’s a philosophy that can be applied to business management in the form of laissez-faire leadership. Laissez-faire leaders are known to put a lot of trust in their followers, allowing them complete autonomy to make their own decisions and get on with their work.
They don’t micromanage or provide much guidance. Instead, they give their employees free rein to use their creativity, resources, and experience to get the job done.
That’s not to say that laissez-faire leaders are 100% hands-off. They do take responsibility when needed, but generally let their teams take the lead.
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” – Steve Jobs
Characteristics of Laissez-Faire Leadership
To be a laissez-faire leader, you need to:
Be a firm believer in autonomy
Provide little or no guidance to your teams
Be able to take charge when necessary
Be kept in the know about what’s happening but not be directly involved in it
Trust others to keep their word
Monitor performance and give feedback regularly
Expect employees to solve their own problems
Be effective at handing out constructive criticism
Take responsibility for overall actions and decisions
Be comfortable with making mistakes
Know who to delegate work to
Give employees access to multiple resources and tools
Strengths of Laissez-Faire Leaders
There are plenty of advantages to this style of leadership, including:
Empowering Creativity and Innovation: Laissez-faire leadership allows employees the freedom to explore their creativity and innovative ideas, allowing for groundbreaking solutions and approaches.
Increasing Job Satisfaction and Performance: In an environment where team members are experienced and skilled, the autonomy provided by laissez-faire leadership can be highly motivating and lead to increased job satisfaction and performance.
Encouraging Personal Growth: When individuals are responsible for their decisions and actions, they are presented with the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally through learning from their experiences.
Faster Decision-Making: With less managerial oversight, teams can make decisions quickly without bureaucratic delays, making the organisation more agile and responsive to changes.
History of Laissez-Faire Leadership
Laissez-faire originally emerged as an economic philosophy of free-market capitalism uncontrolled by government oversight. The theory itself was developed by the – you guessed it - French. Namely, French Physiocrats during the 18th century who believed that economic success was impossible when governments tried to, well, govern it.
While the origins of the phrase are heavily contested, rumour has it that it came from a meeting between the French finance minister Jean-Baptise Colbert and a businessman named Le Gendre in 1681. In this mythical meeting, the finance minister asked Le Gendre how the French government could help boost commerce, to which Le Gendre answered “Laissez-nous faire”. In other words, “Let it be.” (I don’t think Paul McCartney had this in mind when writing his ballad.)
It’s important to note that while laissez-faire economics is similar to laissez-faire leadership, the two are not identical. We can thank German-American psychologist Kurt Lewin for developing the concept into a style of leadership in the 1930s.
Lewin, an expert in social psychology, was one of the first to research group dynamics and organisational psychology. In fact, human resources have a lot to thank Lewin for as his research on assessing and managing workplace productivity is still used to this day.
During his studies, Lewin identified laissez-faire leadership as the opposite of autocratic leadership. Together with his team of psychologists, Lewin understood that laissez-faire leadership required the least amount of managerial oversight. It went against the centralised forms of leadership that were the norm at the time (such as transactional leadership).
An interesting thing to note is that Lewin and his research partners decided that neither laissez-faire nor autocratic would cut it as leadership styles. What was their preferred leadership style you might ask? It was, in fact, democratic leadership.
Examples of Laissez-Faire Leadership
Examples of laissez-faire leaders can come from anywhere, even outside of business. John F. Kennedy is sometimes considered a laissez-faire leader, specifically when talking about his space exploration programme. With just the single goal of getting a man on the moon, Kennedy entrusted the entire project to NASA engineers, scientists, and astronauts. And while that giant leap for mankind happened after his passing, the Apollo space programme would not have existed without him.
Another prime example is Sebastián Piňera, the president of Chile from 2010 to 2014. During the 2010 Copiapó mining accident (more lazily known as the "Chilean mining accident"), he led the rescue operation that saved 33 miners trapped 2,300 feet underground. From the very beginning, he recognised the event as completely unprecedented and sought the expertise and assistance of engineers, mechanics, deep-sea operators, doctors, and psychologists. After picking the key players, Piňera took a back seat and let them get on with their unconventional rescue mission.
For an example outside the world of politics, let’s look at the DK in DKNY – Donna Karan. The New York fashion label founder is known as an attentive yet hands-off leader who is always looking for the bigger picture. Her managers report that she places complete trust in them when it comes to decision-making, and only offered feedback once all was said and done.
“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.” - Ronald Reagan
Laissez-Faire Leadership Examples in Different Spaces
Laissez-faire leadership can be observed in various settings, and here are some examples:
Education (School or University)
A laissez-faire leader in the education system might be a principal or a teacher who encourages students to take charge of their learning. They provide resources and support but allow students the freedom to explore topics of interest and decide on their learning path.
Government
In government, a laissez-faire leader may be a political leader who delegates authority to their cabinet members or advisors, giving them the autonomy to handle their respective portfolios while focusing on the overall vision and policy direction.
Workplaces and Organisations
Laissez-faire leadership can be observed in certain departments or projects within an organisation. For instance, in a creative team such as a design or marketing department, the leader may adopt a laissez-faire approach to encourage creativity and innovation.
Research and Development Teams
In research-focused environments, leaders may adopt a laissez-faire style to empower scientists or researchers to explore new ideas and conduct experiments without excessive interference.
Startup Ventures
Entrepreneurs leading startup ventures may employ laissez-faire leadership to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation among their small, highly motivated team.
Artistic Communities
Within artistic circles like music bands or theatre groups, leaders might adopt a laissez-faire style to allow their team members the freedom to express themselves creatively and contribute to the artistic vision.
Non-Profit Organisations
In some non-profit organisations, leaders may practise laissez-faire leadership with experienced and self-motivated volunteers, trusting them to carry out the organisation's mission while providing minimal intervention.
Project-Based Teams
In project-based environments, leaders may adopt a laissez-faire style when working with experienced and skilled team members who are well-equipped to manage their tasks independently.
Laissez-faire leadership, while effective in certain situations, may not be suitable for every scenario. The success of this approach depends on the characteristics of the team, the nature of the project and the overall organisational culture. As with any leadership style, understanding the context and adapting one's approach accordingly is crucial for achieving the desired outcomes.
5 Tips to Improve Laissez-Faire Leadership
Effective Communication: While providing autonomy, ensure open and clear channels of communication to keep track of progress, offer support and address any challenges.
Establish Boundaries: Set clear expectations and boundaries to avoid misunderstandings and ensure employees understand the limits of their autonomy.
Provide Resources and Support: Offer access to necessary resources, training and support to enable employees to make informed decisions.
Regular Feedback: Schedule regular feedback sessions to offer constructive criticism, celebrate successes and guide employees when needed.
Adaptability: Be open to adjusting your leadership approach based on the needs of the team and the project at hand.
By leveraging the strengths of laissez-faire leadership and being mindful of the situations where it works best, leaders can effectively implement this style to create a productive and innovative work environment.
However, a balanced approach that incorporates elements of other leadership styles may be more appropriate in certain situations, ensuring the success of both the team and the organisation.
Situations When Laissez-Faire Leadership Works Best
Creative and Innovative Projects
Laissez-faire leadership is effective in projects that require out-of-the-box thinking and where creativity and innovation are highly valued.
Experienced and Self-Motivated Teams
It works well when leading teams composed of highly skilled and self-motivated individuals who require minimal guidance.
Research and Development
In research-oriented or developmental projects, where trial and error are common, a laissez-faire approach can foster an environment conducive to experimentation.
When to Avoid Laissez-Faire Leadership
Inexperienced Teams
Inexperienced teams may struggle with a lack of guidance and structure, leading to reduced productivity and potential errors.
Crisis Situations
During times of crisis or urgent decision-making, a more hands-on leadership style may be necessary to provide direction and stability.
Lack of Employee Discipline
In environments where employees lack discipline or tend to abuse freedom, a laissez-faire approach can lead to chaos and reduced performance.
Pros and Cons of Laissez-Faire Leadership
Before you put your beret on and become a full-on laissez-faire leader, let’s take a look at the pros and cons.
Pros
✓ Effective when a team is skilled and experienced
✓ Increased productivity and job satisfaction
✓ Higher retention rates
✓ More accountability for employees
✓ A thriving creative culture
✓ Boosts motivation
✓ Encourages personal growth and innovation
✓ Allows for faster decision-making
Cons
❌ Can be difficult for new starters
❌ Accountability can be passed around
❌ Difficult to adapt to changing situations
❌ Lack of structure, support, and clarity
❌ Leaders can appear uninvested
❌ Can lead to organisational silos
❌ Tough to implement in large groups
❌ Can be easily abused by employees
Laissez-faire leadership is a bold way of doing things. It involves complete trust and an insane amount of faith in your subordinates.
And in the age of remote working, most leaders have inadvertently moved into this style of leadership. But is laissez-faire leadership the way to do it? I’d have to agree with Kurt Lewin and say, by itself, it’s not enough - especially for remote workers.
While I’m a huge proponent of freedom and trust in the workplace, taking a more hands-off approach when people need guidance and support more than ever seems at best unwise, and at worst nonsensical.
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Written by Michael
Michael Mauro is the founder of a forward-thinking organisation specialising in leadership, HR and employee development. With over a decade of global experience, Michael has become a leading voice on topics such as culture, inclusion, wellbeing, and the future of leadership.
