Leadership Style in the

Workplace
Izabella Andrade
Department of Psychology, Cal State Fullerton
Psych 391 Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Dr. Daniel Pueblos
April 9, 2025
 Table of Contents

Transactional Democratic Laissez-Faire

Transformational Charismatic
Autocratic
Leadership Leadership
Leadership

Servant
Bureaucratic
Leadership
Leadership
 Transactional Leadership
● Transactional leaders focus on task-oriented behaviors
- Goal setting, performance monitoring, and rewards or
consequences (Aamodt, 2023)
● This style focuses on extrinsic motivation which leads to lack of
passion and engagement
● Pros: Clear expectations, rewards, quick decision-making
● Cons: Limited creativity, overuse of punishments, lack of
teamwork
-These leaders set standards and if their followers don't follow
these standards and they are diverted from, they take corrective
measures actively or passively (Abbas, 2024)
 Transformational Leadership
● Individuals engaging in transformational leadership are
characteristically labeled as visionary, charismatic, and
inspirational (Aamodt, 2023)
● This leadership style is beneficial for motivation because these
leaders develop a vision and motivate employees to reach
towards the goal of this vision through innovation
● Pros: Increased motivation, improved performance, and a
positive workplace culture
● Cons: Potential burnout and over reliance
 Servant Leadership
● Servant leaders prioritize and care for their followers while
providing valuable resources (Schowalter, 2025)
● Servant leadership impacts motivation for the better as these
leaders focus on uplifting associates and prioritizing the needs
of others above their own
● Pros: Encourages creativity, positive work culture, grows trust
and encourages teamwork
● Cons: This leadership style isn’t reliable in all situations and
may be perceived as weak leadership
-Difficult situations have hindered accessibility for resources
and it can become difficult for leaders to care for their
followers during a crisis (Schowalter, 2025)
 Democratic Leadership
● Democratic leaders encourage group discussion, value their
followers’ input, and empower their followers in order to build
their own leadership abilities (Kincaid et al., 2024)
● This leadership style impacts motivation in a positive way as it
enhances creativity and encourages collaboration boosting
engagement and team morale
● Pros: Higher employee motivation, stronger team
collaboration, skill development
● Cons: Potential conflict over decision making, time-consuming,
overwhelming input
 Autocratic Leadership
● Autocratic leaders are authoritative, demanding, and controlling.
- Autocratic leaders impose their ideas without any room for
feedback, prioritize task accomplishment over their followers
wellbeing, and rely on punishment in order to control (Kincaid et. al,
2024)
● Autocratic leadership has negative effects on motivation and leads
to less productivity and a negative work culture due to resentment
and disengagement
● Pros: Clear direction, quick decision-making, and structuralizes
chaotic situations
● Cons: Micromanagement, lack of trust, and no teamwork
 Bureaucratic Leadership
● Bureaucratic leaders are rule-oriented,
considered formal authority, and prioritize
policies
● This leadership style isn’t beneficial for
motivation and decreases productivity due to
limitation of creativity and lack of free will
● Pros: Clear structure, consistent, and efficient
● Cons: Limits creativity, reduces team morale,
creates toxic work culture
 Laissez-Faire Leadership
● Laissez-faire leaders provide minimal guidance, overlook
inefficiencies, and tend to neglect their followers
-They tend to not make decisions, fail to fulfill
responsibility, and refrain from providing leadership and
guidance (Fosse et al., 2024)
● Laissez-faire leadership impacts motivation negatively
for those who need structure or direction, but it is
beneficial for those who work in self-sufficient teams
● Pros: Encourages creativity, employee independence,
flexible work environment
● Cons: Lack of structure, low accountability, neglectful
 Charismatic Leadership
● Charismatic leaders build trust, set high
expectations, and are confident
● This type of leadership can have negative or
positive effects on motivation as it inspires
purpose and encourages risk taking while also
possibly resulting in burnout and unrealistic
expectations
● Pros: Boosts confidence, successful in crises,
provides direction
-Charismatic leaders help build positive visions for
the future (Eman at al., 2024)
● Cons: Overdependence, burnout, unethical acts
 References
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Abbas, M., & Ali, R. (2021). Transformational versus transactional leadership styles and project success: A meta-analytic review. European
Management Journal, 41(1), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.10.011
Eman, G., Hernández, A., & González-Romá, V. (2023). Charismatic leadership, intra-team communication quality, and team performance:
The role of average leadership perceptions and their homogeneity. European Management Journal, 42(5), 735–744.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.04.011
Fosse, T. H., Martinussen, M., Sørlie, H. O., Skogstad, A., Martinsen, Ø. L., & Einarsen, S. V. (2023). Neuroticism as an antecedent of abusive
supervision and laissez‐faire leadership in emergent leaders: The role of facets and agreeableness as a moderator. Applied Psychology,
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Kincaid, K. M., C, A., MA, Rast, D. E., & Hogg, M. A. (2024). That’s my autocrat: Self‐uncertainty elevates support for autocratic leadership
during Canada’s Freedom Convoy. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 24(3), 645–665. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12414
Schowalter, A. F., & Volmer, J. (2024). Trajectories and associations of perceived servant leadership and teacher exhaustion during the first
months of a crisis. Occupational Health Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-024-00206-x