Which leadership style describes decision making that is shared among the team?

• A. Autocratic Leadership Style
• B. Democratic Leadership Style
• C. Laissez-faire Leadership Style
• D. Participative Leadership Style

Answer: (B)

Sharing decision making with the team is the hallmark of the democratic style. In this approach, the leader invites input, discusses options with others, and decisions are made with the group’s involvement—often by consensus or majority. This leads to better buy-in, motivation, and decisions that benefit from diverse perspectives, especially when the team has relevant knowledge.

Autocratic leadership centers on the leader making decisions alone, without team input. Laissez-faire is more hands-off, with the leader stepping back and the team largely guiding itself. Participative leadership also involves team input, but in this context the description of sharing decisions most clearly matches democratic leadership, which specifically emphasizes collective decision making and involvement.