A laissez-faire approach to leadership would be appropriate in an organization with followers who:

• A. Are highly skilled and self-motivated.
• B. Are committed to the leader's vision.
• C. Participate in the leadership process.
• D. Provide little or no input into the leader's decisions.

Answer: (A)

Laissez-faire leadership works best when followers are highly skilled and self-motivated, because they have the competence and drive to accomplish tasks with minimal supervision. In this setup, the leader acts as a facilitator—removing obstacles, providing needed resources, and keeping goals in view—while followers take the initiative and make decisions. If followers are already committed to a vision or actively participate in the process, they typically benefit from this autonomy; however, when followers provide little input or need close direction, a more directive or collaborative approach is usually necessary.