Which leadership style is associated with empowering followers to perform with autonomy and initiative?

• A. Laissez-faire
• B. Autocratic
• C. Transactional
• D. Transformational

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is a leadership approach that gives team members freedom to decide how to do their work. Laissez-faire leadership is characterized by a hands-off stance where the leader steps back, delegates authority, and provides resources as needed, allowing followers to act with autonomy and take initiative. This style relies on the belief that capable people will figure out solutions and manage tasks themselves, with the leader intervening only when necessary.

Autocratic leadership centers on tight control and directing every step, leaving little room for independent initiative. Transactional leadership emphasizes clear expectations and rewards or punishments for performance, which can constrain autonomous decision-making. Transformational leadership motivates and inspires change through active leadership, guidance, and development, which involves more direct engagement than the laissez-faire approach.

So the description of empowering followers to perform with autonomy and initiative aligns best with a hands-off, laissez-faire style.