How Leadership Styles Influence Group Communication

Angelina Spaulding
COM 430: Leadership Group Communication
Arizona State University
College of Letters and Sciences

How Leadership Styles Influence Group Communication

Hackman and Johnson (2013) suggest that three distinct forms of leadership exist at
every level of an organization: authoritarian leadership, laissez-faire leadership and
democratic leadership. An authoritarian leader is a type of leader that is very task-oriented,
and believes that followers cannot function without direct involvement or supervision (p.
40). Laissez-faire leaders generally practice non-leadership tactics, have lackluster
involvement, and only engage followers under forced circumstances. A democratic leader is
one who engages those within an organization, is supportive, communicative and peopleoriented (Hackman & Johnson, 2013). Communication styles also vary amongst each form
of leadership, and for that reason vary in regards to production and efficiency for each
leaders group.
An authoritarian leader seeks compliance and adherence to policy and procedures
from followers, which result in high levels of productivity in a strained environment
(Hackman & Johnson, 2013). Laissez-faire leaders, communication style of
avoidance...results in decreased productivity and less satisfaction from most followers
(Hackman & Johnson, 2013, p. 44). Whereas, democratic leaders, ...communication
contributes to ...high productivity...and increased satisfaction , commitment, and
cohesiveness (p. 44) amongst followers. Based on this knowledge, it would be easy to
agree with most researchers that the democratic style of leadership communication is often
the most effective.
However, Hackman and Johnson (2013) argue through the use of the, Michigan
Leadership Studies (pp. 48-50), the Ohio State Leadership Studies (pp. 50-52) and the
Blake and McCanse Leadership Grid (pp. 53-55) that a blend of people-oriented and
task-oriented communication styles are best suited for effective leadership. For example, a
follow up study within the Michigan Leadership studies original work found that leaders that
practiced, both production-oriented and employee-oriented styles...were found to [be]
more effective than, (p. 50) leaders who strongly exhibited one of the two communication

styles. The Ohio State Leadership Study not only deciphered between task-oriented and
relations-oriented behaviors, but also acknowledged those leaders who exuded,
...development-oriented leadership [that] encourages creativity, experimentation, risk
taking and the adoption of innovations (p. 50). The Blake and McCanse Leadership Grid
notes five leader communication styles ranging from, impoverished management, (p. 53)
to, team management (p. 54). The researchers within this particular study believe that,
team leadership[which] involves a high concern for both production and people[is] the
most effective leadership communication style (pp. 54-55).
After analyzing the information presented by Hackman and Johnson (2013), it is
easy to believe that a blend of people-oriented and task-oriented skills is required for an
effective leader. A leader that is able to guide individuals towards a common goal must be
visionary enough to develop a strategic plan based on input from people within the
organization, but also focused enough to understand the importance of completing detailed
tasks to meet the designed goal. A leader that is able to connect with individuals through
an inspirational story, but is also able to provide the lists of dos and donts to complete an
objective is also very important to meeting goals. A leader that is able to effectively
balance a combination of production needs through the engagement of people will be the
most likely to succeed based on the type of communication that is implemented based on
individual leadership styles of a team leader.

References
Hackman, M.Z. & Johnson, C.E. (2013). Leadership: A communication perspective (6th
Ed.). Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc.
Northouse, P.G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th Ed.). Washington, D.C.:
Sage Publications, Inc.