THE LEADERSHIP STYLES THAT WORK BEST IN A GROUP AIMED AT DISCIPLESHIP
There are four basic leadership styles that impact the way you conduct a group:
Autocratic: Content-oriented, no discussion, lecture style; the leader dominates the group and there is little to no discussion
Authoritarian: Content-oriented, interactive; the leader controls the direction of the group and the discussion
Democratic: Discussion-oriented, lots of sharing; the leader operates as a guide or facilitator of the group and the discussion
Laissez-Faire: Discussion-oriented, “anything goes”; the leader maintains minimum control of the group and the discussion
Some things to keep in mind:
One leadership style isn’t better than another; however, one style may be more optimum than another in a particular setting.
You will naturally prefer one leadership style over another. However, you may need to adjust your leadership style to better serve a group or depending on the setting.
The leadership styles that work best within the framework of a discipleship-oriented group are the authoritarian and democratic leadership styles.