4 (a) (i) Identify three characteristics of an effective leader in sport. Give a practical example of how each characteristic can help team success.
Three characteristics of a leader are;
1: task-orientated or autocratic leaders
2: social or person-orientated leaders, also referred to as democratic leaders
3: Laissez-faire leaders.
Task-orientated or autocratic leaders are most effective when quick decisions are needed for large groups of people for example interactive games. This characteristic doesn’t take into account the opinions or preferences of the group. The autocratic leader focuses on group performance and achieving goals. This can help team success by the decisions all being made by one person who is skilled and qualified to make the right decision.
A democratic leader will share the decision with the group and is often ready to delegate responsibility. They believe in consultation and in developing interpersonal relationships within the team. The belief is that t=by giving ‘ownership’ of the task to each individual, the group will work harder, developing unity and a common purpose. This style would be effective in a co-active game or when time constraints are not as exacting and personal support may be required. This can help team success but ensuring the group know that that the final decision is going to be made by the democratic leader but the team do get to voice their opinions as well.
Laissez-Faire leadership style is when the leader will stand aside and allow the group to make its own independent decisions. This style can result in loss of group direction if the leader is inadequate. This can help team success by letting everyone in the team voice their opinions and decisions freely however, without leadership control it can be unsuccessful.
(ii) Explain when an autocratic leadership style and a democratic leadership style could be used by an effective leader to maximise the success of a