Which leadership style emphasizes discussion but the leader makes the final decision?

• A. Democratic Participative
• B. Autocratic
• C. Laissez Faire
• D. Transactional

Answer: (A)

In this style, input from the team is encouraged and discussed, but the leader retains the final decision. Participative (democratic) leadership values collaboration and brings in diverse perspectives, which helps with buy-in and better-informed choices. The leader guides the discussion, weighs the options, and then makes the ultimate call.

This differs from an autocratic approach, where the leader makes decisions alone with little to no team input. It also differs from laissez-faire, which is more hands-off and allows the group to decide with minimal direction. And it’s not focused on rewards or punishments for performance, like transactional leadership, which centers on exchanges rather than how decisions are made.