The approach adopted by a leader varies with both the individual and the situation. Leadership has three specific styles. These are known as autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Autocratic is when a person was to take control of the situation. The leader would decide what will be done and would make clear what the group’s expectations are. This style is often used to suit dangerous situations where decisions need to be made quickly. It also seems to suit individuals who are confident (and are often task – orientated) as little notice is taken of individuals when decisions are make. The leader tells others to do without consulting them. The advantage of being autocratic is that decisions are made quicker. However being autocratic leads to being un-motivational. E.g. when Sven Gran Eriksson selected Theo Walcott to be in the England squad for the World Cup, it was his choice to put him on the team because of Wayne Rooney’s injury. This however did not benefit England in anyway as Walcott did not play.
Democratic is when the task is person orientated. This means that the leader or captain would take advice from his/her team mates. They would listen and act on the opinions of the group. Democratic often goes as far as taking a vote with a major opinion. The advantage of this is that everyone’s viewpoint is herd and it is highly motivating, as the team can feel like a closer unit that bonds together, rather than just being a group of players. However the disadvantage is that decisions will take longer to debate over. E.g. when England were playing for the Ashes as the fielding side, they had a huddle and each in turn gave constructive criticism to each other about the placement of fielders. As a result, England won the match and followed on to win the series.
Laissez-faire is when the group is encouraged to do whatever they want to do. The term laissez-faire is French for “let it be.” There is little direction from a laissez-faire leader. Successful use of this style depends on the members of the group. If they are highly motivated and experienced, an advantage of this can lead to greater motivation as the group feel that they are trusted to make their own decisions. However, it will be not as organised. E.g. When teams such as Chelsea FC in the 2004/05 season continuously won games, the manager trusted them with the way they were going to play, however, if another team was tactically superior, they could out do the players, for example Chelsea vs. Liverpool (Champions League Semi-Final 05).
Tiger Woods is arguably the best golfer in the world. The thought of the best golfer in the world having a coach is bizarre however we cannot see past our own mistakes. Woods is not getting better at golf if he cannot realise his mistakes, however he is getting worse. By having a personal coach, he can fine tune his technique, and get a second opinion. Butch Harmon was his former coach, and he told MSNBC News that, “Tiger Woods is not playing well, he is not working on the right things in his golf swing although obviously Tiger thinks he is.” (Source from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5239122/) In the year 2000, when he was 24 years old, he won four major golf tournaments; the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, the British Open, and the British Amateur.
In racket sports such as tennis, the leadership technique is different compared to team sports. Roger Federer is a very successful tennis player because of his leadership qualities. Sports such as tennis have a greater demand of mental preparation than others. Tennis is a game of many situations. It makes a player more aware of such techniques they need to master, such as the backhand. In order to master it they have to face a receiving ball on their backhand and learn to adjust to it. Federer has won the Grand Slam men’s singles nine times, and won Wimbledon three times. Dedication can payoff and lead to great things.
In conclusion, leadership in every single sporting activity is essential and important. As a team motivation is required, belief, someone to excel you further, and who better than a great team leader who has the ability to do all those things. Even as an individual, to go out and win a game you need mental motivation, someone to push you further. Overall, without leadership, a team or an individual would find it extremely hard to go out and win something.