| Course | LDR 305 Foundations of Leadership (LDR/305) |
|---|---|
| Week | 2 |
| Paper type | Leadership styles analysis |
| Length | about 1,050 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for LDR 305 Week 2
Directive, Democratic or Serving the Crew? Leadership Attributes and Styles Among Regional Managers at a Car Wash Company
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
LDR/305: Foundations of Leadership
Week 2 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Brightwater Express Car Wash, its managers and its assessments are composites written for a model paper.
Week 1 found that differences among the 22 site managers at Brightwater Express Car Wash, a composite Kansas City car wash company, are best explained by how well they guide inexperienced crews and how they build relationships. Site managers are led in turn by three regional managers, each responsible for seven or eight sites. Vice president of operations Rachel Okonkwo has noticed that the regions differ not only in results but in atmosphere, and she wants to understand the regional managers' leadership styles before choosing one of them for a new director role. This paper reviews research on leadership styles and attributes and profiles the three regional managers.
The Classic Experiments
Lewin et al. (1939) created clubs of boys led by adults trained to act in an autocratic, democratic or laissez-faire way and observed the results. Under autocratic leadership, groups were productive when the leader was present but showed hostility or passivity and stopped working when the leader left. Democratic groups showed more friendliness, originality and continued work in the leader's absence. Laissez-faire groups accomplished the least. The experiments launched decades of research on style.
Style and Gender
Eagly and Johnson (1990) conducted a meta-analysis of studies comparing the leadership styles of women and men. They found that in organizational settings, differences in interpersonal versus task orientation were small, but women tended to lead in a somewhat more democratic, participative style and men in a somewhat more autocratic style. The differences were modest and varied by context. The finding is a reminder to judge style by behavior, not assumptions.
Authentic Leadership
Avolio and Gardner (2005) described authentic leadership as a root construct of positive leadership, built on self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information and relational transparency. Authentic leaders know their values and limits, consider opposing views and are open with followers, and they develop over time through reflection and experience. Authenticity, in this sense, is a set of disciplines, not simply acting naturally.
Servant Leadership
Van Dierendonck (2011) reviewed research on servant leadership and drew together the features scholars attribute to it, among them helping people grow and act on their own, modesty, genuineness, acceptance of others, a sense of direction and care for what has been entrusted to the leader. Servant leaders focus on followers' growth and well-being, and research has linked servant leadership to follower trust, commitment and helping behavior.
Gathering Evidence
Each regional manager was assessed through a 360-degree survey completed by their site managers, observation of two regional meetings and a review of results. Each manager also completed a self-assessment.
Monica Alvarez: Directive
Monica's region has the highest wash volume and cleanest sites. Site managers describe her as decisive, demanding and fair; she sets standards for everything from tunnel chemistry to towel folding and checks them weekly. In meetings, she presents decisions and asks for questions. Her style is largely autocratic, which works well for consistency. But site managers rated her low on asking for input, and two strong site managers have left for competitors, saying they had no room to make decisions.
Jamal Wright: Democratic
Jamal holds monthly meetings where site managers discuss problems and vote on changes, such as a new promotion. Site managers rated him highest on listening and involvement, and his region has the lowest site manager turnover. However, decisions sometimes take months, and urgent problems, such as a broken water reclaim system, waited while the group debated. His style fits most of the work but not urgent situations.
Brian Holt: Hands-Off
Brian visits sites rarely and intervenes only when monthly results drop. Experienced site managers appreciate the freedom, but new site managers feel abandoned, and his region has the widest spread of results. His approach resembles the laissez-faire style that produced the least in the classic experiments.
Each regional manager has one style and uses it everywhere, when the job requires a different style on different days.
Attributes Behind the Styles
Self-assessments showed that Monica rated herself as highly participative, while her site managers did not, which signals a gap in self-awareness, a core part of authentic leadership. Jamal's self-rating matched his team's. Brian rated himself as supportive, though his site managers said they rarely heard from him.
How Site Managers Experience Each Style
Site managers described the effects of each style on their own work. In Monica's region, they said they always knew the standard but felt like inspectors rather than managers. In Jamal's region, they said they felt ownership of decisions but sometimes waited too long for answers. In Brian's region, experienced managers enjoyed freedom, while two new managers said they learned by making mistakes that cost the company customers. These accounts echo the classic experiments: each climate shaped how people worked when the leader was not watching.
Fitting Style to Situation
Directive leadership suits safety issues, equipment emergencies and new managers learning standards. Democratic leadership suits decisions where site managers know more, such as local promotions, and where commitment matters. Hands-off leadership suits experienced, high-performing managers, but only with regular contact. Servant behaviors, such as developing site managers and removing obstacles, help in nearly every situation.
Recommendations
Monica should keep her standards but consult site managers on how to meet them and let experienced managers make local decisions; regular feedback from her team will close her self-awareness gap. Jamal should set rules for which decisions need a vote and which he will make quickly, especially equipment and safety issues. Brian should schedule monthly visits with every site manager and pair new managers with experienced mentors. All three should add servant behaviors, such as asking each site manager what support they need.
Implications for the Director Role
Jamal's balance of involvement and stable results, combined with accurate self-awareness, makes him the strongest candidate for director, provided he develops faster decision making for urgent issues.
Conclusion
Research from the classic experiments to studies of authentic and servant leadership shows that style shapes how people work, that differences among groups are often smaller than assumed and that positive forms of leadership rest on self-awareness and service. Brightwater's regional managers each rely on one style. Adapting style to the situation and adding servant and authentic practices would strengthen all three regions.
References
Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001
Eagly, A. H., & Johnson, B. T. (1990). Gender and leadership style: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 108(2), 233-256. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.108.2.233
Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created "social climates." The Journal of Social Psychology, 10(2), 271-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1939.9713366
Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant leadership: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228-1261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310380462
What the LDR 305 Week 2 instructions ask
Week 2 of LDR 305 commonly asks students to analyze leadership attributes and styles, often by assessing their own style or that of a leader they know. Expect to describe styles such as autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transformational, transactional, servant and authentic leadership, along with attributes such as integrity, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and adaptability. Many prompts include a self-assessment. A strong paper explains styles accurately, uses research to show their effects, applies them to specific behaviors and recognizes that effective leaders adapt style to people and situations. Avoid stereotypes, especially about gender and age, and support conclusions with evidence. Cite scholarly sources in APA format.
How this LDR 305 Week 2 example is built
Brightwater's three regional managers lead in very different ways: one decides almost everything herself, one asks site managers to vote on changes and one leaves site managers alone unless results fall. The paper starts with the experiments that first compared autocratic, democratic and hands-off group climates, then reviews a meta-analysis showing small but real differences in democratic style by gender and research on authentic and servant leadership as positive approaches. Each manager's style is profiled from a 360-degree survey of site managers, meeting observations and results. The analysis finds each style suited to some situations and harmful in others, and recommends that all three managers adapt, adding servant behaviors and more self-awareness to their existing strengths.
LDR 305 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go
Papers on leadership styles are graded on accuracy, evidence and nuance. The higher bands require clear explanations of styles and attributes from research, application to specific leaders with observed behaviors and evidence about the effects of each style. Graders reward recognition that no style is best in every situation and that leaders can adapt. Careful treatment of sensitive topics, such as gender differences, using research rather than stereotypes, shows maturity. Recommendations should be specific and developmental. Reviewers like to see that the writer separated what a leader does from who the leader seems to be. A self-assessment, when the prompt asks for one, should be candid about weaknesses as well as strengths. The best profiles let a reader picture the leader at work.
LDR 305 Week 2 help: mistakes to avoid
A common problem is labeling a leader with one style and declaring it good or bad. Most leaders mix styles, and effectiveness depends on the situation. Describe the mix and when it helps. Another frequent issue is defining styles from popular websites; use research, including classic studies. Some papers make claims about gender, age or culture without evidence. If you discuss differences, cite research and note how small and variable they are. Students also confuse authentic leadership with simply being oneself; the concept includes self-awareness, balanced processing, transparency and an internal moral compass. Finally, make recommendations about behaviors a leader can practice, not personality changes.
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LDR 305 Week 2 questions, answered
What does LDR 305 Week 2 usually cover?
It usually covers leadership attributes and styles, such as autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transformational, servant and authentic leadership, often with a self-assessment or leader profile.
Where can I find a free LDR 305 Week 2 sample paper?
The Week 2 profile of three regional managers' leadership styles at a composite car wash company is available to read in full above.
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership puts followers' growth and well-being first, with leaders empowering, developing and supporting people so they can perform and grow.
What is authentic leadership?
Authentic leadership involves self-awareness, transparency in relationships, balanced consideration of information and actions guided by an internal moral perspective.
Is democratic leadership always better than autocratic leadership?
No; participative styles often build commitment and satisfaction, but directive approaches can work better in emergencies or with inexperienced teams, so effective leaders adapt.
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