Syllabus: Pearson - A Level Business
Module: 1.4 Managing People
Lesson: 1.4.5 Leadership

Introduction

The Pearson Edexcel A Level Business syllabus (specification code: 9BS0) includes “1.4.5 Leadership” within Theme 1: Marketing and People. This section introduces students to different leadership styles, their impact on organisational performance, and the role leadership plays in employee motivation and decision-making.

This topic connects directly to real-world business behaviour and lays the groundwork for later topics such as strategic management and organisational culture. For teachers, this is a high-impact section that helps students make sense of abstract ideas like vision, power, and management approach—by linking them to how people and organisations actually behave.

Key Concepts

According to the Pearson Edexcel A Level Business syllabus, students must understand the following:

• Leadership styles including autocratic, paternalistic, democratic and laissez-faire.

• The distinction between management and leadership, focusing on vision-setting vs execution.

• Situational leadership – how leaders adapt their style depending on circumstances.

• The impact of leadership on motivation, engagement, productivity and decision-making.

• Influences on leadership style, such as the nature of the task, organisational structure, and employee characteristics.

These concepts build directly on earlier modules like 1.4.4 (Motivation) and prepare students to understand strategic leadership covered in Theme 3.

Real-World Relevance

Leadership in business is more than just a textbook concept. The effects of leadership can be seen in organisations like:

• Tim Cook at Apple, known for a calm, democratic leadership style that contrasts with Steve Jobs’ more autocratic approach.

• Jacinda Ardern’s leadership during crises as Prime Minister, often used in case discussions about empathetic and decisive leadership.

• Alan Mulally at Ford, who implemented transformational leadership to turn the company around during the 2008 financial crisis.

Bringing these examples into class gives students a concrete sense of how different leadership styles play out—and their tangible effects on team morale, innovation, and performance.

How It’s Assessed

Leadership is assessed through both data response and essay-style questions. Common command words include:

• Analyse – students must show cause-and-effect links (e.g. “Analyse the impact of democratic leadership on employee motivation”).

• Evaluate – weighing up leadership styles against business context (e.g. “Evaluate whether a paternalistic leadership style is appropriate in a fast-growth tech startup”).

• Discuss or Justify – often require students to construct balanced arguments.

Typical questions use real or fictional business contexts. Diagrams are not usually required but can be a strong visual tool to support structured answers.

Enterprise Skills Integration

Leadership naturally connects to enterprise skills like:

• Decision-making – weighing up which leadership style to apply.

• Problem-solving – adapting leadership when employee motivation is low.

• Communication – considering how leaders convey expectations and vision.

Enterprise Skills simulations and Skills Hub tools help bring this to life. For instance, students might role-play as business leaders in a simulated crisis, deciding how to manage teams, communicate under pressure, and adjust their leadership style depending on outcomes.

These activities move students from theory to action—deepening understanding and embedding confidence through application.

Careers Links

This topic is strongly aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6:

• Benchmark 4 (Curriculum links to careers) – Leadership connects to roles in management, HR, entrepreneurship, and public services.

• Benchmark 5 (Encounters with employers) – Invite professionals (e.g. managers, project leads) to discuss how leadership styles vary in practice.

• Benchmark 6 (Experiences of workplaces) – Encourage students to reflect on leadership in part-time jobs or work placements.

Relevant careers:

• Project Manager

• HR Officer

• Entrepreneur

• Team Leader in Retail or Hospitality

• Civil Service or Armed Forces Officer

Teaching Notes

What works well:

• Compare and contrast activities: students match leadership styles with fictional business scenarios.

• Mini case studies: e.g. comparing Steve Jobs and Tim Cook to evaluate how leadership styles affect business culture.

• Debates: “Which leadership style would be most effective in a growing start-up?”

Common pitfalls:

• Students often confuse management with leadership. Use clear distinctions and real examples.

• Overgeneralising styles—emphasise that leaders may shift styles over time.

Extension activities:

• Use a Business Simulation day from Enterprise Skills to allow students to practise leadership under pressure.

• Encourage reflective journals: after group work, have students evaluate what leadership style emerged and its impact.

Saves time:

• The Skills Hub includes plug-and-play resources aligned to 1.4.5, including pre-built case studies, editable templates, and quizzes for retrieval practice.