Which leadership style tends to avoid engagement with followers?

The leadership style that tends to avoid engagement with followers is laissez-faire leadership. This approach is characterized by a hands-off attitude where leaders provide minimal guidance and allow team members to make decisions on their own. Laissez-faire leaders typically step back from direct engagement and involvement in their teams' work, which can result in a lack of direction and support for followers.

In contrast, transactional leadership, active management-by-exception, and contingent reward all emphasize a more active engagement with followers. Transactional leadership focuses on structured tasks with clear rewards and penalties, while active management-by-exception involves monitoring followers' performance closely and intervening when issues arise. Contingent reward leadership provides incentives based on achieving specific outcomes, fostering a more involved relationship with followers to meet organizational goals.

Thus, the distinguishing characteristic of laissez-faire leadership is its avoidance of interaction and guidance, making it the correct choice in this context.