Normative leadership theory, developed by Vroom and Yetton, is a decision-tree model that enables the user to select the most appropriate of five leadership styles. In 2000, Victor Vroom published a revised version of this normative leadership model with the title Leadership and the Decision Making Process. Vroom identified five leadership styles based on the level of participation in the decision by the followers.

Although the normative leadership model is primarily a leadership model, it is also used to determine the level of participation in decision making. There are actually two different models and a series of seven questions to answer, making it quite complex.