This article investigates the effects of leadership styles on public responsiveness to crisis communications. A survey research method using quantitative research design was used to test the most appropriate leadership style as perceived by university students in response to the South African energy crisis. If leaders understand and are better able to predict public responsiveness to specific leadership styles adopted in organisational communications during crisis, they can maximise their effectiveness in engendering appropriate responses and behaviours. Leadership styles are identified as powerful factors influencing effective individual performance and can be operationalised using the model defined by Hersey and Blanchard, incorporating telling, selling, delegating and participating modes (Hersey & Blanchard, 1982). A sample of 306 students was drawn from a population of 650 students. A self-administered questionnaire asked stu