Hubby used to mow over the leaves back when we weren’t into gardening much. That was good for the lawn. Now he rakes them into a pile and puts chicken wire around it, till it decomposes.
Once it’s decomposed, he has a new garden plot and plants something. I have 13 beds, and a 12 bed garden plan. So I have a leaf and yard waste pile in the 13th bed, on a rotating basis for some of the beds.
My first year here, i mowed in circles to get the leaves in a pile then ride over them over and over till they were just dime sized bits. Grass is very precious living on a steep slope with no sun, so I try to preserve any that is already growing to prevent erosion.