I use oak leaves as my primary mulch material and the primary ingredient in my compost bins, because most of the leaves dropping in my yard are oak. I don't worry much about them blowing away. To some extent, they do, but I am just not that concerned about everything staying where I put it

Enough does stay where it is needed.
Shredding makes a huge difference, on multiple levels. Less will blow off, but also, whole leaves have a remarkable tendency to form impermeable sheets that can shed water and prevent it from getting into the soil beneath them. How did Ruth Stout do it? With a casual disregard for how much stayed put, I think
One thing to consider about leaves is that it takes fungi to do most of the breakdown because they are high in cellulose and lignin, things fungi break down but bacteria do not.
I don't worry about the leaf mulch being blown over seedlings or plantings. I do tend to put it on in the fall, leave it there over winter and then rake it aside in spring for planting. Once plants have established themselves a bit, then I bring the mulch back into the beds.