In: Operations Management
Describe the democratic leadership style.
Discuss why you selected the democratic leadership style and not another particular style
Discuss the implications of the democratic leadership style for your current position.
Describe how the democratic leadership style will assist you in acting as a change agent.
Describe a situation in which you applied the democratic leadership style in your personal or professional life in order to manage change
Describe the situation in which you were required to manage resistance to change and the appropriateness of the leadership style that you adopted.
Democratic leadership style, also known as participatory or
collective leadership, is a type of leadership style in which team
members play a more active role in the decision-making process.
This kind of leadership can be applied to any organization, from
private business to school to government.
Everyone is given the opportunity to participate, ideas are freely
exchanged and discussions are encouraged. While democratic
processes tend to focus on team equality and free flow, group
leaders ’ideas remain to provide guidance and control.
Democratic leaders are responsible for deciding who is the group
and who is involved in the decisions that are made. Researchers
have found that democratic leadership is the most effective type
and leads to higher productivity, better team members'
contributions, and improved team morale.
Some of the key features of democratic leadership include:
Team members are encouraged to share ideas and comments, even as
leaders keep the final say on decisions.
Team members feel more involved in the process.
Creativity is encouraged and rewarded.
Researchers suggest that good democratic leaders have certain
characteristics that include honesty, intelligence, courage,
creativity, ability and fairness. Strong democratic leaders inspire
trust and respect among their followers.
These leaders are honest and make decisions based on their morals
and values. Followers tend to feel inspired to act and contribute
to the group. Good leaders also tend to seek out different ideas
and do not try to silence the voices of dissenters or those who
offer less popular views.
Because team members are encouraged to share their ideas,
democratic leadership can lead to better ideas and more creative
solutions to problems. Team members also feel involved and involved
in many projects, making them more attentive to the end result.
Research on leadership styles also shows that democratic leadership
leads to higher productivity among team members.
Although democratic leadership has been described as the most
effective mode of leadership, there are some drawbacks. In
situations where the role is unclear or time is important,
democratic leaders can lead to the failure of communication and
unfinished projects.
In some cases, team members may not have the knowledge or
experience necessary to contribute effectively to the
decision-making process. Democratic leadership can also make team
members feel that their ideas and ideas are not taken into account,
which can reduce employee satisfaction and morale.