Benefits Of Participative Leadership

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By definition, “participative (or democratic) leadership is a style of management that relies on the input of the group as a whole” (Auerbach, 2015). So what does this definition mean to me? First, it means that leaders who embrace a participative leadership style value and involve their entire team. Second, it means leaders work closely with their team members, focusing on building relationships and rapport. Lastly, it means that leaders allow their team to assist in the decision making process, accepting their input and allowing them to share their ideas. As a leader, I would incorporate this style of leadership when dealing with teams because it creates a level of trust between a leader and its members. In addition, this leadership style…show more content…
Although the team leader is required to give up some control, I believe that the motivational benefits of doing so are greater than with other leadership styles. According to Lam, Xu & Chan (2015), “many practicing managers acknowledge the potential motivational benefits of participative management practice, and value its performance implications” (p. 836). I would incorporate a participative leadership style when leading teams by first presenting a problem to the entire team. Then, I would brainstorm solutions with the entire team who would then vote on the best solution. Together, we would delegate and assign the tasks. Instead of relying on just the strengths of certain individual team members, I would rally the entire team and encourage active involvement combining all their talents to achieve the team’s goal. I understand the importance of adopting a participative leadership style and believe that sharing of functions provides the perfect environment for a team to…show more content…
For example, I would need to take on a coaching role instead of a controlling role. I would also need to be champion instead of a commander. According to Parker (2010), “when a team comes to the manager for a decision, the manager should turn them back around and insist that they decide. Acting as the team a cheerleader rather than their commander will empower the team to perform at higher levels” (p.4). I can also empower my team by being their advocate and support their work with senior management. I will also need to take on a teaching role verse a preaching role and make sure that my team has the skills and knowledge they need to

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