How can we create a safe environment for everyone to openly share their thoughts? There’s the leader who wants to make sure people feel heard and understood and the leader who prefers to exert authority. ). This article will give an overview of the democratic leadership style and examples. This style fosters cooperation and individual growth among employees. The Greek roots of the word democratic suggest people are participating in power or control. How can we focus on delivering the best outcome without being tied to specific ideas. Democratic. What Are Prominent Leadership Styles and Frameworks You Should Know? A democratic leadership style caters to these needs and is shown to enhance employee engagement, job satisfaction, and morale. In an environment where adverse events and emergencies occur, time is of the essence, and democratic leaders unable to make quick decisions independently and without input from the team might struggle to succeed. Democratic leadership Democratic leadership balances decision-making responsibility between the group and the leader. honest praise and criticism, and a degree of comradeship. In Autocratic leadership, One person takes all the decisions and asks very little advice of their subordinates. Now that we’ve looked at the definition, strengths, and limitations of a democratic leadership style, let’s look at some scenarios where it can be an effective approach. An executive has to lead different types of subordinates and has to adopt different styles for leading them at … The democratic leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group members and by practicing social equality. It is a leadership style that can be used by any leader in any industry, from corporations to educational facilities to government positions. Leaders produce leaders and managers produce followers. However this doesn’t mean that each decision must always be made within the group. Over time, these team members are in a better position to take on bigger responsibilities and operate more independently. Democratic style has the notion that everyone, by virtue of their status, need to play a role in group decisions. So, a democratic leadership style is one that actively involves the people being led in the decision making process about how they will be led. If you have decided to use this approach for a specific situation, communicating openly with your team is the next crucial step. Autocratic Leadership style. Leadership styles like autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire styles in the workplace have different strengths and weaknesses. Laissez-Faire Leadership in Nursing . Democratic leadership can also result in team members feeling like their opinions and ideas aren't taken into account, which may lower employee satisfaction and morale. The group members are always encouraged to share their ideas and thoughts, hence the development of more creative solutions for problems (Gastil, 1994, p.954). Ask yourself questions such as: What is the goal? Democratic nursing leaders balance individual accountability with overall process improvement to drive quality enhancements. Democratic leadership, also known as participative or shared leadership, is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role … These different definitions and styles have contributed to the fact that there has been no clear, well-developed definition of democratic leadership (Gastil, 1994). Democratic leaders actively participate in … While the democratic process tends to focus on group equality and the free flow of ideas, the leader of the group is still there to offer guidance and control., The democratic leader is charged with deciding who is in the group and who gets to contribute to the decisions that are made. He put in hard labor to ensure that there was a united front, so that a common understanding could be reached. Read our, Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Free Rein or Laissez Fair style. Luthans (1998) reviewed 8 different democratic leadership styles drawn from the classic studies and theories of leadership. This leadership style places significant responsibility on leaders and their staff. The democratic leadership style is based on mutual respect. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Democratic leadership is also known as share leadership and participative leadership. Democratic Leadership Style "A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership." The leader is demanded to make decisions on who needs to be called upon, who has the right to participate and vote on decisions within the group. A democratic style of leadership offers the potential to overcome the weaknesses that the other types of leadership tend to develop. Just like the name suggests, this style focuses on giving a voice to everyone concerned. While the democratic process tends to focus on group equality and the free flow of ideas, the leader of the group is still there to offer guidance and control. Here, the leaders … The democratic leadership, or participative leadership, was another one Lewin’s three styles of leadership. Yes, every style of leadership calls for intelligence but democratic leadership has a unique need for this trait of good leadership.The leader has the responsibility of providing sufficient knowledge/information on a topic to their subordinates to make sure they are well equipped to make the right choices about that given topic. Not surprisingly, he commanded a rare kind of respect and loyalty from his team and frequently led them to accomplishing exceptional results. The democratic leadership style enables employees to establish goals, assess their own performance, and exhibit growth on the job. In this process, Leader does not involves employees much in decision making. Everyone is given the opportunity to participate, ideas are exchanged freely, and discussion is encouraged. Democratic leadership style works because people are willing to compromise. 2016;37(10):1061-7. doi:10.15537/smj.2016.10.15620. A democratic leader is one who invites participation from others in the organisation as part of the decision-making process. A systematic review of the desired competencies and standard settings for physicians' leadership. 2015;5(1):6-14. doi:10.5923.j.mm.20150501.02, Khoshhal KI, Guraya SY. A leader might be empowered to make certain decisions with the mandate of the… But every leadership has its own benefits and downsides. This style of leadership is also known as participative style of leadership. Ever wonder what your personality type means? How collaboration can boost morale. 10 Ways Psychology Can Help You Live a Better Life, Kurt Lewin Biography and Contributions to Modern Social Psychology, Sticking Too Closely to a Group Mindset May Cause Phobias or Hysteria. The suggestions and opinions of the subordinates are given importance. Democratic Leadership, also known as Participative Leadership, is where individuals who would typically be considered unequal by hierarchal standards have shared power in making decisions. Free Rein or Laissez Fair style. The leader and the subordinates shared an equal voice and these groups didn’t showcase hierarchy. Since then, various other styles of leadership have been proposed, including but not limited to: transactional leadership, transformational leadership, servant leadership, and situational leadership. How Does the Great Man Theory of Leadership Hold Up? Join the Live Discussion: How Happier, Healthier Mindsets Fuel Success. Martindale N. Leadership styles: How to handle the different personas. They cultivate consensus within the group by consistently asking for opinions and deeply listening to the answers. The Greek roots of the word democratic suggest people are participating in power or control. This leadership style also leads to deeper relationships between the leader and their team members by building trust and respect. Democratic leadership style is mostly common with HR personnel and professionals preferring a participative management style. These different definitions and styles have contributed to the fact that there has been no clear, well-developed definition of democratic leadership (Gastil, 1994). Leadership Expert (2008, p.1) believes that at present, many business leaders adopt the democratic style of leadership as the manufacturing industry and processes have become leaner, and the input of the workforce is valued; leaders have realized that … In this article, we will take a deeper look at the democratic leadership style, its strengths and limitations, and ways in which it can be used effectively. The word “democracy” originates from the Greek words “demos” (the people) and “kratia” (power or rule.) Anyone can practice this leadership style. There’s the leader who wants to closely monitor when and how you work, and the leader whose main concern is whether or not the work gets done. The democratic leadership style always involves participative decision-making. We can also define this as the opposite of autocratic leadership. These leaders are sincere and make decisions based on their morals and values. Researchers have found that the democratic leadership style is one of the most effective types and leads to higher productivity, better contributions from group members, and increased group morale.. A democratic style of leadership offers the potential to overcome the weaknesses that the other types of leadership tend to develop. A review of leadership theories, principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. The 12 Traditions That Serve as the Basis of A.A. and Al-Anon, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, A review of leadership theories, principles and styles and their relevance to educational management, Leaders produce leaders and managers produce followers. People were often left astonished and beaming with joy even after spending a couple of minutes with him. Also, there are ways to overcome those downsides. The chief chooses a special manner of interaction, which has its own peculiarities: he or she does not “pull the strings” from above, but coacts with own laborers. Democratic leadership is available to anyone, and because some of the burden of decision-making is transferred from the leader to the team, there is a potentially lower level of entry. Despite this, higher competence is associated with better success. styles of democratic leadership (Bass, 1990). An executive has to lead different types of subordinates and has to adopt different styles for leading them at the workplace according to situation. We’ll look at three of them here. Ⓒ 2021 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. Indeed they are frequently consulted, on different matters. Democratic leadership works best in situations where group members are skilled and eager to share their knowledge. The second name of democratic leadership is participative leadership. For example, you could discuss questions such as: You can also look at structuring the conversation in different phases. Research on leadership styles has also shown that democratic leadership leads to higher productivity among group members., While democratic leadership has been described as the most effective leadership style, it does have some potential downsides. Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, who was known for his ability to bring warring parties together. The different ways in which leaders interact with their teams are known as leadership styles, and while the most effective leaders combine various styles of leadership based on the need of the hour, most leaders exhibit a dominant style. A Study of Tradition 2 of the Twelve Traditions of A.A.   Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the … A democratic school leader ensures that all members of the school community are involved the decision-making process – but … While democratic leadership can be a highly-effective style, it isn’t always a great way to manage time-sensitive decisions. For instance, Dorothy Roberts, executive director of Echo Scarv… Democratic leaders respect others’ opinions and take them into consideration as a final decision is made. Why the Most Effective Leaders Know How to Adapt to the Situation. If you’ve worked in an organization of any kind, chances are you are familiar with different kinds of leaders and their unique ways of working. Participative Leadership (Democratic) Lewin’s study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. However, there came a point when in the absence of a consensus, he made a decision and announced it to his team—an arguably authoritative, yet effective, move. He will actively promote the sharing of ideas, so that everyone with different levels of expertise and skills are able to put forward their views. Though this is a conditional leadership style best used at the discretion of the leader, it can be a great tool in providing a nurturing environment for organizational growth where all the contributors feel heard and accounted for. 3. Cons: This leadership style can be lengthy at times since the decision … Updated June 1, 2018. Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership or shared leadership, is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process. This type of leadership can apply to any organization, from private businesses to schools to government. 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