Democratic Style of Leadership Essay

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Introduction

Leaders have combination of styles that enable them to successfully inspire and guide their employees. Successful leaders can drive productivity and creativity while at the same time improve their business line. Being a good leader does not necessarily mean you have to be liked. This is because not all leaders are highly regarded on a personal level while others are not loved. Leaders who use non-correlating leadership styles are ineffective with both their industry and the people they are leading. Leadership styles correlate with personality type, influence from mentors and an individual’s ability to direct and guide people (Gastil, 1994, p.951).

Collective leadership ensures increased effectiveness when it comes to better decision making. This is because people who are likely to be affected have a chance to provide directions, ideas and feedback. Internal motivation is initiated by collective leadership for growth and development of an organization. Resistance is usually created when change is imposed on people. Time is spent developing relationships and finding people’s desires and goals. Before, a leader would feel burdened due to exhausting pressure. However, shared responsibility has made leaders feel surrounded with resourceful people. Distributing responsibilities among employees gives a relief of not being over-utilized as a leader. Shared responsibilities makes work more fun and easier among the individuals involved in it (Bolden et al., 2008).

Provide a brief description of the leadership example you have selected and explain why you have done so (200 words). Provide your sources of evidence in an appendix to the TMA. (10 marks)

Democratic leadership consists of a leader being able to share decision-making abilities with their team members. This can be done to promote all member’s interests and practice social equality. Decision making in democratic leadership is based on each member’s input. Even though the leader has a right to make the final call, each team member has an equal say on the direction of the organization’s project (Bolden et al., 2008). Democratic leadership has been an effective leadership style because it has always allowed employees of lower-levels to wisely exercise authority they will use and need when holding positions in the future. It can also be a resemblance of how decision making can be accomplished during board meetings (Bolden et al., 2008).

Democratic participation boundaries can be circumscribed by either an organization’s needs or values of individuals attributes such as attitudes and skills. Democratic style has the notion that everyone, by virtue of their status, need to play a role in group decisions. However, democratic style of leadership requires control and guidance by a leader. 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. Democratic leadership style creates high productivity, increased morale within the group and better contributions from the members. 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).

Analyze the example in respect of collective leadership using two concepts drawn from Block 3 (1400 words). (60 marks)

Distributed concept of leadership is a way of thinking that moves attention and thinking away from focusing on an individual’s skills, characteristics and competence. This concept rejects the idea that there is a distinction between leaders and their followers. However, it focuses on how a leader interacts with individuals at all levels of an organization. There are three elements of distributed leadership; individuals with different expertise contributing to leadership, it is a property of a group of people interacting rather than an individual in isolation, and increases the number of people with different roles and responsibilities in an organization. An organization comes to life when there is mutual communication and influence between people with different expertise (Gastil, 1994, p.954).

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Relational concept of leadership believes that leadership happens when there is a relationship and interaction between each other. Leaders and their followers agree, argue, communicate, cooperate and respond to each other. They complement and appreciate one another. Relational theory highlights on these important aspects; it emphasizes on the relational nature of leadership. Leadership is played out through people’s relationship, it also encourages people with leadership roles to pay attention to workplace’s relationships and promotes relational understanding of leadership. Relational leadership involves thinking about leadership in a way of leading and at the same time a follower in practice. It is a leadership concept which involves inclusion, participation and sharing by people relating to one another (Bolden et al., 2008).

Leaders have a responsibility of accomplishing goals with the help of group members. For success in this, the group needs to get along so some level of satisfaction can be maintained. Research shows the relationship between democratic verses autocratic leadership style and group member satisfaction; group members are more satisfied with democratic than autocratic leadership. The purpose of relating democratic leadership and group members’ satisfaction is to integrate the evidence and consider plausible resolution. The fact that people will be more satisfied with democratic leadership finds its resolution in leadership style and group characteristics interaction. Satisfaction of group members increases as a result of democratic leadership. Some of the conditions to which democratic leadership increases group members’ satisfaction include: providing the significance, effects and strengths of democratic leadership and satisfaction, and examining the effect based on a group’s reality, size, gender composition and leadership style (Gastil, 1994, p.956).

Democratic leadership is found in human resources and participative management theory. There is a difference between leadership and authority. Authority is a form of power formalization in which a person is conferred to engage in activities sanctioned by an organization with powers to be authoritative. Leadership is considered to be powers an individual is given to influence the beliefs and actions of others. Democratic leadership approach uses democratic principles such as self-determination, inclusiveness and deliberation for management. A democratic leader has the ability to delegate responsibilities among group members to initiate participation during decision-making (Friedrich et al., 2009, p944).

Collective leadership ensures all the team members are empowered. Leaders have the responsibility of empowering their team members for proper equipment to accomplish their tasks. Empowerment includes providing the required training and education for completion of tasks. It also aids in the decision making process. A democratic leader ensures that democratic deliberation has taken place when decisions are made in the group. This shows that a democratic leader needs to serve as both the facilitator and the mediator within the group to make sure that all group members are psychologically well and a respectful environment is maintained (Bolden et al., 2008).

Democratic leadership techniques play an important role in creation of job satisfaction because a sense of participation and control is within the style of democratic leadership. Participation from employees during the process of decision making can result into an innovation and creative solution to addressing problems hence serving the organization better. Democratic leadership has several advantages, including offering solutions to sophisticated problems. Democratic leadership style is usually the excellent style to solving most complex problems. It has the ability to work in collaboration using opinions so things can be done in the right manners. The leader should think in an innovative way and encourage group members to do the same so solutions to strategic and complex issues can be found. Solutions derived in a democratic way often last longer (Woods, 2004, p.20). The process of democratic leadership ensures that….....

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