[March 27, 2022] The role of an individual and a group of individuals in improving the performance of all members in an organisation depends on the leadership style. 2022’s workplace culture is much different from the workplace of the past.
Thus, to better develop the 2022’s workplace culture, the strategies and the leadership style must need changes. The typical authoritative leadership often does not work well in this advanced workplace environment. Thus, in this article I will discuss the participative leadership style, its characteristics and some tactics to adopt the participative leadership style characteristic.
What is a participative leadership style?
The democratic approach that leaders use to increase employee engagement is commonly referred to as the participative leadership style. In this leadership style, leaders invite employees to express their creativity by suggesting the best possible solution to deal with a critical situation.
This leadership style is in direct contrast with the authoritative leadership style that primarily focuses on the leader’s decisions. Thus, in participative leadership style, the leaders value their followers and prefer making them a part of all decision-making processes. Consequently, the employees or followers feel respected and honoured to be a part of an organisation. This leadership style also motivates employees so that they can do their best to maximise their performance. In other words, the main advantage of adopting the participative leadership style is that it helps a company in achieving sustainable and other competitive objectives.
What are the characteristics of the participative leadership style?
With the emergence of new ideas and strategies in the workplace, we must introduce new leadership styles. The participative leadership style is good as it can best suit the modern workplace. It helps a leader to keep the employees or followers in trust. It has many collaborative benefits. It seems to involve the subordinates in decisions. It gives subordinates a chance to prove and exhibit their intellectual abilities. Therefore, the following are some characteristics you must know for understanding the participative leadership style:
- Communication
The participative leadership style demands a reader to have excellent communication skills. Communication is a crucial factor that has a drastic effect on the success of an organisation. Both upward and downward communications help in solving problems effectively and efficiently. It helps in risk assessment and gives progressive advantages to an organisation.
- Collaboration
Another exciting feature of the participative leadership style is collaboration. No doubt, the competition helps in boosting productivity. But the excessive competition may also result in cut-throat tactics and disrupting behaviour at the workplace. Thus, the participative leadership style allows everyone to participate in the decision-making process that promotes collaboration.
- Encouraging Creativity
Creativity and innovation are important factors that leaders must encourage in an organisation. The conversation with employees by inviting them to the decision-making process is the best way to boost their morale. Thus, the participative leader must promote and encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation to take the organisation to the next level.
- Open-mindedness
Whenever we talk about good leadership characteristics, we cannot neglect the importance of open-mindedness. An open-minded leader who accepts cultural, financial and social differences listens to everyone. Giving value to everyone is extremely important for a business’ exponential growth. The qualities of a leader to collect ideas from staff and implement the best among them create a positive workplace environment.
- Receptive
Being a leader or head in an organisation does not mean that whenever you think is right and must be a law for others. Rather, the leader must be receptive to seeking new ideas and strategies to increase employee satisfaction levels. Receptive leaders become more popular among their employees because the latter feel more relaxed with someone who values their words.
Consequently, a participative leader must have encouraging, collaborative and receptive nature along with open-mindedness. Furthermore, good communication, curiosity and better problem-solving skills are some other important characteristics of a participative leadership style.
Hi Susan, suggestion. Wrap your ideas in to an interesting story. Instead of being so rigid and boring (sorry but true), people are more likely to read, remember what you write. ✔️
“Encouraging creativity.” Now that is, indeed, difficult regardless of leadership style. It takes a lot more than encouraging it. That is a great topic for someone to tackle in the future. I know that Gen. Satterfield has taken it on once or twice but I would like to read more about how creativity can be useful.
“Creativity and Leadership”
https://www.theleadermaker.com/creativity-and-leadership/
Thanks, good job. Very basic article on leadership. I’m happy to see others are writing about leadership, whatever kind, and making a public recognition that leadership does matter.
Thinking the same thing, Otto. Too many young folks these days ignore leadership, and ignore it to their peril.
True enough that leadership must be flexible. Note that this participatory style does NOT work in all circumstances. In the military, especailly during war, particpatory leadership will fail miserably.
Good job. thanks for the article.
Yep, very good article.
Susan, first you have written a good article. But, let us insure others understand that the best leaders use many leadership styles (depending on the right circumstances and time). Flexibility is key. “Participative Leadership” seems similar to laissez faire leadership we often read about and was all the rage in the 1960s. Thanks for publishing on Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog.
Correct. It is easy to say we need “participative leadership” when you are running a company that produces an intellectual product in a non-competitive environment. When there is competition, however, this type of leadership has its limits.
Good point. Leadership is about getting people to do things that they would not ordinarily do. Leadership style is just a way to make this happen efficiently (hopefully).