Democratic Leadership
By: @JoeOsterndorff & @bittycarmelo
Summary of this Leadership
Also known as participative leadership, this type of leadership where members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process. Researchers have discovered that democratic leadership is usually one of the most effective and lead to higher productivity, better contributions from group members, and increased group morale. And for that reason we have selected this leadership style.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Democratic leadership in the context of managing an organization has some advantages and disadvantages. Let's talk about some of the advantages. Democratic leadership techniques generally will do a better job creating job satisfaction because it fosters a sense of participation, control and autonomy. Greater employee participation in decision-making may also lead to greater innovation and creative solutions to problems that will better serve an organization.
Democratic leadership does present some disadvantages. A democratic approach to management may not be as efficient as a more traditional centralized and authoritarian form of direction. Consequently, it may be more costly to the organization in time and resources. When responsibility is diffused among several different individuals or groups, accountability for mistakes or failures may be harder to determine. Some organizations or tasks may simply not be compatible with the type of employee participation required for democratic leadership.
The Theory of Democratic Leadership
It is more of a behavioral trait. Democratic Leadership in an organization involves the redistribution of power and authority between employees and managers to provide employee involvement in decision-making.