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Democratic Leadership

The Democratic Leadership Style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making abilities with the group members by promoting the interests of the group members and by practicing social equality. ^[1].

This style of leadership encompasses discussion, debate and sharing of ideas and encouragement of people to feel good about their involvement. The boundaries of democratic participation tend to be circumscribed by the organization or the group needs and the instrumental value of people's attributes (skills, attitudes, etc.). The democratic style encompasses the notion that everyone, by virtue of their human status, should play a part in the group's decisions. However, the democratic style of leadership still requires guidance and control by a specific leader. The democratic style demands the leader to make decisions on who should be called upon within the group and who is given the right to participate in, make and vote on decisions. ^[2]

Research has found that this leadership style is one of the most effective and creates higher productivity, better contributions from group members and increased group morale. Democratic leadership can lead to better ideas and more creative solutions to problems because group members are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas. While democratic leadership is one of the most effective leadership styles, it does have some potential downsides. In situations where roles are unclear or time is of the essence, democratic leadership can lead to communication failures and uncompleted projects. Democratic leadership works best in situations where group members are skilled and eager to share their knowledge. It is also important to have plenty of time to allow people to contribute, develop a plan and then vote on the best course of action. ^[3]

References

^ Foster, D. E. (2002). A Method of Comparing Follower Satisfaction with the Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Styles of Leadership. Communication Teacher, 16(2), 4-6.
^ Woods, A. P. (2010). Democratic leadership: drawing distinctions with distributed leadership. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 7(1), 3-36.
^ Artindale, N. (2011). LEADERSHIP STYLES… how to handle the different personas. Strategic Communication Management, 15(8), 32-35.

[1] Foster, D. E. (2002). A Method of Comparing Follower Satisfaction with the Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Styles of Leadership. Communication Teacher, 16(2), 4-6.

[2] Woods, A. P. (2010). Democratic leadership: drawing distinctions with distributed leadership. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 7(1), 3-36.

[3] Artindale, N. (2011). LEADERSHIP STYLES… how to handle the different personas. Strategic Communication Management, 15(8), 32-35.

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