...Participative Leadership: Strengths and Weaknesses The simple act of making decisions is an essential task leaders must perform effectively to succeed. Behavioral theories of leadership focus on how leaders approach a situation and whether they dictate orders or involve others to encourage support. Research into decision-making behavior has identified three broad categories of leaders: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire (Changing Minds, 2011). This paper will focus on these behavioral theories of leadership, primarily concentrating on participative leadership. An autocratic leader tells employees what to do and how to do it. On the opposite extreme, a laissez-faire leader allows employees to make their own decisions with little leader involvement. In the middle lies participative leadership where the leader includes employees in the decision-making process and lets them take part in determining what to do and how to do it (Big Dog & Little Dog's Performance Juxtaposition, 2010) . My preferred leadership style is participative leadership, confirmed by a 30-item leadership style self-assessment focused on leadership style beliefs (Big Dog & Little Dog's Performance Juxtaposition, 2010). I identify least with a laissez-faire leadership style as my organization expects leaders to be more intimately involved in most matters. In addition, I feel the need to be involved and am not comfortable completely relinquishing control, at least for important matters. I strongly...
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...My Personal Leadership Style: Participative Introduction A Participative Leadership style requires the leader to include all members of the team to participate in any decision making processes. This is a very common style among new leaders and it is quickly becoming the preferred leadership style with many companies. A participative leadership style can further be broken into three subcategories: democratic, consultative, and consensus. Democratic: This type of participative leadership style is used best in environments where there is never a set constant and things are rapidly changing. Because these types of business are constantly evolving, all options or considerations for improvement must be taken into account. This styles allows for everyone including the leader to be able to speak openly and freely with any types of ideas or concerns that they may have. According to the article Leadership Styles: Choosing the Right Leadership Approach for the Situation (2014), democratic leaders encourage creativity, and people are often highly engaged in projects and decisions. The leader makes the decision based off of consensus of most of the members of the team. Consultative: This type of style puts a lot of the brainstorming ideas in the hands of the team members. It uses the skill sets of others. The team members are the generally those that represent their particular department and can speak on how certain actions can affect their department. The leader is usually...
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...SAT2 Leadership Task 1 A1.) I am a Participative/Consultative leader. My style on the Leadership Grid is Sound Leader. I believe in empowering my team to participate in the decision making process both as a team and as individuals. My team members are experts in their particular functions, and as such have valuable skills and experience to add to the decision making process. In order not to slip into the Human Relations leadership style, I maintain control of the final decision after getting input from the team, and manage the insignificant day-to-day decisions with an understanding of the needs of the team and the requirements of the project. I set incremental and final goals for the team after we have discussed a project and determined the appropriate path to successful completion. I am aware of personal goals of my team members, and support them while keeping in mind the organizational objectives. a.) One strength of the Participative/Consultative leadership style is that the team members feel heard and are invested in the outcome as they have contributed to the project development and structural process. This means that there is less complaining, more focus on the goals of a project, and generally more willingness to cooperate with other team members in order to reach objectives. Another is that in utilizing my subject matter experts in a given area, I do not myself have to become an expert in each area. I trust my subject matter experts to know their area of expertise...
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...WGU SAT2 Leadership Task 2 A. Leadership Style There are certainly several types of leaders, and both good qualities and bad qualities to every type. While I think most leaders cannot be pinned completely into any one label, my own personal leadership style most closely matches the participative style. The participative style of leadership lends itself toward collaboration within the group rather than dictatorship or authoritarian style leadership that makes firm decisions based on their own personal judgment. Generally, the authoritarian leadership style is considered to be the more traditional type. In the past most businesses operated under the assumption that there were not effective reasons to discuss decisions with staff before making significant changes. This rather militant style of operating businesses can be visualized as a top-down approach; decisions come from above and trickle to those below. This is mostly effective, but leaves the people on the bottom, oftentimes the ones actually doing the labor, with no voice about how to perform their daily work activities. Over time management concepts have evolved into modern techniques that rely more on listening to and understanding the needs of employees as more businesses realize how much more productive employees can be when they have some control in their team or work environment. I do feel that some leadership decisions can and should be made directly by the leader or manager in charge, as there is not always...
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...One would have to say the Lieutenant Colonel Yaron leadership style is a more authoritarian type leadership. Authoritarian leadership style is also known as autocratic. The autocratic leaders are mostly known for making decisions with little to no input of others. In my opinion, there are four examples which make Lieutenant Colonel Yaron an authoritarian type leader. The first example is Lieutenant Colonel Yaron subordinates had no motivation in getting the operation completed. The second example is he conducted training on how the evacuation operation should be conducted. The third example would how he started focusing on possible junior officers for replacement so he could be in better control of the evacuation. The final example Lieutenant Colonel Yaron showed he was a authoritarian type leader is asking the Brigadier General that he have personal involvement in the missions on the part of the dispatching units so he could have more control of the evacuation. There are positives for being authoritarian type leader. With the evacuation needing to be conducted within a short time line you would want an authoritarian type leader to take control. Another positive for authoritarian type leaders is determining the responsibility if the evacuation was to go wrong. Authoritarian type leaders are quick in determining disciplinary actions as well as changing direction when needed. An example of this in the case study is how Lieutenant Colonel Yaron started focusing on junior officer...
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...Leadership styles are a particular approach taken by a leader. These styles can either be participative or collaborative or directive or commanding. Leaders can either choose to shift their style depending on the situation or use the same style all together. Choosing the right leadership style can be very effective or ineffective depending on the group. It is important for leaders to know exactly what their main leadership style is so that they can better prepare to address situations and people or so they can know how much to alter their leadership style in order to get the best results. A1. Having worked in groups numerous times throughout my professional career as well as my educations career, I would have to say my leadership style fits more closely to the participative leader. Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership, is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process (http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/democratic-leadership.htm). Participative leaders tend to take everyone’s opinion into consideration before making the final decision. There are also subgroups to participative leadership and I would say I fall in to the consultative leader’s subgroup. Although I value every team member’s opinion and take into consideration everyone’s thoughts and Ideas I like to make the final decision. The final decision is usually based on weighing the pros and cons of each decision and...
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...specific participative scheme added at the end. Individual assignment Participative Leadership Participative management is utilized in organizations as strategies to increase workforce commitment and enhancing performances within the organization. Participative management, allows employees to take responsibility, accountability and authority over decisions and work. Participative leadership allows leaders to focus on tactical planning, while employees manage the daily operations, while focusing on listening, building teams and encouraging new ideas. Leaders ensure that a clear vision and mission has been clearly described before the management is given over to the employees. Management will tell the employees what is expected in terms of results for the organization and encourages employees to be creative in solving problems and improving performance. Participative leadership is power sharing in which work influences are shared by employees as well as managers, and this is to the benefit of the leaders to use these participative strategies as learning tools in the workplace. (Locke & Schweiger,1979 Steinheider, B., & Wuestewald, T. (2008)). An inclusive form of decision making is how to describe participative management. This will involve making decision on working conditions, information processing, goal setting, and problem solving. (Wagner,1994. Cite: (Steinheider, B., & Wuestewald, T. (2008)). How Participative schemes improve leadership Executing...
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...and predictability in dealing with group members. Leadership style is the relatively consistent pattern of behavior that characterizes a leader. The study of leadership 112113style is an extension of understanding leadership behaviors and attitudes. Most classifications of leadership style are based on the dimensions of consideration and initiating structure. Phrases such as “he’s a real command-and-control-type” and “she’s a consensus leader” have become commonplace. DuBrin, A. (2013). Leadership [VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781133614197/id/ch4lev1sec5 Here we describe the participative leadership style, the autocratic leadership style, the Leadership Grid,™ the entrepreneurial leadership style, gender differences in leadership style, and choosing the best style. Chapter 5 continues the exploration of leadership styles by presenting several contingency leadership theories. Participative leaders share decision making with group members. Participative leadership encompasses so many behaviors that it can be divided into three subtypes: consultative, consensus, and democratic. The participative style encompasses the teamwork approach. Predominant behaviors of participative leaders include coaching team members, negotiating their demands, and collaborating with others. Often the team member who has the most relevant knowledge for the task at hand slips into a leadership role. Research indicates that poor-performing teams...
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...Leadership Theories One of the leadership theories that influences the way organizations lead their employees is the Participative Leader Theory. Participative leadership is a managerial style that invites input from employees on all company decisions (Root, 2014). The way it works is the team is presented with important information about the main issues of the company. This type of leadership allows the team to input ideas for the direction the company could take to fix the issue. Using the Participative leadership can be a gradual form of decision-making, but at the long run this leadership style can have benefits that may make it the appropriate managerial method for the business. The participative leadership style functions at a greater level where team developing is key and the results are appreciated more than how fast it was created. A great example of a participative leader is Donald Trump of Trump Organization. Mr. Trump is a leader that likes to get ideas from his team and will implement them if he feels they are worthy. He is known for always surrounding himself with teams rather than individuals when it comes to decision-making, this has proven to work effectively for his business. Another great theory is the Situational leadership is the complete opposite from the Participative leadership. Situational leadership refers to when the leader or manager of an organization must adjust his style to fit the development level of the followers he...
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...Styles of Leadership Psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to study the types of leadership in 1939. Dr. Lewin early research can be attributed as the beginning of the study of leadership in the 20th century. His early studies influenced and helped in identifying and establishing the three types of leadership styles known today (Cherry, n.d.). The three types of leadership styles that Dr. Lewin studied are democratic, authoritarian, and participative. The one I will attend to discuss in this paper is the participative leadership style. Participative leadership also known as democratic leadership style is believed by many to be the most effective of the leadership styles (Cherry, n.d.). Participative or democratic leadership offers guidance to the members of the organization but allow members to participate in the decision-making process while the leader maintains the final say over the decision made. This particular style of leadership is the most liked because it engages the followers ("What Is Democratic Leadership?" 2012). This has been known to create an atmosphere of belonging and also motivates individuals who tend to deliver a higher quality product. Participative leadership style has many strengths. However one significant strength of participative leadership is that it seems to build camaraderie and spirit de corps in an organization. This leadership style also seems to give everyone in the group a sense of belonging and ownership in the group or corporation...
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...A1. Leadership Style Leadership style is the relatively consistent pattern of behavior that characterizes a leader (DuBruin 2013). Understanding different styles of leadership and how to use them effectively is key to the success of a leader. This understanding is also important so that the leader can recognize leadership qualities and allow different leaders to emerge and lead in different group and task situations. My leadership style is participative. I like to share the decision making with the group. Within the participative style are three subcategories: consultative, consensus and democratic. While I do use all of those styles depending on the situation, my preference is to be a consensus leader. This means that I strive to obtain buy-in through discussion and soliciting input. Once most of the group has come to an agreement, they will be more supportive because they had input into the decision making process. A1a. Strengths A strength of this style is that there is shared decision making, which gives the group members a feeling of ownership of the goal that we are trying to achieve. When the group comes to a consensus, they are going to function much more cohesively as a team. Another reason that this style is very effective for me because I am striving to create team members with more independent, critical thinking skills and this style encourages that. If I treat them as responsible, competent team members, they will rise to that...
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...Running Head: LEADERSHIP - TASK 1 1 SAT2- Leadership Task 1 Lauren Hutcheson ID#: 282778 April 14, 2014 MBA – Healthcare Western Governors University Running Head: LEADERSHIP - TASK 1 2 A1. Leadership Style Upon conducting research, it is clear that the definition of “leadership” is not agreed upon. It is fluid, based upon many perceptions, situations, and surroundings. According to Robinson (2010), adopting a specific style of leadership is rather futile as it is, “contingent on the personal traits of the leader, the people being led, and the nature of the activity.” Tools are available to help guide potential leaders in determining a preferred style of leadership. For example, utilizing the “Leadership Self-Assessment Quiz: What Style of Leader Are You or Would Be?” as created by Durbin, 2009 it was determined that my leadership skills lean towards becoming a participative leader. As defined by Dubrin (2009), participative leadership shares decision-making with the group and its members. Participative leadership encompasses so many behaviors and characteristics that it can be divided into three subtypes: consultative, consensus, and democratic. Consultative leaders confer with group members before making a decision. However, they retain the final authority in making those decisions. Consensus leaders strive for consensus while democratic leaders confer final authority to the group. They function as collectors of group opinion and take a vote before making a decision...
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...A1. Leadership Based on the analysis quiz in the course of study I have a participative leadership style. I find that input from your team is the best way to accomplish assigned goals and tasks. I believe that through discussion the team would propose the decision and together the leader and the team decide on the outcome. I also believe though that should the team find it hard to come to a consensus, then as the leader is it my role to make the final decision when needed. A1a. Strengths One great advantage to a participative leadership style is that this type of leader often energizes employees which make the employees feel empowered and results in a high level of job satisfaction. When the employee feels as though they have a “say so” they are more motivated to participate and engage in the task at hand. Another great benefit to a participative leadership style is that the manager will gain useful knowledge about their employees and the workplace environment by encouraging feedback from employees. This will help the manger become a more effective leader of the team. A1b. Weaknesses One major disadvantage to a participative leadership style is that too much involvement without direction can cause the employees to become overwhelmed and therefore lack effective decision making abilities. Another disadvantage is that if you as the leader rely too much on group input and interaction, the employees may become confused and dissatisfied and this could lead to lower performance...
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...Social Science Leadership Style and Perception of Effectiveness: Enlightening Malaysian Managers Sharmila Jayasingam (Corresponding author) Faculty of Business and Accounting Universiti Malaya 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 03-7967-3833 E-mail: sharmila@um.edu.my Moey Yoke Cheng KDU College Sdn. Bhd 32, Jalan Anson 10400 Penang E-mail: ycmoey12@yahoo.com Abstract In the past, the leadership style of Malaysian managers has been different from our Western counterparts due to strong cultural differences. However, with the advent of knowledge economy and the transformation of workforce, leadership style of Malaysian managers is said to be altered. This research explored the current state of leadership style among Malaysian managers and its effect on the perception of effectiveness. A survey method was employed and the data was drawn from subordinates who were working in private and public sectors in the Klang Valley area. When compared to past literature, the results imply that a shift has taken place primarily with regards to autocratic leadership. Respondents attributed leadership effectiveness to the use of participative and nurturant-task leader behavior. Gender differences were not significantly evident. Keywords: Malaysian managers, Leadership, Gender 1. Introduction Reading most Management textbooks would readily reveal that leadership is one of the four management function that needs to be assumed by any manager. Although numerous studies of effective leadership style for...
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...Leadership Style Charlene Taylor WGU 000345193 Leadership Style Analysis There are many leadership styles that were presented in the reading. As well as the reading, I completed an assessment “What’s Your Leadership Style?” (About.com). This assessment, as well as my reading of the material identified my style as participative and situational leadership. Participative leadership involves engaging multiple group members in the decision making process, as well as problem solving. The leader does have the final choice in the decision. This style of leadership helps to encourage and motivate group members. “This style of leadership often leads to more effective and accurate decisions, since no leader can be an expert in all areas” (About.com). As a participative leader, I always drive teamwork among my team. This gives the members of my team the ability to share in the decision making processes of the company. Participative leadership does have some negative factors. Participative leadership “results in extensive and time-consuming team meetings and committee work” (Dublin, 2010). Many managers also believe that giving group members a share in the decision making lowers their power. Another weakness in this style is that a decision cannot be made until the entire group agrees on something. This can slow down productivity, as the group argues and discusses the points until everyone unanimously agrees. Situational leadership occurs...
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