ASPIRATIONALLY, AMY
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
A democratic leader is someone who involves their teammates in the decision-making process. Under their leadership, everyone is encouraged to participate. Democratic leaders understand that they don't need to be the smartest person on the team, or the person with all the answers. When it is time to choose a direction, democratic leaders synthesize the perspectives of the team to confidently make their decision and clearly communicate their thought process. Since the democratic leadership style invites participation, it often fosters a positive company culture with higher levels of employee morale, engagement, satisfaction, trust, and productivity.
Thanks to the open discussions that democratic leaders invite, teams are able to flourish with increased innovation, since more opinions represent more knowledge. Democratic leaders who consistently communicate how valuable their team's contributions are help significantly improve morale, workplace satisfaction, and inspire a cohesive commitment from their team to achieve the best possible results. Employees who feel invested in the projects and processes they helped shape alongside their democratic leader tend to work more efficiently and independently because they don’t rely solely on the leader to problem-solve and decision-make. Since democratic leaders freely share their decision-making power, they often earn the trust and respect of their team and their colleagues.
Democratic leaders can fall into the trap of circling around an issue in feedback loops without making substantive progress toward a solution or a decision. Crowdsourcing perspectives doesn't always yield productive suggestions. A democratic leader must know when and how to diplomatically guide the discussion in a more productive direction, and to step in if good ideas are not forthcoming. Finally, it is difficult to make fast decisions when the democratic decision-making process requires the input of everybody. The time it takes for democratic leaders to organize meetings and discussions can be detrimental to business when quick decisions are necessary or deadlines are involved.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES
PRIORITIZE AND CELEBRATE PARTICIPATION
Seek the input of your team members throughout the decision-making process, and ask them to share their ideas about things that are within their scope of work and outside of it. Create an environment where your team feels empowered and welcome to share their perspectives.
GET CREATIVE ABOUT COLLABORATION
Encourage creative collaboration through team-building exercises like dividing into small groups to ideate, problem-solve, or engage in goal-setting. Prioritize teamwork over competition, and create regular opportunities for cross-team brainstorming.
PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE TO BE PATIENT
Gathering, synthesizing, and evaluating the contributions of an entire team prior to making a democratic decision takes time. Building in additional time for input is a crucial part of the planning process, regardless of the task. While consensus is ideal, it also takes time to achieve.
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REFERENCES
Baker, C. (2023, February 20). How to practice the democratic leadership style. Leaders. https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/democratic-leadership-style/
DeFrank-Cole, L., & Tan, S. J. (2022). Women and leadership: Journey toward equity [eBook edition]. Sage.
Farmer, J. R. (n.d.). Mastering the democratic leadership style (how-to guide). Lifehack. https://www.lifehack.org/869083/democratic-leadership
Indeed Editorial Team (2023, March 16). 8 common leadership styles (Plus how to find your own). Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/10-common-leadership-styles
Indeed Editorial Team (2023, February 3). Democratic leadership style in the workplace: Pros, and cons. Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/democratic-leadership
Miller, H. L. (2021, December 15). How to effectively use the democratic leadership style. Leaders. https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/democratic-leadership-style/
Wilson, G. (n.d.) The advantages of democratic leadership in the workplace. SuccessFactory. https://www.thesuccessfactory.co.uk/blog/advantages-of-democratic-leadership