Democratic leadership points out a leadership manner where each group member will play an individual role in the decision-making stage. Sometimes we also refer to this as participative leadership. This trend can be followed in any government or business organization.
Democratic leadership allows liberty to everyone who is associated with the process. Thus it encourages freedom of speech. This leadership technique generates a free pool of fresh ideas. The members stay more active due to better engagement possibilities. However, at the end of everything, there is still the democratic head who controls and coordinates the whole process.
A leader accesses the qualities and key abilities of each group representative. Based on the available resources a democratic leader selects the associates who are eligible to participate in the decision-making procedures. Studies confirm the fact that democratic leadership is one of the proven ways to boost productivity, motivate the group as well as give birth to new potent leaders.
Features of Democratic Leadership
Let us learn about the two signature characteristics of democratic leadership:
Members feel more connected to the organization or institution as their opinions are valued. The democratic leader makes the ultimate declaration and controls the entire system.
Under the guidance of a democratic leader, the members get to speak about their thoughts and ideas regarding an event or an issue. In this procedure, mutual agreement, as well as contradictions, arise which are further scrutinized through brainstorming an array of alternative options. All of these elements contribute to originality and improved functionality. Unique innovative plans come forward through an exchange of proposals. This helps to get rid of older loopholes.
Advantages of Democratic Leadership
The democratic leaders aim to achieve the following goals:
Better productivity: Members remain more active and give their everything to harness the best out of available resources. They build a personal connection with each other due to constant engagement. Thus reduction in this gap boosts productivity.
Creative thoughts: If any member feels that he/she has the remedy to a specific problem then the leader is always there for guidance. This generates a wide range of perspectives coming from people who belong to different backgrounds. Thus the ultimate decision will be able to solve the problem of a greater audience.
Solid bonding: Brooding over a common problem and attempting to find a solution will make the members spend more time with each other. This will build mutual respect and faith. The ultimate verdict is announced after addressing the viewpoints of all. Thus there is no scope for favoritism.
Good for the Government: Autocratic government pays no heed to its members. Thus they possess low morale. This is not suitable for the well-being of the Government or any business. Thus democratic leadership is the most effective method to resolve mass problems.
Increased transparency: In a democratic government the leaders share the current status, objective and immediate goals of the party. Therefore each member is aware of the blueprint of operation. This generates an enhanced mode of dedication and urgency among the members.
Disadvantages of Democratic Leadership
Longer decision-making process: The idea of including each member’s viewpoint makes the procedure tedious and long. At times this hampers the legislative execution by hindering the workflow.
Not suitable for an emergency: This point is more or less a continuation of the previous postulate. Emergencies demand abrupt and effective decision-makers. As the democratic structure associates the participation of all the members, leaders tend to become less potent and creative.
Chances of wrong decision-making: The team players are often inexperienced and may have faced a peculiar situation for the very first time. If a leader gets influenced by their viewpoints and announces a wrong verdict it may lead to more complex situations in the future.
Overlooking some decisions: The decision is made based on the ideologies of a handful of associates. The rest of the opinions get disregarded. This may lead to the anguish of the senior or qualified members.
Democratic Government
In a democratic government, a separate leader is appointed to represent a state. This concept contradicts the Presidential system of Government. In a democratic setting, the state head official strictly abides by the legislature. Following the Renaissance, democratic governments first emerged throughout the European countries. Now they are distributed across all the continents. A democratic government is renowned for its flexible nature. It can quickly remodel its legislature depending on the urgency of a given situation. A democratic party is elected through votes cast by the citizens of the native state or country. As equal rights are delegated among large sections of members, a democratic party may disintegrate because of contradictions among too many sub-committees. This is a major drawback of a democratic government.
Conclusion
Democratic leadership is the most effective style of leading across prominent business organizations and governments across the globe. Democracy gives freedom of speech to each member. This helps the leader to reach a collective verdict that is likely to solve the problems of a greater community.