Qualities of a Participative Leader

The participative style of leadership is a method of guiding people based on democratic principles of inclusion. She is a leader who focuses on employee input, team concepts and shared decision making. This type of manager should possess certain qualities in order to fit well with this style. She must be engaged, communicative and open to discussion and modifications of her own ways of thinking as she leads and works through business issues.

The chief feature of a participative leader is his involvement. He is physically present with his employees during much of the workday. His involvement encourages the staff to come together in working on tasks. They know he will be there contributing with his labor, ideas and support. A participative leader is always in the mix of what is going on so he is able to help work through issues when they first arise.

A democratic system of leadership requires the manager to listen to others and consider their ideas. The supervisor realizes his own methods and concepts are not the onlly ones that are valuable. He is humble enough to accept when someone else presents a better alternative or an improvement on his own ideas. While the final decision still lies with the leader, the input of others is beneficial to all. This democratic leader is respected by his staff for keeping his mind as well as his door open.

Collaborative efforts define a participative environment. The leader guides his team to produce an enterprise that is a result of group accomplish. To do this, he must meld a mix of diverse workers with sometimes conflicting ideas and methods. He works to use these differences to form a team that works efficiently and progresses through challenges both material and personal. For example, the leader might find it necessary to help work through a technical issue with software and then, in a short space of time, help solve a disagreement between employees regarding workload. The participative leader must be supportive every step of the way to make this team environment succeed.

The participative leader empower others. This is someone who is willing to share the spotlight by giving her employees the opportunity to make major decisions. She is also there to support these workers when they make mistakes and need help in solving problems. This leader invests much of her own success by placing it in the hands of those she supervises. As a result of her extensive time and efforts, she observes the professional growth of her staff. According to the Management Study Guide, workers under this type of leader become proficient, optimistic and stay motivated.