Being able to get the right direction and getting other people to follow one towards attaining a common objective, instilling a sense of responsibility in them, and obligating them to what they do, is called leadership. (Business Dictionary,2008) It can also be viewed as a vibrant correlation founded on shared influence and objectives between the superiors and their followers and the result is increased motivation to bring the desired changes. Looking at the definition of leadership from this perspective, Rensis Likert’s participative theory of leadership is brought into focus and is seen to be more befitting of how leaders ought to relate with the subordinates.
Among the leadership styles that Likert recognized were: Exploitative authoritarian style, benevolent authoritarian style, consultative style, and the participative style. The participative style/ theory of leadership is the one that I would like to expound on.
The participative style of leadership is whereby the leader continuously promotes the participation of the subordinates and encourages them to make contributions that are valued and considered in decision making. Rensis Likert viewed this system as the one which could make a leader excel in his duty as the leader/manager since it is “employee-centered”, and the leaders aim to concern themselves with the people instead of the work itself. Its main objective is to develop a formidable motivated and efficient group of employees who therefore put in more effort to attain higher targets.
In this system of leadership, the subordinates are made to know and feel that they are part and parcel of the decision-making process therefore they feel needed and important to the organization and this makes them more committed to their work and loyal to the employer. (Milstead J., Elizabeth F., 2006). In its application, the leader can have an idea and sell it to the group or he/she can tell them the requirements of the objectives then let them decide on how to achieve them on their own. This style can also be referred to as management by objectives, empowerment, or consultative management.
The success of this style is anchored on the fact that when people are involved in decision making, their understanding of facts is elevated, their commitment is higher, the competition amongst them reduces and instead cohesion increases and also the contributions made improve the quality of the decisions made. (John b. Miner). According to Bernadette D. and others (2008), the success of a leader can be evaluated through the achievement of goals by his team, the general team cohesion, and their drive. These can be obtained by the leader’s continuous involvement in his team development mainly through participation whereby the team will tend to have more job satisfaction and empowerment, communicate more effectively in the group, and take their responsibilities with more seriousness.
My preferred leadership style is a blend of the best features of participatory, democratic, and authoritarian. We are living in a dynamic society where the requirements of management in different organizations keep varying. This implies that there are situations where using one particular leadership style may not achieve the best results. This is because the context of leadership also changes with time. This is more so in the sense that most of the old leadership styles which emphasized hard power no longer ensure meeting of the needs of the employees and employers mutually. (The economist, 2008).
Thus they are replaced by the democratic and participatory soft power styles with a bit of benevolent authoritarian style in some situations where management is by carrot in place of stick and the employees are made to follow what is required of them.
Using this blend ensures that at all times the leader will be able to get the subordinates to achieve the set targets willingly. This is applied more so when the quality of the objectives depends on the employee’s will to work and this is fostered by letting them make decisions. In case there is a situation where his strong authority is required to give direction to the team, the leader will be able to exert his authority to meet the ends. I also think it is important for leaders to apply leadership styles that their subordinates may be comfortable with. It’s a fact that the leadership style in an organization also influences the performance of subordinates and how long they may stay working in an organization (Carol, 2004)
References
Bernadette D., An Willemse, Marc V.,.Impact Of Clinical Leadership Development On The Clinical Leader, Nursing Team And Care-Giving Process: A case study. Journal of Nursing Management. Vol. 16 Issue 6, 2008.
Carol S. Kleinman, Leadership: A Key Strategy in Staff Nurse Retention The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing Vol. 35 No. 3. 2004.
Milstead J.A., Furlong E. (2006). Handbook of Nursing Leadership: Creative Skills for a Culture of Safety. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Secrets of leadership. 2008. Smartly does it. The economist.