Introduction
Leadership styles can be defined in various ways in different contexts. Defining leadership styles is much like a lot of other aspects in life, where it would be very common to hear people giving answers that are as different and as many as there are people in the world. However, leadership style is generally referred to as the manner or approach of offering direction, implementing new plans, and motivating people, as applied by key people in the family and other various segments of the society.
There are many leadership styles, and leaders must identify which styles would work well with their subjects. Different people use different approaches to manifest their leadership styles depending on a variety of situations under which they operate (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009). The participative or democratic approach is what I consider to be my leadership style and it’s one of the key ways that I tend to use in most life situations.
Leadership Style
The participative leadership style is one of the most effective approaches when it comes to motivating people to achieve the best results in all kinds of situations. This style has enabled me to work well with other people around my life, as it has always brought me close to my subjects and colleagues. In cases where I have delegated the role of a leader, whether, at school or away, I have always ensured that I fully participate in the decision-making process, rather than leaving everything in the hands of my subjects or group members.
Through this approach, I have always learned to appreciate others, and encourage their worthy contribution towards any decision-making activity. I have always realized that people would tend to be more creative and motivated when they are engaged in the decision-making process of any kind of situation facing them.
Being participative has proved to be of great benefit to me and those under my leadership. While the style has given me the kind of strength I would need to accomplish most of my leadership roles, it has also granted my subjects an opportunity to air out their suggestions freely. This has been a perfect way of encouraging motivation among my subjects, thus paving way for better ideas. A participative style is also important in that, it enables one to understand the needs of their subjects or team members, and this would normally lead to well-defined roles of a leader in most cases (Burke & Collins, 2001). By being participative, I have always been able to understand my subjects well, thus coming up with the right judgments based on a combined input from my side and that of the team members.
Conclusion
Even though I would regularly be forced to adopt new leadership styles to match specific situations, I have never compromised my democratic leadership style with any other approach which may be used to approach problematic situations. The participative style of leadership has in most cases enabled me to come up with better ideas and more satisfying solutions to most situations, simply because I have always encouraged other peoples’ ideas and opinions where necessary and I have always realized the benefits.
More importantly, through my effective leadership approach, which teaches people to interact well with their colleagues, I have been able to help others develop effective leadership styles of their own. Through the various strategies that can be applied in the participatory leadership style, as observed in this report, I have found the approach more motivating and influential. Through this effective approach, I have been able to accomplish my leadership goals in many sectors.
References
Burke, S., & Collins, K. (2001). Gender differences in leadership styles and management skills. Women in Management Review, 16(5), 244-257.
Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2009). Organizational Behavior (4th Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill Publishers.