Participative Leadership Benefits

How Participative Leadership Works

In participative leadership the leader becomes a facilitator. The job involves defining the issue that needs a solution and then encouraging the team to produce solutions. In this way everyone in the team becomes involved and the entire knowledge, creativity and experience of the group is harnessed.

The role of the participative leader is to organise facilities for group brainstorming, sift through the possible solutions and gain consensus for a direction and strategy. The leader remains responsible for the timely implementation of the chosen strategy.

This leadership approach is radically different from the dictatorial leadership style where the onus is always on the leader to find solutions and impose them on the team.

Possible Dangers in Using Participative Leadership

Solutions produced using a participative leadership approach undoubtedly require more time to germinate. However they are often stronger solutions.

When participative leadership is first used it can cause some change resistant members of a team to articulate, “why should I look for answers, you’re paid more to be the leader, you do the work.” Of course, by adopting this attitude they are foregoing the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities.

When using participative leadership you must take care not to fall into the trap of asking people what they think and then ignoring the answers. This makes people feel annoyed that their efforts have been seen to be valueless.

The Benefits of Participative Leadership

1. you tap the talents, skills, experience, creativity and thinking power of the whole team.
2. Being consulted and involved makes people feel valued and thus more secure and confident
3. It provides opportunities to spot and evaluate possible leaders of the future.
4. It acts as a showcase for people’s talents.
5. It encourages active participation.
6. It can provide a greater variety of solutions to choose from.
7. It commits people to the solutions that they create which tends to lead to their taking more responsibility.
8. It provides a bonding opportunity for people to work together as equals for the common good of the team.

Personally I see participative leadership as being an integral part of the whole transformational leadership process. It is a powerful way to create a charismatic vision, communicate inspirationally and tap the power within the knowledge, experience, ideas and thoughts of the group. This in turn engenders powerful feelings which raise morale and productivity.
How You Can Benefit From Transformational Leadership Coaching
If any of your leaders are suffering from “signs that they would benefit from Transformational Leadership Development Coaching”, please get in touch with me, David Ferrers, using the contact form or freephone 0800 195 1989.
All the best,









“Transformational Leadership is the ability to create and transmit a charismatic vision that runs through an organisation like an electric current, inspiring and energising the thoughts, ideas and actions of the people and thereby elevating their performance.”
© David Ferrers
Here are some more sources of information about participative leadership:
• The How and Why of Participative Leadership – As a business owner, one of your biggest challenges is to lead your team well. Should you focus on employee participation at the cost of business goals? Or do you “show them how it’s done” and expect the team to follow your lead? …
• Participative Leadership – Participative leadership style is also known as ‘participative democratic leadership’. It involves team members in making decisions that is essential while solving complex problems. Manager can maintain the healthy relations with his …
• Participative Leadership In the Salt Lake Valley – Thank you for your interest in Participative Leadership in the Salt Lake Valley. We know there are many of you. Participative Leadership is work that we have been practicing and doing in many parts of the world. …
• Thinking Made Easy: Determining Your Perfect Position Paper Essay – The qualities of openness, empathy, integrity and self-awareness became a priority and more participative leadership style whereby the leader not only involves colleagues, but listens, is responsive to feedback and delegates …
• Participative Leadership Style (Democratic) – It’s hard to order and demand someone to be creative, perform as a team, solve complex problems, improve quality, and provide outstanding customer service. The style presents a happy medium between over controlling (micromanaging) and …
• Does Delegation Increase Innovation? – Below I will explain some factors that can help you understand how participative leadership and delegation can help you increase your organization’s innovative performance. Innovation can happen in many areas, but we mainly address five …
• riffal’s_yard » Blog Archive » Leadership styles – Leadership styles. Posted by: riffal_m48@me.its.ac.id | Under: article. Using the right one for your situation. From Mahatma Gandhi to Jack Welch and Martin Luther King to Rudolph Giuliani, there are as many leadership styles as there …