Advantages of Participative Leadership Style Are Discussed Below

Question: Discuss About the Advantages of Participative Leadership Style? Answer: Introducation: While the course curriculum my university has conducted a Big Five Personality Test in which I had participated. My career goal is always to lead a group of motivated people. Therefore, participation in the personality test has been encouraging for me to get an insight of my leadership potentials and myself confidence. I always believed that I have always polished by expertise to be a successful leader in the near future; therefore, the test can be an effective tool that would mirror my both positive and negative qualities before me. Depending on the result of the personality test, I can take my further decisions. During my internship program, I had been grouped up with three other members from my university. We were assigned to a specific territory and asked to visit all the stores of the specific company. Our primary responsibility was to supervise the operations and employees behaviours towards the customers. On the other hand, our secondary responsibility was to make a presentation of the findings we derived from the store visits. Since we were fresher, thus, none of us had any knowledge in this field. I took the imitative to lead the team with the approvals of every other member. Initially, I conducted a short session with my team to explore their area of expertise, based on which I have taken further decisions. I am an extrovert person, thus always opt for public interactions and site visits. Moreover, the session further helped me to identify other members who had alike qualities of me. The rest of the members were specialised in the content domains, thus, were comfortable with the presentation part. Thus, I and my fellow partner used to visit the stores and supervised in the working environment and the employees' attitude towards customers. At the end of the day, the primary data were forwarded to the presentation team and the team prepared a professional PPT based on the delivered data. In this project, I ensured that all of our work as a team and eliminated all negative aspects that could hamper our projects quality. My leadership techniques have helped us to receive appreciation from the management and based on our presentation, the organisation had taken further action to improve its in-stores working environment. I was fortunate to get another chance to confidently help my team with my leadership abilities. In our university, we have been assigned with an NPO (non-profit organisations) project, where I along with 5 other members was clubbed in a group. Herein, we had to conduct certain activities to raise funds for the NPO stakeholders. Once again, I have taken the initiative to lead the team confidently. Two of the team members in my team were skilled artist. Therefore, I planned to utilise their skills to the maximum. I planned to purchase raw bases from the market and sell it to the customers after painting it. Myself and another member took the responsibility of exploring markets from where we could purchase the bases at minimum costs. One of the members has been assigned with the finance and book-keeping responsibilities and while another had a proficient understanding of using social media platforms. We used social media sites to promote our concept and receive valuable feedback. I plan ned to sell the product through an exhibition. Thus, the fourth members made a brilliant job in promoting each of the activities and made our concept famous amongst the social networking users. Moreover, the artists were excellent in parting the crafts. I managed to maintain coordination among the team members, which helped us to sell all the products at the maximum rate and donate the amount to the NPOs. The result of my personality test shows that I am an authoritarian leader, which characterises my traits with a high focus on tasks and less on relationships. I would like to disagree with the result of the test. While conducting both the projects, I have well-coordinated with my team members and also looked into the issue each of the members was facing with individual responsibilities. In the initial project, I had taken a firm and collective decision to explore the expertise qualities of my team members and assigned them responsibilities as per their comfort area. Whenever the team members faced the issue in their projects, I always have taken initiatives to conduct one and one session with the individual members and resole their issues. Therefore, at the end, I managed to receive appreciation from each of my team members for myself confidence. Similarly, in the second project as well I planned put task that has fit into every member specialised skills. As per the statement of Green (2016), authoritarian leaders are extremely task oriented and expect people to work as per the leaders instructions. But my leadership style in entirely different from the task result. I always have given preferences to the wills and expectations of my fellow team members. Based on the strength and potential of every member, I have confidently designed our project, which has motivated every member to show the positive and unified attitude towards the team. Therefore, I believe that my leadership qualities are categories under Team Leader" since I emphasise the equal focus on tasks, myself confidence and relationship with the fellow members. The areas I need to improve are: Sometimes, I lack in coming up with effective ideas. Sometimes, I get stressed and anxious about my performance and matching up to the expectations of my team members. Therefore, I think I tend to invest a lot of time and energy into thinking about the what-ifs rather than channelling them into productive work. This lowers me confidence. Thus, I believe that I need to increase my focus to channelize my energies in the positive and productive directions. This can effectively help me to overcome the issue of restricted ideas and help my team with productive strategies. As already discussed in the above section that I am an extrovert by nature, thus, prefer communication with people to the utmost. Sometimes, I fail to resist myself from speaking unproductive things in public. Thus, I believe that due to my extrovert nature, I remain very exposed in a public platform. Brief of the subject In the opinion of Chapman (2017), it can be identified that leadership is the significant aspects, which helps a business to maximise its efficiency and attain the future goals. In the similar context, Clark Beatty (2016) asserted that the most important skill of a leader is to have the ability to think strategically and enhance me confidence. According to Skelton (2016), a leader needs to have a concrete knowledge of the internal as well as the external scenario of organisations. The internal structures of organisations are designs based on the demands of the target customers. Therefore, the primary responsibility of a leader is to maintain a strong connection with its team members and motivate each of the members to work as per the organisational structure confidently. Areas to be developed to be a successful leader Maintaining positive attitude In the context of the present statement, Crowther Lauesen (2016) mentioned that positive tends to increase the production benchmark in an organisation. It has been identified that employees are the followers of leaders; therefore, it is highly essential for the leaders to maintain a positive attitude to imbibe the same quality amongst its team members. In the similar context, Singh et al. (2017) determined in the majority of organisations the employees are instructed to feel positive about the working environment. Therefore, in case of leaders fail to carry optimistic attitude, the same would reflect on its subordinates. Therefore, it is significantly essential for leaders to maintain its positive attitude and self-confidence to ensure that the followers remain well motivated and help the organisations to attain its future objectives. Team motivation ability In the circumstance of the present statement, Singh et al. (2017) asserted that with the passage of times, industrial competition is increasing. This is automatically increasing pressure within every organisation. According to Badewi (2016), customers are getting wider choices in the market, which is enhancing the pressure for the exiting organisation to survive the fierce competition of the market. Therefore, automatically, organisations are experimenting with in different activities and pressuring its employee for overtime. With reference to the previous context, Tacon Walters (2016) stated that the level of employee fatigue is increasing with time. It has been identified that organisations are getting more profit-centric; therefore, employees are often exploited and are not provided with the deserved payments. Thus, employees in major organisations are found demotivated, which adversely affects its final productivity margin. Therefore, the primary responsibility of a leader is to retain its employee motivation and ensure that the employees can utilise its expertise skills and self-confidence at the right places. Developing employee skill sets As per Bornman Puth (2017), employees are willing to serve organisation when management show a concerning attitude towards employee growth and development. It has been assessed that the employees can be retained in organisations where the hard works and dedications are valued. According to Haque Aston (2016), financial reward is not the only motivating factor that encourages employee retention. However, recognition appreciation, self-confidence and growth are also essential for an employee to serve an organisation with a long-term intention. Employees always expect a steady development and growth within organisations, therefore, it is the significant responsibility of a leader to make sure that each of the employees receives proper training session to polish their expertise and work with satisfaction and potential future prospects (Giles Bills, 2017). Relevant theories to develop leadership qualities In the consideration of Robertson Byrne (2016), it can be identified that participative leadership would be the best possible framework to develop leadership qualities. Participative leadershipis considered as a managerial style that tends to invite input from internal resources on the company decision making process. Herein, the staff provides relevant information regarding company issues, based on which the final decisions are taken by the management. According to Heystek (2016), the initial stage of participative leadership style is to facilitate conversations, in the second sage, the employees are allowed to share individual information and knowledge about the concerned areas (Ferreras Mndez et al. 2017). In the third stage, the employees are further encouraged by management to share ideas. In the fourth stage, all the available information is synthesised (Giles Bills, 2017). In the fifth stage, the management takes the final decision and lastly, the final decisions are communi cated back to each internal group. Figure 1: Participative leadership theory (Source: Giles Bills, 2017) The advantages of participative leadership style are discussed below: Acceptance In the participative leadership style staff readily accepts strategies and decisions that are reached by general consensus (Tian et al. 2016). This decreases the resistance, which new organisational policies might experience and speed up the procedure of implementing fresh ideas. Employees are provided with a personal stake in the success of the companies strategies for being involved in the decision-making process and helping the firm to attain its future notions (Giles Bills, 2017). Morale The staff that are allowed to have a voice in the decision-making process of a company feel personally accountable for the success of the business. The employee morale remains at a higher level as there can be an appreciation for being a part of the companys decision-making process (Ferreras Mndez et al. 2017). This automatically encourages employees to take greater responsibility on behalf of the organisation and show further commitment. The above approach increases employee retention ratio and self-confidence. Retention A participative leadership style provides employees more than just the prospect to progress its income through superior performance. It offers internal staff with the chance to be proactive in shaping the future success of the business (Ferreras Mndez et al. 2017). Thus, the chosen style allows employees to remain active in the expansion of the organisation and also encourages the potential employees to confidently serve with a long-term motive. This would lead to improve employee retention and eliminate the costs of turnover. Conclusion Remain focused It is very important for a leader to remain focus in its individual jobs. In the similar context, Robertson Byrne (2016) determined that the primary responsibility of a leader ensure that all its team members utilise its expertise in the right place. Bornman Puth (2017) mentioned that team members often react negatively due to the excessive pressure of the organisation, however, it is the sole responsibility of the leader to remain focused on the positive sides and guide each f the leaders to carry a positive attitude within the organisation. As per Robertson Byrne (2016), leaders need to be focused on its professional responsibility and remain confident to increase the productivity of the organisation. Therefore, the specific context can be an effective action plan that can help a leader to be successful in the near future. Leaders always need to have creative ideas. It has been discussed in the above context that leaders often get pressurised by the negative attitude and reactions of its subordinates. Therefore, in the maximum percentages of times, leaders are often found to follow the traditional techniques, which tend to serve little advantage towards organisations (Ferreras Mndez et al. 2017). In the statement of Bornman Puth (2017), it can be identified that creative thinking is effectively important for an organisation to survive the competitive scenario and enhance the self confidence of resources. Bornman Puth (2017) mentioned that leaders shall always encourage employees to get creative through to the business. Since most organisations adopt traditional techniques, therefore, the probability to reach stagnancy is high. Against the latter context, Stanley Carvalho (2016) mentioned that leaders often get suppressed by the external pressure of the market; therefore, in the majority of times, the leadership styles are progressed as per the flow of the traditional method. Hence, it has been identified that initially leaders emphasise on creative solutions, but with the passage of time the level of pressure increases. Thus, since traditional methods are implemented by peers in the industry as well, thus, the leaders find it safe to resolve its operational issue through the well acceptable methods. Empathy A leader needs to have an empathetic attitude towards its team members. As per Lorincov et al. (2016), leaders can form a strong bond with its team members, when the issues and problems of the subordinates are felt. In a similar manner, the employees tend to follow the instructions of leaders, when the leaders tend to understand employees' issues and work on behalf. Display loyalty, confidence and commitment In the circumstance of the present statement, Domingues et al. (2017) mentioned that successful leaders always remain committed to its vision and values. The leaders always need to maintain a transparent communication with its subordinates. Since the employees tend to follow each of the qualities and instructions of its leaders, therefore, the leaders need to be transparent with its ideas, self-confidence and objectives. This can help the employees to decide whether to supports the leaders strategies or not. The leaders also need to show commitment towards its team and the organisation. It has been determined that a leader always needs to maintain a balance between its responsibilities towards organisations and relationship with its fellow members (Ferreras Mndez et al. 2017). 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