2. What is Participative
Leadership?
Also known as Democratic Leadership
Allows group members to contribute
ideas and participate in decision-
making
Enables group members to think
creatively, feel engaged and motivated
Generally the most effective
leadership style (Lewin’s study)
3. Participation Spectrum
Level of participation depends on:
◦ Type of decisions being made
◦ Manager’s preferences and beliefs
Autocratic
decision by
leader
Leader
proposes
decision,
listens to
feedback,
then
decides
Team
proposes
decision,
leader has
final
decision
Joint
decision
with team as
equals
Full
delegation
of decision
to team
< Not participative Highly participative
>
4. Potential Advantages
Decision makers understand the issues
better when they are more involved
Being involved in decision-making
makes people more committed to the
task
As working on mutual goals, people tend
to be less competitive and more
collaborative
More people have more ideas to
contribute than one does
5. Disadvantages of Participative
Leadership
Requires that team members are “literate,
informed and organized”
People are motivated differently and some
might not be interested in making decisions
Can be time-consuming because of a
variety of view-points
Might creative frustration in some members
who ideas are not approved for actions
