Work is a social construct. Since labor moved from the cottage, forest, and field, we have struggled to understand the relationship among work, workers, and workplaces.
This dynamic drives a world feeling its way through a pandemic, an ecosystem damaged by social justice issues, and a population feeling its independence and power sent home. Today’s workers have outgrown legacy work contracts, and new talents expect more than a transactional deal, compensated for tasks and outputs.
They respond better to Democratic Leadership when practiced effectively.
Understanding Democratic Leadership
Most organizations have long rejected Autocratic and Directive Leadership styles. They recognize the fragility of Charismatic Leadership and Laissez-Faire Leadership styles. And, Transactional and Transformational Leadership styles have had their day, and the contemporary climate wants something more.
A Democratic Leadership style ensures an atmosphere and framework for open participation. This kind of leadership reimagines a culture where decision-making is no longer the leader’s exclusive role. Effective Democratic Leadership shapes a psychologically safe environment where leaders, teams, and individuals contribute to every decision-making process.
It has nothing to do with voting or electing, but Democratic Leadership remains open to the voice of the people. It has little to do with campaigning or electioneering, but Democratic Leadership seeks and respects the inputs of its constituent managers and rank-and-file.
Organizations have realized significant benefits from effective Democratic Leadership:
- It solicits, hears, and processes a wide range of ideas and insights. The varied voices help solve complex problems from diverse perspectives and experiences.
- It unites leaders, teams, and members in shared purposes and processes. As participants in all processes, individuals learn, grow, and contribute more.
- It requires an open and honest commitment to the work, process, and outcomes. While leaders may finalize and execute decisions, accountability is shared by all.
- It builds a culture of mutual respect, where trust links performance with the organization’s vision and values.
These benefits strengthen employee satisfaction. My book In Great Company included Best Practices Institute research, demonstrating a causal connection between such Most Loved Workplaces® and increased productivity.
My Definition of Effective Democratic Leadership
My definition of Effective Democratic Leadership tweaks or expands key assumptions and behaviors. For one, an Effective Democratic Leadership style requires empathy, and leaders, managers, and employees must share their emotional and circumstantial needs.
It requires a culture that invites active marginal voices, respecting them for their potential. The environment engages and empowers these voices as proactive contributors to the mission and vision.
Effective Democratic Leaders must have a robust and public commitment to their constituents’ values and aspirational vision. They empower and facilitate productive conversation and dialog.
Some organizations resist Democratic Leadership, finding it lengthens processes and fails when crisis-tested. Nonetheless, my work and research find a Democratic Leadership style can drive organizations of any size and composition.
4 Best Ways to Practice Effective Democratic Leadership:
Effective Democratic Leadership listens with intention. That is, Democratic Leaders want to consume and metabolize all the inputs available. Their interest is more than curious; leaders show genuine and authentic interest in what others have to say.
Effective listening occurs best in a conducive environment. Strong communication happens when the participants relax and connect without distractions. Active participants might take notes, provide data, suggest alternatives, and make other gestures that demonstrate their interest and commitment.
Active listening takes training, and it is a learnable and transferable skill. Meeting and team leaders, facilitators, and participants would all benefit from this trained behavior.
Influential Democratic Leaders consistently demonstrate their confidence in the organization’s future. They define tactics and strategies, convinced their communal capabilities and processes will deliver killer achievements.
Democratic Leaders effectively model enthusiasm and energy, arising from and imbued with their confidence in the future. They display a sense that they have been to the future and found life better there.
These confident leaders delegate well. They do not fear the success of others. Their power and potential increase as they share purpose and process with those they respect. They seek a meaningful future that rewards all who made it happen.
The empowerment of others, distribution of responsibilities, and fulfillment of accountabilities mark the Effective Democratic Leadership style. The Effective Democratic Leader will leverage the talents and engagement of others to optimize decision-making.
Training strengthens this trust in others. Critical thinking, team practice, and enhanced skills inform more valuable participation and effective decisions. Continuous training creates productive dialog, shares knowledge and encourages inputs, and facilitates a climate of mutual respect.
This climate attracts and retains talents that enjoy working independently, respect team collaboration, and thrive on respect.
Organizations thrive on systemic collaboration, where collaboration becomes part of the organization’s function and purpose. Participants share freely, form emotional connections, and make decisions that drive a better future.
Systemic collaboration appears in varied behaviors, and small acknowledgments work as well as big gestures. But it also assumes an emotional and psychological commitment to other interests, voices, and capabilities.
Shared respect fuels systemic collaboration. Reciprocal respect ties workers, teams, and leaders together. This emotional connectedness underwrites a new social currency to fund work’s evolving social contract.
A new spirit, a better future
Effective Democratic Leadership styles can work in any organization, regardless of size or purpose. However, it takes a strong leader who embodies the spirit and promise. The enemies of democratic leadership are bureaucracy, endless unstructured meetings, and ineffective teams that prevent constructive thought and action.
Organizations can fall into these traps, confusing and delaying decision-making. At its best, Democratic Leadership leads from the top, where it opens windows and infuses teams with a new spirit and hope for a better future for all.
