Comparing Democratic Leadership Styles: Two Leaders Analyzed

Introduction

Leadership is a diverse discipline that can be viewed from different contexts. However, leadership is inevitably an individual characteristic. This paper explores the individual backgrounds of two leaders—Interviewee A and Interviewee B—examining their leadership styles and differences, personality styles, and leadership vision. It also analyzes their relationships with followers, how they have handled challenges and change, ethics, integrity, social responsibility, and the similarities and differences between their leadership approaches.

Leadership Style

Leadership style determines the manner in which an individual uses his or her power to lead others. The style of leadership can have a significant influence on the direction an organization takes (Sadler, 2003). According to Fiedler's contingency theory, efficacious leadership is reliant not just on the style of leadership but also on control of a particular situation. This implies that there is a need for proper relations between leaders and members, well-defined tasks and practices, and the leader's capability to allocate rewards and punishments. The absence of these three elements in the proper mixture will give rise to leadership failure. As a contingency theory, it generally outlines that leadership effectiveness is dependent upon the circumstance, and various elements—including the type of tasks, the personality of the leader, and the composition of the team being led—all play a role (Hickman, 2009).

Both Interviewee A and Interviewee B describe themselves as democratic leaders in that they consistently listen to and value the opinions of their staff, colleagues, and subordinates. Democratic leadership, also referred to as participative leadership, is a form of leadership that acknowledges the significance of team members' input. However, the responsibility for final decision-making remains with the democratic leader. One key advantage of this leadership style is that it increases employee self-confidence, as personnel contribute to the decision-making process, giving all staff a sense of importance within the organization and the feeling that their opinions matter (Johnson, 2017).

Interviewee A practices this style by presiding over board meetings and "allowing members to freely give their opinions." Interviewee B, on the other hand, outlines that she practices her style by conducting several meetings and "by coming into a new leadership position and not changing the old way, but modifying and implanting needed changes in order for the work and the work environment to be good."

Both leaders have been effective in their styles. Interviewee A is able to conduct meetings that permit all members to speak freely and help chart the organization's direction. Interviewee B has found success with the democratic style by creating an organizational setting that makes personnel feel comfortable conveying their concerns and problems, as well as variations in prevailing perceptions.

Leadership is intricate and necessitates new methods, new frames of mind, and new skills. What was effective in preceding periods may not be as effective in solving subsequent challenges. It is therefore imperative to learn from difficulties in order to facilitate effective practice. One key lesson from Interviewee A is the significance of carrying out plans and holding individuals accountable for their tasks and their level of dedication. A further challenge she has experienced is finding and recruiting individuals who share the same level of passion the organization requires. Interviewee B, in contrast, outlines that her key challenge has been tolerating personnel who do not share the same work ethic as others.

Important Characteristics, Traits, and Values Associated with Effective Leadership

Effective leadership is recognized when it is seen. Despite the fact that some great leaders possess innate competencies, there are a number of traits that successful leaders share and that any individual can learn and develop. According to Economy (2013), such traits include inspiring action, optimism, integrity, supporting and facilitating teams, confidence, communication, and decisiveness. Not all leaders will possess every trait.

Interviewee A considers the most important characteristics to include active listening skills, approachability, the ability to budget resources, and time management. These traits have improved her leadership by augmenting the level of transparency with colleagues—particularly regarding finances and their allotment—and by making it easier for subordinates to approach her with problems, ideas, and differing perspectives.

Interviewee B considers the traits of effective leadership to include properly listening to personnel, taking employee concerns seriously, and being able to make adjustments accordingly. She notes that communication skills and charisma have improved her leadership by facilitating the sharing of core values with personnel and increasing her ability to be personable. In line with Economy (2013), Interviewee A agrees that these traits can be learned and, once they become proficiencies, can make any individual a good leader. Interviewee B also acknowledges that many of these traits can be learned, though she notes it can be significantly challenging, as not all individuals are naturally approachable or possess personable skills.

Conclusion and Leadership Recommendations

With Interviewee A serving as the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization and Interviewee B serving as an Assistant Principal at an elementary school, both leaders have enjoyed successful careers. Their vast experience provides important recommendations that can aid in the development of leaders in any type of organization.

Interviewee A's main recommendation is for aspiring leaders to embrace and practice transparency. Since subordinates constantly look to their leaders for direction, a lack of transparency may lead subordinates to choose not to follow the leader or the organization's plans and vision. Interviewee B's main suggestion is "not going into a new position and changing things, and not listening to the needs of the employees, especially those tenured employees." This essentially means that a leader should not implement organizational change without first listening to the needs of personnel and without communicating the importance of such change clearly.

Taken together, the experiences of both leaders underscore the value of democratic leadership in practice. The insights derived from their careers—embracing transparency, listening to personnel, remaining flexible, and approaching challenges with persistence—reflect the core principles of effective leadership theory and provide meaningful guidance for those developing their own leadership capabilities.

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