Learn why democratic leadership is the most desirable leadership style

Chances are, you've encountered a fair few different types of leaders in the workplace. There are many management styles, and democratic leadership is one of them. It's a highly coveted leadership style, particularly for those in executive roles. Read on to know what to expect from a democratic leader, the types of democratic leadership styles, and how you can showcase this type of leadership in the workplace – and on your CV.

What is democratic leadership?

Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership, is a leadership style designed to empower employees to contribute to the decision-making process. 

Contrary to autocratic leaders, democratic leaders prioritise team cohesiveness, allowing communication to flow bottom-up and top-down between all employees. They guide the conversation while remaining accountable for the final decision and the outcome.

Larry Page, one of the founders of Google, is a well-known leader that uses a democratic leadership style. As a leader, he was recognised for his openness to receiving ideas from employees and motivating them to be innovative. 

Why is democratic leadership so popular?

People want to feel seen – to feel they belong – and democratic leaders foster just that. A conceptual study on democratic leadership highlights how this type of leadership promotes a culture of valued participation through power sharing. By seeking input from the group, rather than looking to make all the decisions themselves, democratic leaders leave group members feeling confident and empowered as valued contributors to the organisation.

Types of democratic leadership styles

There are subtle differences between a leader and a manager. Democratic leadership styles are virtually the same as democratic management styles, as they both welcome diverse schools of thought and collaboration.

There are three types of democratic leadership and management styles to be aware of:

Consultative leadership: This leadership style focuses on team building and leveraging each person's skill set, thoughts, and opinions, to help the leader make an informed, strategic decision.

Participative leadership: This leadership style also involves encouraging the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of employees, but the team works together collaboratively to make a decision. This style helps represent minority voices and create a participatory culture.

Collaborative leadership: This leadership style includes the fundamentals of consultative and participative leadership styles, but the key difference is that the decision is determined by a predominant consensus.

Characteristics of democratic leadership

Democratic leadership is the best style for leaders who want their team to contribute to the decision-making process. A democratic leader typically:

Encourages collaboration: Democratic leaders encourage staff to share ideas freely as they value a wide range of opinions.

Encourages creativity: Democratic leaders believe that there's no such thing as a silly answer, and encourage staff to think out of the box.

Asks for feedback regularly: Democratic leaders regularly ask for feedback to gauge the opinions of others and test ideas.

Showcases a “team player” attitude: Democratic leaders lead by example. Their team player attitude prompts group members to adopt a similar mindset, creating psychological safety for employees to speak their minds and collaborate.

Respects flexibility: Democratic leaders understand that everyone has their own way of working. They trust employees to ideate proposed solutions in a flexible way, while setting terms to keep outcomes in line with expectations. 

Prioritises communication and transparency: Democratic leaders establish trust by placing high importance on open and honest communication. For example, they may share information with the team or ask for volunteers ahead of project assignments.

Advantages of democratic leadership

There are pros and cons to democratic leadership. A few of the benefits are:

It invites participation

Participation is an essential component of democratic leadership. The involvement of the team results in feelings of inclusion, which results in feelings of importance. If staff can voice their thoughts in a safe environment, they feel valued and validated, with a sense of team cohesion and trust.

It prioritises different points of view

Democratic leadership makes a point of bringing different viewpoints to the table. This leverages the team's diversity and gives a platform to minority voices. While not every point of view can be actioned, every point of view can be heard and valued.

It creates efficient problem solving

Good ideas aren't born, they're created. And high-quality solutions will be created if you include different brains in problem-solving. While there are other leadership styles that might problem-solve at a faster rate, such as autocratic leadership, democratic leadership often creates better solutions as there's a chance to identify and debate weaknesses before a solution is decided.

It increases commitment

As democratic leadership fosters a culture of listening and collaborating, the team will inherently feel more tight-knit. This results in higher commitment levels from the team, including to each other, to team projects, and to the business.

It increases job satisfaction

Democratic leadership drives a diverse team to be vibrant and innovative while remaining inclusive and cohesive enough to be effective. This leadership style will create a work environment where job satisfaction and morale are likely to be higher because staff feel valued, respected, and heard. 

It places honesty at the forefront

Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair. Since democratic leaders rely on transparent communication from their team, honesty is always the best policy, even if an idea presented isn't quite on the mark. The leader must adopt a truthful, empathetic, and well-evidenced explanation of why an idea would not be taken forward to protect the safe space for sharing.

It hinges on a strong vision

A way to facilitate growth and obtain buy-in from staff is by having a strong vision that employees can align with. Democratic leadership communicates a clear vision so employees can visualise what they're contributing to, supporting the ideation process and leading to increased trust in the leader and business.

It can be practised by anyone

Leadership theory suggests that anyone can become an effective leader, as long as they understand and implement particular behaviours. As democratic is a highly sought-after leadership style in many companies, it's a good thing that it can be practised easily by anyone.

The disadvantages of democratic leadership

Of course, with advantages come disadvantages. Below are a few drawbacks of democratic leadership:

It is reliant on strong communication skills

Democratic leadership requires strong communication skills on two fronts. Firstly, the leader must know how to set expectations and boundaries, communicate value, and inspire. Secondly, the leader must know how to navigate challenging communication situations, such as when team members go off-topic or don't contribute.

It is reliant on clear roles and expectations

Democratic leadership only works if everyone knows what they are responsible for, what their individual aims are, and what the expectations of the discussion are – such as what the team should produce in a specific time frame. Without these in place, discussions may be unproductive or incomplete.

It is reliant on sharing of information

A truly democratic discussion requires all pieces of the puzzle to be shared ahead of time. If you have different bands of employees in your task force, chances are managers may have a level of clearance on certain information, and sharing that with other members of the team may create a security issue.

It requires relevant skill sets 

Democratic leadership celebrates diversity of thought. However, the thoughts, and the skill sets behind those thoughts, must be relevant to the task at hand. If it's not, two things can happen. Firstly, the conversation won't be of the highest possible quality and the team may go off track. Secondly, team members who lack the necessary expertise may feel too awkward to participate, or disheartened if their opinions aren't taken into consideration, weakening the circle of trust.

How to use democratic leadership

The pros outweigh the cons when it comes to democratic leadership, but its successes are reliant on how you implement it. Here are a few practical points to remember:

  • Enthusiasm: Maximise productivity by ensuring that employees are skilled and eager to share their knowledge — encourage this through regular feedback 

  • Time: Always give people plenty of time to prepare, contribute, and vote on the next steps

  • Deadlines: To run an efficient session, set realistic deadlines or timebox so that everyone has an equal chance to contribute effectively

  • Expectations: Setting a brief, including expectations of the team's involvement, will make the discussion's objective and the boundaries between team and leadership responsibilities clear

  • Process: As part of the brief, you may also communicate parts of the process, such as why you're using this democratic approach and some pitfalls to be aware of

  • Reflection: Always conduct a postmortem after your project, to analyse what worked well and what could have been better, to ensure even more success next time

Quick tips to develop your democratic leadership skills

If you're hoping to become a democratic leader, here are some techniques you can use to help: 

Get leadership training

One of the most straightforward approaches is to gain additional training. Learning new leadership skills will help you to reframe your approach and become a democratic leader. Alternatively, you may choose to work with a mentor or coach on your style. 

Learn about democratic values

It's also handy to learn about democratic values and how they relate to the business world. This leadership style rests on these principles, and so learning more about them can help you slide into this leadership style more easily.

Ask for regular feedback

Above all else, you should ask for regular feedback from your coworkers. Democratic leadership is all about open communication and collaboration. Be sure to ask people to give you constructive feedback based on your leadership style. 

How to show democratic leadership on your CV

If you're applying for a manager or leadership position, particularly one in a corporate setting, showcasing democratic leadership abilities on your CV is essential. 

Democratic leadership incorporates a range of soft skills, so the optimal way to display your skill set is by showing relevant achievements in your employment history section. For example, you might highlight how your ability to engage a team resulted in the successful delivery of a project.

Don't forget to quantify each achievement with facts and statistics to highlight the value and impact that you could make in your new role.

You may also like to list desirable characteristics associated with a democratic leadership style in your core skills and competencies section. You could include:

Always read the job description carefully to identify the leadership skills that the prospective employer seems to value the most and prioritise them on your CV. 

For example, if the job spec requires a candidate that has “excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, and self-confidence in dealing with issues in a tactful and diplomatic manner,” prioritise listing the achievements in your work experience that reflect your ability to democratically lead in this way. Tailoring your CV like this will show the recruiter that you're a direct match for the vacancy.

Democratic leadership example interview questions

If a role has an element of management or leadership, hiring managers will do their due diligence by asking candidates to demonstrate their ability in an interview. 

These leadership interview questions are closely tied to the characteristics of a democratic leadership style: 

  • What is your leadership style?

  • What qualities should a team leader have?

  • Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills at work

  • Can you describe a time you led by example?

  • How would you boost a team's waning morale?

  • How do you respond to ideas and suggestions from team members?

  • How can your presence add value to the company?

  • How do you motivate a team member that is underperforming?

  • Tell me about your approach to delegation

How to answer “what is your leadership style?”

If an interviewer is asking this question, they want to know how you lead and how comfortable you are doing it. They may even list specific requirements in the job description referencing what kind of leader they're looking for. 

As part of your interview preparation, consider the leadership styles of your previous bosses and determine the traits that helped you to perform and those that didn't. Also consider the qualities of a good democratic leader, and other strong leadership traits, and cross-reference them with the qualities that make you a good leader.  

In the interview, tell a story using the STAR approach, drawing on your knowledge of leadership theory and highlighting evidence of what kind of leader you are.

Ready to switch up your leadership style? 

Democratic leadership is known to be one of the best managerial styles, allowing you to foster a great workplace culture. If you feel like this is the right leadership approach for you and your team, who's stopping you from embracing it now? 

If you're looking for a leadership position, highlighting your leadership abilities on your CV is essential. Make sure you've showcased your expertise in the best light by submitting your CV for a free expert review.

This article was originally written by Laura Slingo and has been updated by Charlotte Grainger.

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