Illusion of Democracy

“In leadership theory they talk about authoritative, participative, and free-rein styles.” “What are those Isaac?” “Authoritative is when the boss makes all the decisions.” “Like the Military.” “That’s right Melissa, because in combat, there’s no time for debate.” “And the others?” “Participative is where there is discussion amongst the team to find a solution to a problem, but in the end, the leader must still make the final decision.” “Sounds reasonable.” “And then there’s Free-Rein; this is where there is no formal leadership, and everyone does what they please.” “I can’t see that working Isaac.” “Actually Melissa, I have seen this work.” “Where?” “I was on a Search and Rescue team and when we returned from a call, there were many tasks to do; this included washing trucks, cleaning equipment, sweeping and mopping the bays.” “And.” “Well Melissa, the members all knew what had to be done, and each person had their preferred task, they just went and did it without being assigned jobs.” “Wow!” “In the end, the team leaders needed to ensure everything was done, but they themselves would pick up a broom.” “Amazing.!”

“It sounds like Participative is the way to go Isaac.” “Ah, but you have to be careful with this concept, because the truth is, work is not a democracy Melissa; the manager is accountable to executives, who are accountable to shareholders, and ‘we had a vote and decided to do it this way…’ is the wrong answer.” “That’s harsh Isaac.” “It’s reality Melissa, like it or not!” “Yeah, I suppose that’s true.” “I will tell you a true story Melissa.”

The Beancounter will be available before December 31, and there you will hear the rest of the story. Also coming soon, our Forward Looking Guide: Lead by Example.

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