Consultative Leadership 101

Consultative Leadership is a form of leadership that consults others and makes sure that everyone is a part of the process. It is more concerned with the development of the ability to influence people rather than control them or dominate them. It is a form of leadership that truly works to serve the people they are leading. Consultative leadership consults with the subordinates to find out what they believe the best course of action to be. While reserving the right and authority to decide they do not undergo this process alone; they are decidedly inclusive.

The reason this leadership style consults can be that they do not have all the information, are not involved with the actual doing of the work and seek information, or are just humble enough to hear the thoughts of others. The leaders that take this position know that they do not know everything and seek to know as much as possible by involving others. These leaders are not any less of a leader, in fact, their results should yield more fruit because they will make decisions based on the vantage point of all included.

One of the drawbacks of being a consultative leader is that it consumes time to consult with other parties. In order to be an effective consultative leader, it is important that you get to know the leadership and decision-making styles of others, so you know how they process information. It will be important for you to get to know their values, drives, goals, and ambitions, so you can determine the origins of their opinions and feedback.

An important part of this leadership style is the completion of the information loop. If you are just taking information and running away with it, people will be less motivated to provide you with their information on a situation the next time you ask. People offer information because they are concerned and because they care. If you do not care enough to come back and report what is being done, the decision that was made, and how their information played a factor in that decision they will feel (rightly) taken advantage of and used for their input. This is not the most conducive way to produce meaningful leadership rapport with followers.

This leadership style must be consistently visible. They must move around. Staying in your office will not foster the relationships you need to be recognized as a…