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…