The key strengths of participative leadership style are increased productivity and job satisfaction. When employees are afforded an opportunity to be involved in the organization’s decision making process, they are likely to develop a strong sense of commitment to the organization as well as increase their performance. Job satisfaction is another key strength of this leadership style. Most employees display high levels of job satisfaction when they notice their suggestions and/or recommendations are taken seriously and in some instances implemented within the organization. Additionally, this leadership style can help managers identify employees with the potential to one day assume a leadership in the organization. While participative leadership has its strengths, it also has it weaknesses. One weakness is the slow pace of decision making. Since there may be several employees involved in the decision making process, the process is likely to slow down since all involved want to get their opinion heard.
The key strengths of directive leadership style include role clarity for the employee. Role clarity provides the employee a clear understanding of his role in the organization, assigned tasks including the process and the standard to which tasks are to be accomplished, as well as the employee’s relationship with the manager. Role clarity helps ensure the employee is successful in accomplishing assigned tasks. Another strength of directive leadership is employee satisfaction. Having clear directions, coupled with role clarity , increases the employee’s satisfaction with the work he does. Though directive leadership style can prove effective for some organization and leaders, it has weaknesses. One key weakness is this leadership style may result in employees may find it frustrating being consistently told how to