Leadership and Change Management Approaches Applied to Quality Improvement Proposal

Part 6: A Critical Analysis of Leadership and Change Management Approaches Applied to the Planned Implementation of the Quality Improvement Proposal, Considering Barriers and Enablers
Leadership Styles
My quality improvement project applies democratic and transformational leadership styles.
Democratic Leadership
Democratic leadership is a leadership style that allows everyone's participation in decision-making. This means that each person can share their ideas and opinions with the management on what they feel should be done to improve (Cummings et al., 2010). Leaders who apply this style in their management practices encourage the staff to communicate and contribute to decision-making and problem-solving openly. They focus on building relationships to enhance job satisfaction and staff development (Jambawo, 2018). During decision-making, the leader first gathers ideas and feedback from all team members before making the final decision (Giltinane, 2013). This means that the final decision still lies with the leader despite allowing members to contribute.
Durmuş & Kırca (2020) noted that this leadership style is one of the most influential models in a healthcare setting. Allowing junior members to take part in decision-making makes them feel valued and recognised by the management (McKeown & Carey, 2015). Once the members feel valued and appreciated, they can give their best. Democratic leaders understand the employee's role in an organisation and acknowledge that they are the most critical asset for its growth and development (Asamani et al., 2016). This style is considered the best leadership mode because all professionals’ skills and abilities contribute equally to organisational success.
The application of democratic leadership in nursing practice has numerous benefits. First, it enables the leader to develop new ideas and more creative solutions to the problems faced. It allows everyone to share their views on addressing an issue and improving performance (McKeown & Carey, 2015). Second, democratic leadership increases member commitment. The inclusivity encouraged by these leaders enables individuals to express their challenges to be addressed (Specchia et al., 2021). This makes the members feel valued, increasing their commitment to service delivery—members who feel valued also become committed and involved in achieving organisational goals. Simply put, this leadership style promotes input from the entire team. However, it comes with some drawbacks.
One of the disadvantages of democratic leadership is that it slows the decision-making process due to the increased participation of all members (Jambawo, 2018). The consultations consume a lot of time, leading to delays before making the final decision. Communication failures may also occur, especially in unclear roles and in cases with limited time for consultations. Another drawback is the possibility of poor decision-making. It is worth noting that not all members are skilled in making informed decisions (Sherring, 2012). Engaging people with insufficient knowledge or expertise to make critical decisions may result in poor decision-making, which can harm the organisation.
Democratic leadership might be appropriate for my quality improvem...