Global Citizenship: Participative Leadership Style and Challenges

This essay discusses the concept of a global citizen, emphasizing their concern for the world, valuing diversity, and active participation in global initiatives. It identifies participative (democratic) leadership as the most suitable style for a global citizen, highlighting its strengths in encouraging innovative thinking and valuing team member contributions. However, it also addresses potential weaknesses such as miscommunication and feelings of devaluation due to diverse cultural backgrounds. The essay proposes strategies to mitigate these challenges, including the use of interpreters, cultural education, and open communication channels. The conclusion reinforces the importance of understanding diverse cultures and fostering an inclusive environment to effectively lead as a global citizen.

1Runnig head: A GLOBAL CITIZEN
A Global Citizen
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Abstract
Global protest activities are on the rise. Individuals from a wide variety of nations, move
across boundaries for different activities and reasons. This transnational activity is facilitated
by the growing ease of travel and by communication fostered by the internet and telephony.
While it is hard to qualify these numbers, or to give global citizens a legally defined political
status, these qualifications do not obviate the existence and influence of transnational
activists seeking new institutional forms in an interdependent world. We examine global
citizens as active political, social, environmental or economic agents in an interdependent
world in which new institutional forms beyond nations are beginning to emerge.
Keywords: Diversity, leadership, globalization, participative leadership, global
citizen, Innovative

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Discussion..................................................................................................................................4
Leadership Style and Potential Challenges............................................................................5
Strengths of Participative Leadership................................................................................5
Weaknesses of Participative Leadership............................................................................6
Strategies used to address challenges.................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
A person who is concerned about world, the factors that are challenging its existence of
earth, values diversity, takes ownership of their own actions and involves in initiatives in
saving earth is considered a world citizen. They participate with others in campaign to make
world a better place. Globalization reflects diversity as it deals with different countries and
continents (Carter, 2013). Leadership style depends on how a particular leader approaches a
situation. I see myself as a person who follows Participative Leadership (Democratic) style,
as I believe and feel this leadership style is the best. Under this leadership style, though the
leader takes the final decision but he listens and considers others decision too, before arriving
to a conclusion (Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014).
Discussion
With the rise in globalisation the dependency and connectivity among people has also
increased. Presently globalisation has become a major part of our daily affair as per the
discussion all are connected to each other around the world through it.
 Now day’s people of most culture and society are connected to each other via social
media and mobile. Also by travelling and relocating have helped people a lot to learn
about foreign culture and society
 A country’s most financial activities hugely depend upon its global business
 As all are living in the same planet, so environmentally everyone is connected
 As global relations and laws hugely depends on political bond of countries share so
political relations plays a prime factor
The window of opportunities that a fast-paced global world offers to young generation is
huge but it also comes with lots of disadvantages. Today the world is in demand for people

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who will lead the way for others to make the world a safer place to live. A global citizen is an
individual who understand the pros and cons of growing global community and whose acts
spreads the values of forming a global community where diversity is encouraged. So in order
to handle such a role we need a leader who will lead its people by example and will value all
of them irrespective of their diverse religion, race, culture and society. For this kind of role,
Participative Leadership or Democratic Leadership style is best. The democratic leader
guides his team, allows his team to make and participate in decision-making process and only
take a decision after listening to all individual opinion. The team under this kind of leadership
feels more valued as the leader makes them to contribute in the process.
Leadership Style and Potential Challenges
A global citizen helps others to understand their own talents and inspires them to
grow. He guides his people and he allows them to take act, which will lead into changes of
society. This role requires a person who believes and follows democratic leadership style who
appreciates and value his team members.
Strengths of Participative Leadership
 Encourages innovative thinking and appreciates others participation in team. Help and
guides a team member.
 Leaders takes the final decision but only after listening to others which makes others
feel valuable and part of process.
 This leads to better productivity as people feels valued and thus results into higher
contribution. Great quality work is delivered from all team members under this
leadership style as people delivers their best as they feel part of the process (Giltinane,
2013).

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Weaknesses of Participative Leadership
 While its considers to be one of the best style of leadership it has certain
disadvantages which one needs to consider too and might face challenges while
following this kind of leadership:
 In places where role is unclear, it might cause hindrance for people who have poor
understanding about their job role, which might leads to unfinished work
 Certain situation may arise where a member assigned to a particular role might lack
particular skills required to perform that job and thus he could not make quality
contribution in the decision making process.
 Participative leadership can also make a team member feel their ideas and suggestion
are not taken into consideration while making a decision (Northouse, 2017).
If a global citizen follows this kind of leadership, he might face challenges that might lead to
miscommunication as it deals with diversity. People may also feel demotivated and unvalued
as the decision that made by the leadership does not concern his thoughts and helps his
culture.
Strategies used to address challenges
In order to avoid the issue of miscommunication an interpreter may be hired who can help the
leader and the team member to understand each other and so the team member has clear
understanding about the job role and what his leader wants. A leader must give his team
members more space to express themselves which will help them to come up with creative
and innovative ideas, if a member fails to express his/her opinion then it should lead to low
quality job. Hence, communication plays an important role in achieving the goal. Further, it
also helps the leader to understand whether the team and he/she is working in achieving
towards a similar specific goal. In such a scenario where team member and a leader is facing
challenge to understand each other as they speak and understand different language they

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might make take help of electronic translation machine which will ably help them to
understand each other and be clear about their requirements (Northouse, 2017).
In order to avoid the next challenge a leader may buy books to learn and gain knowledge
about cultures and ethics from where his/her team members belongs. Also asking members
why he/she think so when asked about the individual’s opinion might help the leader to
understand better why the person is suggesting something. In addition, watching videos based
on their associate’s culture should help the leader to understand why the particular individual
is providing such suggestions. A leader if feels a suggestion to be important might also take
help from other colleagues who belongs from a similar culture or have understanding about
the culture to understand in details about the proposition made by his team member.
Conclusion
Thus, we can conclude from the above details that the Democratic or Participative Leadership
is best suited for the global citizen as it deals with diversity. People of diverse cultures and
ethics may participate in a campaign to save earth’s existence. As global citizen leader, one
has to make sure that people working under him feel valued and must be approachable where
one can freely discuss his own points and share his opinion about the process. Further, this
kind of leadership also helps people to come out with innovative ideas, which is highly
appreciated and encouraged under this leadership style. As the role requires working with
people from diverse cultures it is vital for a leader to understand all associates culture as if
not known a particular unintentional act may offend someone that was not intended to do so.
In addition, as this role also deals with people of different age group so a person who is aged
expects his leader to acts in a manner that shows respect towards him and not be treated as an
individual who is younger in team.

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Reference
Carter, A. (2013). The political theory of global citizenship. Routledge.
Giltinane, C. L. (2013). Leadership styles and theories. Nursing Standard, 27(41).
Nanjundeswaraswamy, T. S., & Swamy, D. R. (2014). Leadership styles. Advances in
management, 7(2), 57.
Northouse, P. G. (2017). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Sage
Publications.