The role of a leader is to define the future of the organisation by creting a vision for it. The leader must empower the individuals who are part of the team to rise above their limitations when it comes to delivering on the targets set for them by the organisation.

The leader is the chief nurturer of talent in the organisation. A good leader is someone capable of using all available skills to get the best out of his team. A vision can succeed only if the team is sufficiently empowered to pursue that goal. An empowered team will need to work tirelessly, rising above the petty limitations of its various members. General Douglas MacArthur once said: "A leader is only as good as the men under his command." This is as true for corporate leaders as it is for military leaders.

Participative leadership, therefore, is about creating a shared vision and empowering team members to surpass their individual capabilities and potential to realise the organisation's goal. This approach creates a cohesive team of highly motivated individuals. The team always pulls together and stays together, even in the face of adverse market and business conditions, to collectively chalk out a strategy that will take them on to success. Participative leadership needs courage, empathy, clarity of thought and willingness to accept mistakes. It requires the leader to stand up and take charge and yet give team members their say.

Finally, what sets a true leader apart is the knowledge that the collective is much more than the sum of the individuals that comprise it and an ability to spell out a vision that unleashes the energies of that collective to its fullest.