Style Approach of Leadership
Style Approach of Leadership
The style approach emphasis the behavior of the
leader and style approach focus exclusively on what leaders do and how they
act. Within this type of leadership there are two general kinds of behaviors,
task behavior and relationship behavior. Task behavior focus on goal
accomplishment and help group members to achieve their objectives. Relationship
behavior help subordinates feel comfortable with themselves with each other and
with the situation in which they find themselves.
This approach assumes that one
style of leadership behavior cannot be effective in all situations (Northouse,2013). Therefore, the performance of the leaders may sometimes be affected or
influenced by their followers or other circumstances.
Analyzing the style approach there are separate two dominant behaviors,
one leader may be high or low in task behaviors and high or low in process
behaviors. One behavior does not necessarily work in relation to one other. The
examination of style approach is to determine which mix of the two behaviors
will bring out of the best in the followers.
McCaffery (2004) identified two kinds of
Task-oriented
behavior: facilitate goal accomplishment and help group members achieve
objectives.
Relationship-oriented
behavior: helps group members to feel comfortable with themselves and others
in different situations.
The University of Michigan and Ohio State University studies undertook
research to identify the core behaviors of effective leadership. Both
universities identified the same results, identifying two essential behaviors,
namely task and relationship behavior (Northouse 2013).
Style approach as a continuum where the task behavior and the process
behavior as a continuum this suggests that leaders that are more focused on
task or product are less focused on process or the relationship they have with
their followers. The emphasis of the style approach of leadership how a leader will blend
the two behaviors to enhance the group success. An effective leader will
initiate structure, task behaviors, and then nurture, process, subordinates to
realize his or her full potential.
Source- YouTube.
Blake and Mouton Managerial/Leadership
Grid
The leadership grid was designed to explain how leaders help
organizations to reach their purposes through two factors. Concern for
production and concern for people. This parallels the task and process
leadership behaviors (Management study Guide, 2020).
Source- Expert Programme management.
Concern for production is concerned with achieving organizational tasks.
Attention to policy, new product development, product issues etc.
Concern for people or process refers to how a leader attends to the
people in the organization carrying out the work. This includes concern for
communication, trust, teamwork, good working conditions and others.
The leadership grid has four quadrants. Each of the axis is drawn as a
nine-point scale where a score of 1 represents minimum concern and 9 represents
maximum concern. By plotting the score for each axis, various leadership styles
illustrated.
There are five major leadership styles,
Authority-Compliance- High concern for
results and little or no concern for people. They see employees as a means to
produce results, and part of a product. If they not producing results, little
or no time is spent with coaching or nurturing, they are let go and others
brought in who can do better.
Country club- management is high
concern for people and relationships, and little concern for results. The
leader here will want to minimize the conflict and will be agreeable, eager to
help and uncontroversial.
Impoverishment Management- This represents a
leader who is concerned about neither goes through motions of being a leader
but really doesn’t care. Indifferent and uncommitted.
Middle of the road management- this described the leaders who are compromises. Intermediate concern
for results and same for the people. This type of leader prefers the middle
ground and can get into trouble by trying to please too many people but also
being pushed around.
Team management- Strong emphasis on
both tasks and interpersonal relationships. This promotes a high degree of
participation and teamwork. Employees are involved and feel as though they are
respected and important part of the organization.
Northouse (2013)
identified the following strengths and weaknesses.
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Weaknesses
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It can help leaders
to understand their natural Leadership style.
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This model is
overly simplistic, there are many factors to management and leadership that
aren’t included in the model.
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From this, leaders
can create a personnel development plan to progress towards a team management
style.
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The model is focused on the leader and doesn’t pay attention to other factors, such as
the development level of the team, the situation of the organization is in or
the culture of the organization
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Validated by a wide range of studies, therefore
making it a more credible and viable approach to understanding the leadership
process
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Unable to identify a universal style of leadership
that should be appropriate in all situations
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Focuses on two key behaviors: task and
relationships
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Failed to show how a leader’s style is associated
with performance outcomes
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Broadened the scope of leadership studies to
encompass the behaviors of leaders and what they do in various situations
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Established what the most effective leadership style
is (team management). Note that other studies have argued that certain
situations may require different leadership styles.
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Conclusion
The style approach will remind leaders that their
actions towards others occur on a task level and a relationship
level. In some situations, a leader must be more concerned with
task, and in others process. How a leader strikes the best balance
is what make that person a good or bad leader. Timing, understanding
of other’s needs, knowledge, etc, are all aspects of a leader he or she has
access to in formulating his or her leadership behaviors. The style
approach is allowing a leader to examine the objective and then subdivide his
or her behaviors accordingly. The style approach can provide a road
map for a leader to chart a course depending on the objective.
References
Northouse. P, (2013) Leadership: Approach and practice. 6th edition.
Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publishing.
McCaffery. P. (2004) The Higher Education Manager’s Handbook:
Effective Leadership and Management in Universities and Colleges. New York:
Routledge
Leadership training from
EPM, (2016) Managerial Grid: Expert programme management: photo gallery.
Management study guide. 2020. Blake and Mouton’s Managerial
Grid. [Online].
[Accessed 03 05 2020].
The Leadership styles, Blake
moutons managerial grid. 2016. You tube. [Online]
[Accessed 03 05 2020].
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