Behavioral approaches to leadership focus on actions rather than traits. Studies from Ohio State and Michigan identified key dimensions like consideration, initiating structure, job-centered, and employee-centered behaviors. Effective leaders balance these aspects to meet both task and human needs.

The Leadership Grid classifies styles based on concern for results and people. It suggests team management, balancing task accomplishment and employee well-being, is most effective. Leadership effectiveness depends on adapting behavior to task orientation, relationship orientation, style, and situational factors.

Behavioral Approaches to Leadership

Behavioral perspectives on leadership

• Focus on actions and behaviors of effective leaders rather than traits or characteristics
• Ohio State University studies identified two key dimensions of leader behavior:
  • Consideration shows concern for subordinates, respects their ideas, and regards their feelings
    • Helps employees with personal problems, being friendly and approachable, treating all employees as equals
  • Initiating structure defines and organizes leader's role and roles of subordinates to attain goals
    • Assigns specific tasks, establishes performance standards, emphasizes meeting deadlines
• Effective leaders exhibit high levels of both consideration and initiating structure behaviors

Job-centered vs employee-centered leadership

• University of Michigan studies identified two types of leadership behaviors:
  • Job-centered leadership focuses on task accomplishment and achieving goals (similar to initiating structure)
    • Emphasizes planning, scheduling, and monitoring performance
    • May neglect subordinates' needs and well-being
  • Employee-centered leadership focuses on meeting human needs of subordinates (similar to consideration)
    • Emphasizes building relationships, supporting employee development, fostering positive work environment
    • May prioritize employee satisfaction over task accomplishment
• Effective leaders balance both job-centered and employee-centered behaviors
  • Adapt approach to situation and needs of subordinates

Leadership Grid classifications

• Classifies leadership styles based on leader's concern for results (production) and concern for people
• Two axes:
  • Horizontal axis measures concern for results from low (1) to high (9)
  • Vertical axis measures concern for people from low (1) to high (9)
• Five main leadership styles:
  • Impoverished management (1,1) exerts minimal effort to complete tasks and maintain employee morale
  • Authority-compliance management (9,1) focuses on efficiency and task completion at expense of employee well-being
  • Middle-of-the-road management (5,5) seeks to balance task accomplishment with employee satisfaction but may not excel in either
  • Country club management (1,9) prioritizes employee happiness and harmony over task completion and goal achievement
  • Team management (9,9) fosters collaborative environment where employees are engaged and committed to achieving organizational goals
• Leadership Grid suggests team management (9,9) is most effective leadership style
  • Balances strong focus on both task accomplishment and employee well-being
• Developed by Blake and Mouton to visualize different leadership styles

Factors Influencing Leadership Effectiveness

• Task orientation: Focus on goal achievement and work completion
• Relationship orientation: Emphasis on building and maintaining positive relationships with team members
• Leadership style: The specific approach a leader adopts, combining task and relationship orientations
• Situational factors: External conditions that may affect the appropriateness of a particular leadership style
• Leadership effectiveness is determined by how well a leader adapts their behavior to these various factors