Leader-Member
Exchange Theory. Have you ever
noticed that in some environments there is an in and out group – and that some
people are more likely to stay than others, and that the “in” group has more
information than they others? This
theory talks about that phenomenon. I
don’t think that this environment is ideal – I think it should be avoided, but
understanding what is happening will help you identify what is going on and
possibly move into a position where you will receive more information, or would
help you break the cycle if you are the leader in this situation.
Path-Goal Theory
assumes that subordinates will do a good job and be motivated as long as they
believe that they can do a good job (capable of performing their work), and
that the reward for doing the work is worthwhile. The leader here seeks to motivate his/her
employees. This style also emphasis
removing obstacles, clarifying goals, and supporting the people doing the
work. I identify with this style of
leadership most closely because it is such a close fit to how I see myself and
my responsibilities as a project manager.
This theory identifies 4 types of leader behaviors (directive,
supportive, participative, and achievement orientated) that can be used based
on the task and the subordinates needs to provide proper motivation and
support. Finally, the theories include
subordinate characteristics (need for affiliation, structure preference,
control, and task ability) that must be considered by the leader when choosing their
own leadership behavior. While somewhat complex,
it is a situational approach that focuses on removing obstacles and clearing
the way for your staff to do the best work possible.
Contingency Theory
attempts to match leaders to specific situations creating a match where they
will be most successful. Obviously this doesn’t
work in all situations, but can be used in looking at what approach would work
best. The theory looks at leader-member
relationships, the task structure, and the leader’s positional power, as well
as the leaders preferred leadership style.
A chart shows what situations the preferred leadership style is most
effective in. The leader’s style is
based on an assessment on the LPC scale (least preferred coworker) which separates
leaders based on relationship versus task motivations.
Situational
Leadership. I have encountered this
several times before & I find it useful for determining behavior in a
situation. This approach looks at the
skill of the followers, and has a chart based on two factors – supportive behaviors
and directive behaviors. This creates
four styles: Delegating, Supporting, Coaching, and Directing. Based on the skill of the employee and the
task, a leader can determine which role would be most effective for the
situation. This approach assumes that the leader should adapt to the abilities
of their subordinates.
I think that I struggle with seeing leadership qualities in
average situations. I tend to associate
leadership with great people (Lincoln, Roosevelt etc). I think that it is very easy to see leadership
flaws in people that I interact with, and I needed to take a step back and view
these interactions from a grander viewpoint.
Leadership and change are linked – and change is hard, especially
organizational change, which I think also minimized leadership accomplishments
of those I know. I also have started to
consider that leadership often happens in small moments – not large ones. For instance, I had a hard time talking about
transformational leadership because I viewed it only in terms of large
transformations. Yet I work in an
industry that frequently mentors others, and these mentors are exhibiting
transformational leadership.
While most leadership books (at least those that are meant
to develop leadership abilities) assume that leadership is a skill that can be
developed, many rely on personality and traits, that I fee are more difficult
to change. The approaches above, to me,
provide very concrete concepts of ways to increase leadership ability based on
context. In some ways, I think that had
I taken this course prior to some of the other classes I have taken; I would
probably have viewed them differently.
On the other hand, I don’t think that a single exposure to a thought or
concept allows full development of the idea – the more often ideas are thought
about and developed, the more concrete and meaningful they become, and the more
they become woven into your practice.
Images are from Leadership Theory and Practice by Peter G.
Northouse.
Such a beautiful article!! Thanks for sharing it, with this help I understood the types of leadership
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