This assignment seeks to explore contingency theories of leadership, in particular relationship and task behaviour leadership. Examples of each will be explored, before considering in more detail my own leadership approach.
Contingency theories of leadership propose that there is no single best style of leadership or way of leading a team or organisation. The best approach is dependent on a number of internal and external factors (Fielder, 1964). These can include the type of targets, the size of the team, and the current structure of the team. That is, leadership is contingent on the right factors in place, and the style must be chosen specifically.
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"Contingency Theories Of Leadership".
Relationship behaviour leadership
Relationship leadership takes place when a leader focusses predominantly on the relationship they have with and within the team, and uses this as a facilitator for action and success. The focus is often on making the situation positive, and enjoyable for those in the team. A situation in which relationship leadership may be most appropriate is most likely to be one where the work focus is on dynamics and their impact on output.
An example of a situation where relationship leadership might be useful would be when there is a change taking place in the team. This might include a merger of a small, but successful team with another company. Here, the staff may be familiar with working to high standards, and achieving within a familiar work team. Boundaries may be clear, and staff may work well within their existing staffing structures. However, a merger can be preceded by a period of uncertainty about the sustainability of a business, and staff may feel demotivated and unsure about their own capabilities. Leadership in this scenario will need to focus on the creating of a shared goal, with staff who are motivated and confident of success with this goal. This can involve a leader who recognises the challenges each individual has faced, and offers time for self-reflection and supervision. Recreating an enjoyable shared environment for work will also be necessary in this situation. This will be a necessary focus for a leader before attention can be returned to output, and achievement that is measured by completion of tasks in isolation of the relationships of the staff completing the work.
Task behaviour leadership
Task behaviour leadership brings the attention of the leader on to the direct output of the team (Yukl, Gordon and Taber, 2002). This focuses on the productivity of the team as measured through each person achieving their required tasks. The task leader gives much less consideration to the dynamic processes within the team or the individual experience within the team. A task is expected to be achieved by the individual considered responsible for that output, regardless of the interactions they have had with their leader or other team members.
An example of a situation when task leadership is useful might be within an established team working in a production factory. Here, a status quo might exist about the responsibility for tasks and the pace at which work is completed. This ensures a quality product is produced in time for an order deadline. An increase in production to meet a new, larger target, might necessitate some changes in practice, but may not necessarily be supported by additional staff in the initial stages or before increased productivity is achieved. The allocation of tasks and setting of deadlines might be employed by the task orientated leader. This form of leadership can help to ensure there is a clear delineation of roles. Each staff member has an allocated work load to be completed within a set time frame. The collective completion of these tasks to time ensures the achievement of a wider goal. There is little focus on the interpersonal relationship between team members. The task is thought to be achieved through the meeting of deadlines, with little consideration for the value of motivation and reward within a team.
Personal leadership style and traits:
I feel my personal leadership style is that of a task focussed leader. This is based partly on my experience of leading in group work and small shared course work tasks. I find that I am more confident in achieving the overall goal if I know this has been divided up amongst everyone else responsible for completing the task. Knowing who is responsible for each piece of the work helps me to feel less worried about meeting a deadline. Also, I believe I am able to be a clearer leader for my team when I know in advance who is responsible for what pieces of work.
However, there are times when I employ a more relationships leadership style. I find taking time to consider others and the way I work with them is an essential aspect of team working. I can therefore see the value of this to leadership as an approach for ensuring an overall goal is achieved. Through experience I have also found that paying attention to the team dynamics and my impact on these is necessary to ensure goals are achieved and everyone stays on track. In the past I may have felt that time has been wasted by focussing on these interpersonal aspects of performance rather than simply completing tasks. I also find I am more inclined to consider the interpersonal team working, and my leadership role within it, when the goal is person focussed. The combination of approaches I am able to take would suggest I have the potential to work effectively as a situational leader, in which approaches are adopted to the given situation (Hersey and Blanchard, 1969). However, I struggle to employ the combination of engagement, support and direction required of a truly situational leader. This could be offered by a healthy balance between task and relationship focussed leadership.
- Fielder, F. E. (1964). A theory of leadership effectiveness. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, New York: Academic Press.
- Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. (1969) An introduction to situational leadership, Training and Development Journal, 23, pp. 26–34.
- Yukl, G., Gordon, A., and Taber, T. (2002) A hierarchical taxonomy of leadership behavior: Integrating a half-century of behavior research, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 9 (1), pp. 16–32
