Behavioral approaches: leadership styles

In response to the limitations of trait theories, behavioral approaches to leadership shifted the focus from "who leaders are" (their innate characteristics) to "what leaders do" (their observable behaviors).

These theories suggest that effective leadership can be learned and is manifested through specific behavioral styles.

Paradigm Shift: From Being to Doing

The fundamental premise of behavioral approaches is that a leader's behaviors, not just their personality traits, determine their effectiveness.

This opened up the possibility of coaching and developing leaders because behaviors can be learned and modified.

Research focused on identifying key dimensions of leader behavior and how these relate to follower satisfaction and performance.

Key Dimensions of Leader Behavior (Ohio State Studies and Michigan)

Influential studies conducted at The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan in the 1940s and 1950s identified two major, independent dimensions of leader behavior:

• Consideration (or Employee/Relationship-Centered): Refers to the degree to which a leader shows concern for the well-being, feelings, and needs of their followers. Leaders high in consideration are friendly, approachable, supportive of their subordinates, and foster an environment of trust and mutual respect.

• Structure Initiation (or Production/Task-Centered): Refers to the degree to which a leader defines and structures their own role and the roles of their followers to achieve goals. Leaders high in structure initiating focus on planning, organizing tasks, assigning responsibilities, setting performance standards, and meeting deadlines.

Leadership Styles and Their Effectiveness

The combination of these two dimensions gave rise to different leadership styles.

Initially, it was thought that leaders high in both dimensions (high regard and high structure initiating) would be the most effective.

However, subsequent research showed that the e