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It would appear that most leaders prefer one of two of the situational variables under the Contingency Theory of Leadership: task motivated or relationship motivated, but can change their style depending on the situation. Both of these styles are required to promote a positive, productive atmosphere for employees and can be used in very different situations (Northouse, 2013).
After reading Northouse and the lessons of this course, it becomes obvious to me that I portray a task motivated leadership style. “Task-oriented people are goal oriented. They want to achieve. Their work is meaningful, and they like things such as “to-do” lists, calendars, and daily planners.” (Northouse, 2012) This leadership style defines me and it is what I do. For example, I have a Kate Spade planner that I write all of my activities in (whether I feel like I will forget or not, I always feel the need to write it down) and I also keep my obligations electronically on my tablet which syncs automatically to my phone calendar. I also keep post-its within my planner and purse with a “to-do” list for the day. I don’t want to forget anything, I love to be organized, and it is a great way for me to remember to accomplish everything I need to do. I want to stay on top of all of the obligations that I have each day and this is a way that I am able to stay organized and productive. I like planning my life out. This way, I know what has to be done and I can continue to be productive without forgetting anything. When I apply this leadership style to my life, I can accomplish just about anything in and outside of work.
I am able to apply the skills of having a task motivated style to any leadership role I take on. I will be able to organize myself to become a better worker, and I will be able to inspire my followers to take on some of the same behaviors that I exhibit which will make them become better workers as well. By using this style, I can map out the events that need to occur and schedule others to manage their goals effectively.
All great leaders must be task motivated in some way or another because their mission is to achieve their goals and by being well-known leaders, they have probably worked hard to reach these goals through planning and organization. Leaders must be able to define and commit to the tasks that they desire to be done and will complete these tasks in order to better themselves and step closer to their goals.
Individuals with a task motivated style might also find themselves switching to a relationship-oriented leadership style at times. When I am in a leadership position at work, I tend to switch my leadership style to a relationship-oriented style if I feel that I can connect better with the specific employee this way. I sometimes ask for their opinions and let them take the lead on an issue. For the most part, I tend to stay as task motivated leader because I have tasks and goals that I want to complete but I feel that people are able to shift back and forth depending on these circumstances.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2012). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. S.l.: Sage Publications.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
Heather Ashley Valentine says
I felt that your application of this weeks leadership styles clearly shows that you understand the many components and the flexibility associated with the middle ground. Being able to go between the two can allow one to be successful in both areas.
I myself on the other hand am very much relationship-motivated. I can put all else aside and focus on establishment or maintenance of relationships. I at times become too focused on relationships and less focused on task accomplishment to the point that the task suffers. In other perspectives I am very personable and can smooth over most conversations in any group.
As my husband is task-motivated and I relationship-motivated we tend to clash a lot in finding mutual importance when trying to accomplish a goal, but in essence this also makes us a power couple, for he can focus on the task accomplishment aspects associated and I the relationships involved and be even more productive. The fact that we round one another out shows preview of the success we can hold if we work together.
Much of our Country is founded on task-motivated leaders who have relationship motivated supporters that help balance out the differences in their followers. Although these individuals may not be able to change their behaviors to fit the situation they can show that members of their party support the behavior styles they lack in that they can work together and successfully fit the situation.
This appeal is more than just way of politics, but it is a way of appeal as well.
Very astute application of this weeks lesson.