We spend a lot of time being an arm chair quarterback to every boss we have had, but how many of us have took the time to look in the mirror and ask the question what kind of leader am I? I have always looked at every leader that I have had and took certain thing from each of them. Good or Bad my arsenal if full of things I wouldn’t do as well as advice and mentoring from the good leaders that I have had. Early on I realized you couldn’t have the same leadership style with everyone. I believe in the path and goal theory from House and Mitchell that leaders need to use a leadership style that best fits the needs of the followers and the work they do ( Northouse, p. 120). After I got out of the military I worked in corrections and I learned quick my leadership styles couldn’t be the same. Even though the correctional facility was military based you had different people you were around. Now some might say the inmates aren’t employees and none of this would come into play but in reality it does. Being a mentor is part of being a leader. If I had a Soldier who was upset and an inmate who was upset I would approach them in two different ways. The inmate might have nothing to lose and not like the approach I used on him that I used on my Soldiers back in the day. So whether you’re a boss over hundreds of people or an employee under a few people you still have certain types of leadership styles you can own. It’s up to you to decide what kind of leader you want to be.
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
kac5041 says
Hello,
I think it is wise to pay attention to those in leadership and learn from them. Some leaders are highly respected while others are disliked. When the majority of subordinates do not like their leader, it can mean that they do not feel like they are treated as equals or respected. We all have different personalities and methods for task completion, so it is important for leaders to be understanding and attentive to the needs of employees in order for them to stay motivated. “In path-goal theory, the leader needs to figure out how to use a leadership style that allows him/her to motivate employees. Thus, the leader needs to complement or supplement what is missing in the work environment” (PSU WC, 2016, L.6.).
Based on your personal example of being a leader in the military vs working in a correctional facility, it seems that you have a good grasp on when directive, supportive, participative, or achievement-oriented leadership needs to be utilized. According to Northouse (2016), the directive leadership approach “provides guidance and psychological structure” (p.121) and follower characteristics include being dogmatic and authoritarian. This leadership style would likely be the preferred method in the military, but I think each style could be incorporated into different military exercises or experiences in some form. However, I would be reluctant to use the directive style in the corrections facility because all inmates do not necessarily respect authority and, as you mentioned, there could be retaliation.
Now, to answer your question that you titled your blog, “What Style Are You?” I took the Path-Goal Leadership Questionnaire (Northouse, 2016, p.133). Here are my results:
Directive style: 18
Supportive style: 29
Participative style: 26
Achievement-oriented style: 22
It was not surprising to me that I scored so low on the directive style considering it is my least favorite approach. As a psychology major, I assumed that I would score the highest on the supportive approach. According to Northouse (2016), “Supportive leadership consists of being friendly and approachable as a leader and includes attending to the well-being and human needs of followers” (p.117-118). This is generally my first approach with people regardless of what my position within a company may be. I am curious if you took the questionnaire and if so, what were your results?
References
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage
Publications.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2016). PSYCH 485 Lesson 6: Contingency &
Path-Goal Theories. Retrieved from
https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008237/modules/items/27074682
jld6236 says
I can certainly appreciate how different leadership styles are needed depending on the situation. What works in one context, might not be so effective in another area. To be an effective leader, it is important to adapt your leadership style to suit individual follower needs (Northouse, 2016). This is in line with the path-goal theory, which is a leadership theory that identifies ways leaders can motivate their followers to be successful in achieving their goals (PSU WC, 2019). As you noted, there are many leadership styles you can own, and we each need to decide what kind of leader we want to be. Therefore, why not chose a leadership style that best fits the needs of your followers? The path-goal theory suggests four different leader behaviors depending on the needs of your subordinates (PSU WC, 2019). Directive leadership provides structure and guidance, and is probably close to the leadership style you exhibited in the military environment (PSU WC, 2019). However, in the corrections field, you probably need to use more supportive leadership behaviors, since you are dealing with individuals who as you say, have nothing to lose, and most likely are unsatisfied in their situation (PSU WC, 2019).
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2019). PSYCH 281 Lesson 6: Contingency & Path-Goal Theories. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008237/modules/items/27074671