Behavioural Theory

The focus of the leadership method was significantly shifted as a result of the trait theory’s flaws. With this change in emphasis, the focus shifted from the personal attributes or characteristics of leaders to their actual behaviour and activities. This method holds that a leader’s behaviour toward their subordinates is the most important aspect of the interpersonal interaction that a leader and subordinates share. When a leader acts well, the team members feel more confident and upbeat, and when they act poorly, they will lose him as a leader.

The characteristics method and the behavioural approach are different in that

I While this theory focused on a certain behaviour by the leader, the characteristics approach highlights a certain quality that the leader should possess.

(ii) The goal of behavioural theory is to ascertain how different types of particular behaviour impact the output and pleasure of subordinates, while the goal of trait theory was to distinguish leaders from non-leaders based on qualities.

The application of behavioural leadership theory involves analysing the behaviours and attitudes of people in leadership positions through a scientific lens in order to identify trends that might affect both you and the people in your team. Large enough studies of leaders may provide statistical findings about the quantifiable metrics of their activities, which can be used to judge whether or not their management style promotes workplace progress.

The goal of behavioural leadership theories is to produce marketing potential by analysing a leader’s actions in a controlled environment. Leaders that can examine a product or service from the perspective of their consumers will be able to build a long-lasting connection that will bring in ongoing sales and income for the business. This article provides an introduction of behavioural leadership ideas and explains how they might affect both you and your colleagues.

Behavioral leadership theory’s benefits

The paradigm of behavioural leadership has two primary benefits:

It answers important queries about the leadership model of a company.

This research may address a few concerns, such as if managers expect you to collaborate across departments on different projects or whether teams often participate in decision-making to build support for connected initiatives. The behavioural theory of leadership may explain why there can be a lag in the completion of work on a marketing project and identify the person(s) who are directly in charge of it. In the event that a marketing manager failed to convey expectations about the approval procedure for client deliverables, a project redirection is required to restore project momentum and maintain client satisfaction with your brand.

It indicates the management’s style of leadership.

Behavioral models of leadership evaluate behaviour alone—not attributes or skills. In-depth explanations of trait theory’s qualities—such as flexibility in responding to changing conditions and social awareness—that indicate a person’s suitability for a leadership role are provided for managers and staff members. Putting behavioural leadership theory into practise emphasises the actions a manager takes in a particular scenario.

If you believe that your boss and you communicate differently, find out which leadership style your manager uses, for example:

Mentoring in leadership:

This kind of leader is proactive in providing performance feedback and assists you in setting objectives for both your department and yourself. For instance, a manager may create goals and foster a healthy work atmosphere for employees, and they can also offer your team a project as a learning opportunity. A sales director might establish monthly targets for his or her staff to meet in terms of making outbound calls to prospects, generating leads, and closing agreements within a certain time frame. After compiling all performance measurements, the sales director assesses whether they achieved or surpassed their goals in these three areas, makes recommendations for enhancements, and responds to queries or worries raised by the team on next steps.

Visionary leadership: This kind of leadership builds relationships with staff members of other companies and inspires advancement from their workforce while gaining trust for fresh concepts. This is beneficial whether you work for a bigger company going through a corporate restructure or a smaller company that is expanding quickly. A visionary leader would come up with a plan to address worries about workload with you and your colleagues in a group setting.

Serving others comes first for those in a servant leadership role, and they find personal and professional fulfilment in doing so. Many managers hold the opinion that you’re more likely to consistently create excellent work if you’re content in every area of your life. They may assist you in reengaging with your job and boost staff morale. Let’s say that once a month, you have coffee with your company’s CEO to discuss any worries, queries, or ideas you may have about a new product that is going to be released. This is meant to assist the customer obtain an extremely valued product and to help clear up any question you may have over your job.

Autocratic leadership: An autocratic boss decides on business matters without first speaking with you. It makes sense to keep you out of the loop if a decision has to be made fast, particularly if you’re not an executive staff member. If you’re working on a project with a strict deadline from the client, this tactic may help you save time by preventing you from being dragged into a meeting where your contribution is not needed.

Laissez-faire, or hands-off, leadership is the antithesis of autocratic leadership, which focuses on assigning responsibilities to various staff members without any oversight. If you have a great deal of expertise in your profession, you will support this approach since it needs less supervision. It’s also advantageous if you like having the flexibility to design your own timetable that fits the objectives of the department.

Democratic-led government:

Democratic leaders seek feedback from their team prior to making any management decisions. Presenting your ideas in a manner that is connected to the team’s success might be your opportunity to shine. While every leader has a different approach to how much input they solicit from their team, if there is an unbreakable tie among colleagues, then an agreement is important.

The behavioural leadership theory’s drawbacks

The notion of behavioural leadership has two primary drawbacks:

Behavioral theories need learning and patience.

It takes trial and error to figure out which actions match certain situations, whether you’re a leader or an employee. Leaders must be prepared to put themselves through trials and recognise that it is important to keep an eye on their actions. A CEO or other influential executive could be a challenging test subject to reach because of the many deadlines and customers that need to be attended to. But, if they demonstrate a readiness to be open and vulnerable, they will have gained more self-awareness than they had before the assessment, which may directly impact how they communicate with you in the future.

Other factors need to be taken into account by leaders while managing staff.

Leaders may take influence and authority into account while deciding how best to collaborate and complete tasks. In this sense, the decisions you make and the timing of them are influenced by your function and how you conduct yourself inside a company.

This paradigm may be used to two different leadership styles:

Leadership in the forefront:

This strategy aims to get quick results from team members who have high expectations for you and your partners in achieving your objectives. A weekly staff meeting that lasts an hour in the boardroom may be substituted by your manager with a 15-minute standup meeting to discuss the performance from the previous week.

Leadership via transactions:

This approach is likewise focused on the leader, who is simply evaluating the output of their group. This leader provides preset rewards, often in the form of money for accomplishments or punishment for shortcomings. To accomplish such objectives, the leader still offers mentoring opportunities. Every two weeks, a sales director meets with their team to discuss how they may surpass goals and get incentives. If you want to pursue a career in the creative industries, this is not the best management style for you.

The Behavioural Approach is criticised

I The situational factors are not taken into account by this method. While a certain leadership approach could work well in one circumstance, it might not work well or at all in another. Actually, a certain leadership style’s efficacy depends on the circumstances.

(ii) The time component is not taken into account in this method. An successful leader may exhibit a specific behaviour or deed at one moment, but it may become useless at a later date. In the 1950s and 60s, a number of theories that examined leadership from the perspective of leaders’ real-world actions were established.

There are two significant behavioural theories:

Michigan Academics

Leadership Studies at Ohio State University

Michigan Academics

These empirical investigations were carried out by the University of Michigan’s Institute of Social Research shortly after World War II. These research sought to determine the types of leadership behaviour that enhance group performance and satisfaction.

These investigations made a distinction between two different leadership styles:

I Leadership Centered on Production

Task-oriented leadership is another name for this kind of leadership.

The leadership focused on production emphasised the following points:

strict guidelines, procedures, and work requirements

close monitoring of the lower-level employees

Technical component of the job: Employees were to be seen as instruments to help the corporation achieve its objectives rather than as fellow human beings.

(ii) Leadership Focused on Employees

Due to its emphasis on interpersonal relationships, this leadership style is also known as relation-oriented leadership.

The primary components that this method focuses on are:

• to see subordinates as fellow humans.
• to demonstrate consideration for the needs, well-being, and progress of the staff, etc.
• to promote employee involvement in decision-making linked to work and goal-setting.
• to foster trust and respect in order to aid in ensuring excellent performance.
• Leadership Studies at Ohio State University

These research were carried out by Ohio State University’s Bureau of Research. The primary goals of the research were to determine the key components of leadership and look into how a leader’s actions affect the behaviour and happiness of their subordinates.

In the end, these investigations reduced the scope of leader behaviour to two dimensions:

I Forming the Framework

(ii) Taking Into Account

I Forming the Framework

It speaks to how the group leader defines and structures his connection with the other members of the group.

The aim of instituting structure is to: Define clear organisational patterns.

• Create processes or procedures and communication channels.
• to keep an eye on workers’ actions.
• Consideration
• The term “consideration” describes the following types of behaviour:
• Friendliness
• Mutual reliance
• Respect\sSupportiveness
• Openness a concern for the well-being of workers

This theory’s main characteristic is that it plots leadership behaviour on two axes as opposed to a single continuum