ADVERTIsem*nTS:
Some of the major type of leader behaviour found in an organisation are as follows: 1. Directive leadership 2. Supportive leadership 3. Participative leadership 4. Achievement-oriented leadership.
1. Directive leadership:
The leader is expected to define the tasks and responsibility of his group members, set performance and reward norms, clarify the rules and regulations as applicable, provide guidance, advice and instructions as necessary and monitor their performance.
2. Supportive leadership:
ADVERTIsem*nTS:
In this expected behaviour, the leader establishes warm interpersonal relationships with the group, understands and shares their aspirations and feelings, shows concern for their welfare and promotes group cohesiveness.
3. Participative leadership:
Here members expect the leader to keep them informed on relevant tasks, goals and situations, involve them in decision making, solicit their ideas and consult with them often.
4. Achievement-oriented leadership:
The leader is expected to develop and utilise the skills and talents of group members, set challenging goals to them, make tasks interesting and meaningful, and give some freedom to people in their jobs. The pattern of preference of people (followers or subordinates) with regard to the above kinds of leader behaviour depends upon:
(a) the personal characteristics of group members (self- confidence, intelligence, skills, attitudes towards self-reliance, initiative, sense of responsibility and so on), and
ADVERTIsem*nTS:
(b) environmental conditions like the complexity of tasks, structure of work group and the extent of formalisation of policies, rules, norms etc. For example, members who are deficient in self-confidence look for a directive leadership. If the task is dull and uninteresting, people resent directive leadership.
An effective leader is one who understands the characteristics of subordinates and the environmental situation and who matches his behaviour accordingly. On so matching his behavioural pattern, the leader is likely to gain acceptance of his people by arousing their motivation to perform well, to earn expected rewards and to achieve satisfaction of their needs and aspirations in the process. In fact, such a leader helps people to achieve their goals, both organisational and personal, by clarifying the paths (ways and means) to achieve them.
The theory subscribes to the notion that a leader can change his behavioural patterns demanded by the needs of the situation. In a sense, leader behaviour is not an independent variable. It is dependent on the nature of the situation and the characteristics of people.
Such adaptive leader behaviour tends to be effective in generating the needed acceptance, motivation, performance and satisfaction on the part of the people concerned. However, the leader’s effectiveness is contingent on his ability to capture the dynamics of the situation and the attitudes of people in a correct perspective.
