Leadership is central to the long-term success of a business organization. As a leader, it is crucial to creating a working environment that makes employees feel valued and appreciated. In the current business world, relying on the authoritarian approach to management of businesses may not provide results required for the success of a company. Northouse (2018) posits that behavioral approaches to leadership analyze business leadership through the prism of the human dimension within a workplace with the objective of helping people to understand how to solve work-related conflicts. It is crucial for business leaders to understand the relationship between behavioral approaches and the motivation of employees to power business entities towards success in business. The following behavioral leadership approaches are crucially in understanding how to manage the human resource in the contemporary business environment:
i. Task-Based Approach
A task-oriented approach is the most suitable behavioral leadership model to embrace within an organization because it enables the management to train their sights on planning, coordination, and distribution of tasks within the organization (Northouse, 2018). This approach gives employees a feeling of satisfaction since their working assessed from their strengths rather than serving in ranks that do not conform to the nature of the tasks. The task-based approach helps business managers to maximize on the strengths of their workforce by allocating them roles compatible with their abilities. Significantly, the technique protects employees from pressure related to performing duties that are outside their competence.
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ii. Needs-Oriented Approach
Northouse (2018) notes that relying on this behavioral approach, managers lay more emphasis on the needs of their employees guided by the significant goal of attaining business success. Hinged on the hierarchical lists of obligations proposed by Abraham Maslow, managers can determine the respective needs of their staff. According to the list, the requirements are arranged in descending order – psychological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization – and are helpful in guiding managers to understand that success satisfaction of certain employee-needs is a greater booster to success in the organization. Within a business organizational framework, the management has to acknowledge that it is practically impossible to fulfill all the needs of the staff. However, it is sensible that part of those needs ought to be met to spur confidence levels among employees (Northouse, 2018).
iii. People-Oriented Approach
While the needs-based approach guide managers in fulfilling specific needs of the employees, people-oriented approach help managers to express concerns with the feelings of their workforce. It implies that the management should demonstrate the ability to understand and respect the opinions of their staff members. Further, Northouse (2018) observes that managers who embrace this approach can show care about how their workers are feeling thus leading them to develop working environments that make it suitable for employees to accomplish their tasks. Conversely, studies indicate that workers derive great satisfaction when working under managers who rely on people-based approach.
Steve Jobs’ Dominant Leadership Style
Steve Jobs, according to the Los Angeles Times, employed people-based and task-oriented approaches to business management at Apple (Renko et al., 2015). Job placed his employees at the core of his firm’s business model thus giving them the motivation to work towards the attainment of Apple’s goals. The global newspaper further reveals that employees at Apple hired and assigned roles based on their respective competencies. Jobs himself led the process of articulating the company’s vision to the employees to make them aware of their larger responsibility in the company. The newspaper thus concludes that Job’s leadership style focused majorly on the ability of the staff to deliver in the particular roles assigned to them.
Situational Leadership Approaches
In the business sense, situational leadership approaches call for flexibility (Cullen-Lester &Yammarino, 2016). It implies that managers have to adapt and fit into the existing circumstances of the organization and its needs. Situational leadership does not require specific skills from the manager. Preferably, the leader is obligated to modify their leadership style to fit the current requirement of the business. Adaptability is, therefore, the key to situational leadership and determined by the ability of managers to switch from one style of leadership to another in concord with the demands of a given organization and its staff. Situational leadership discussed in detail in the models below:
Fiedler Contingency Leadership Model
Cullen-Lester &Yammarino (2016) that the theory states that leaders must be ready to learn and modify their management styles in line with the business situation of the organization. The theory is based on the understanding that there exists no single way of running an organization. Thus, for a leader to achieve their goals, it is crucial for them to examine several factors within the organization to determine those workers whom they enjoy positive connections with them.
Path-Goal Leadership Model
In this theory, the working environment and features of the workforce influence the management style that a manager will take (Northouse, 2018). The primary objective of the model is to enhance employee morale by empowering them to perform their roles in a positive environment. Managers embracing this model thus will be required to carefully study their organizations with a view of establishing the right way of handling the organization and steer it to success.
Transformational Leadership
Iskandarani (2017) observe transformational leadership focuses on the leaders creating value and inspiring positive change within their organizations. The concept of transformational leadership evaluated the lens of transactional and transformational leadership styles. Transactional leadership is focused on the acquisition of compliance through a system of rewards and benefits. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, endeavors to create support systems that lead to the collective development of the organization. According to Iskandarani (2018), transformational leadership in contemporary organizations supported by four pillars: “individual consideration, intellectual stimulation, charisma, and idealized influence.” These four critical behaviors of transformational leadership are crucial navigating through the challenges of management in organizations. Charisma is instrumental in creating strong bonds between the administration and their staff while individual consideration helps in understanding the respective abilities of employees within a firm.
In conclusion, the above findings illustrate the central role played by leaders in the success of business organizations. In light of the cutthroat competition that defines the modern business landscape transformational leadership will help managers create strong and healthy bonds with their employees thus leading increased productivity. Furthermore, the study reveals that employees constitute a particular cog in the wheel that drives business organizations to greater success levels. It is therefore imperative that managers create a healthy environment where the staff can work comfortably thus spurring their collective output.
References
Cullen-Lester, K. L., &Yammarino, F. J. (2016). Collective and network approaches to leadership: Special issue introduction.
Iskandarani, K. M. (2017). Assessing the Impact of Transformational Leadership, Organizational Climate, and Personality on Individual Innovativeness at Work.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Renko, M., El Tarabishy, A., Carsrud, A. L., &Brännback, M. (2015). Understanding and measuring entrepreneurial leadership style. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(1), 54-74.
