Explain the different leadership styles as per Managerial – Leadership Grid Theory.
The Managerial Grid is based on two behavioral dimensions:
•Concern for People – This is the degree to which a leader considers
the needs of team members, their interests, and areas of personal development
when deciding how best to accomplish a task.
•Concern for Production – This is the degree to which a leader
emphasizes concrete objectives, organizational efficiency and high productivity
when deciding how best to accomplish a task.
i. Country Club Leadership – High People/Low Production This style of
leader is most concerned about the needs and feelings of members of his/her
team. These people operate under the assumption that as long as team members
are happy and secure then they will work hard. What tends to result is a work
environment that is very relaxed and fun but where production suffers due to
lack of direction and control.
ii. Produce or Perish Leadership – High Production/Low People Also
known as Authoritarian or Compliance Leaders, people in this category believe
that employees are simply a means to an end. Employee needs are always
secondary to the need for efficient and productive workplaces. This type of
leader is very autocratic, has strict work rules, policies, and procedures, and
views punishment as the most effective means to motivate employees.
iii. Impoverished Leadership – Low Production/Low People This leader is
mostly ineffective. He/she has neither a high regard for creating systems for
getting the job done, nor for creating a work environment that is satisfying
and motivating. The result is a place of disorganization, dissatisfaction and
disharmony.
iv. Middle-of-the-Road Leadership – Medium Production/Medium People
This style seems to be a balance of the two competing concerns. It may at first
appear to be an ideal compromise. Therein lies the problem, though: When you
compromise, you necessarily give away a bit of each concern so that neither
production nor people needs are fully met. Leaders who use this style settle
for average performance and often believe that this is the most anyone can
expect.
v. Team Leadership – High Production/High People According to the Blake
Mouton model, this is the pinnacle of managerial style. These leaders stress
production needs and the needs of the people equally highly. The premise here
is that employees are involved in understanding organizational purpose and
determining production needs. When employees are committed to, and have a stake
in the organization’s success, their needs and production needs coincide. This
creates a team environment based on trust and respect, which leads to high
satisfaction and motivation and, as a result, high production.