Style Theory [Quick & Short Explanation]

Style theory is based on the nuance that leaders aren’t born; they are created by certain learned behaviors. How a leader acts best predicts leadership success. So, it’s not about the leader’s qualities. Instead, the actions determine how successful the leadership is.

The best thing about style leadership is that anyone can be a leader. However, the downside is that it doesn’t reasonably state how.

There are different leadership styles suited to different situations, employees, etc., but there isn’t one right or wrong style you can follow all the time. Successful leadership styles include

• People-oriented leaders
• Task-oriented leaders
• Country club leaders
• Dictatorial leaders
• Status quo leaders

Leaders can decide the type of leadership style they prefer and can adapt to the same as the situation warrants.

What Is The Style Theory Of Leadership?

Style theory differs drastically from trait or skill theories. Instead of focusing on who leaders are, style theories consider what leaders do. At the core of all style theories is the idea that leaders engage in two distinct types of behavior: task behaviors and relationship behaviors. How leaders combine these two behaviors determines their leadership effectiveness. 

Task Behaviors

Task behaviors help a team focus on solid actions to achieve its goals. Leaders who are more task-oriented prioritize setting actionable goals and making efforts to achieve them.

These leaders work in structured environments to produce actual results. Task behaviors include:

• Defining task outlines
• Setting deadlines
• Clearly stating daily objectives
• Effective delegation of tasks
• Rewards and relationship-building

Relationship Behaviors

These focus on improving the rapport and morale among team members. The employees feel comfortable in the workplace and develop relationships with their teammates and leaders.

The style is best for:

• Encouraging communication
• Active listening and solving employee issues
• Monitoring the team’s progress up close
• Mentoring the team for optimized performance.

Leaders often combine these two styles to accomplish the organization’s goals and influence their teammates.

Importance of Style Leadership

Style leadership has several advantages over other leadership styles. For one, it cultivates and develops leaders with measurable leadership behaviors. These behaviors can be changed over time as and when needed. 

It also makes the leaders more adaptable to the situational requirements. However, the disadvantage is that the theory doesn’t exactly tell you how to act to achieve a specific outcome in a particular situation.

Style theory refers to three main theories or lines of research: the Ohio State University studies, the Michigan University studies, and the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid.

Both the Ohio State and Michigan studies sought to identify the best combination of the leadership behaviors (although each used differing terms). Their research leads to a myriad of research attempting to define leadership behaviors that worked in every situation. However, the results of this research are inconclusive, suggesting that there is not one best style of effective leadership.

Blake and Mouton ran with this idea, developing a model for training leaders that describes leadership behaviors as plots on a grid with two axes: concern for results (task behaviors) and concern for people (relationship behavior). The model outlines five main plots on the managerial grid: authority-compliance (9,1), country club management (1,9), impoverished management (1,1), middle-of-the-road management (5,5), and team management (9,9).

Wrap Up

While style theory represents a step forward in understanding leadership, there are some strengths and weaknesses. In addition to enhancing understanding of leadership, style theory is supported by a large body of research. 

Style theory also works to identify two main behaviors, task, and relationship, which can be learned and cultivated. However, style theorists have yet to come to a consensus on an optimal leadership style. The theory implies that a high task, high relationship style will yield the best results, but this implication has yet to be supported by research.

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More Articles in This Series:

• Intro to Leadership Theory
• Why Theory
• A Word on Theory
• Trait Theory
• Skills Theory
• Style Theory
• Contingency Theory
• Situational Leadership Theory
• Path-Goal Theory
• Leader-Member Exchange Theory
• Transformational Leadership Theory
• Servant Leadership Theory
• Strengths-Based Leadership Theory