Houses Path-Goal Theory of Leadership
What is Path-Goal Leadership Theory?
The path-to-goal theory of leadership was proposed by Robert House and Terence Mitchell in the 1970s. According to this theory, the achievement of goals in the company largely depends on the behavior of the leader, who can motivate and direct subordinates in such a way that these goals are achieved.
The leader influences the ways and means of work and also determines the system of remuneration of employees, which occupies one of the key places in theory since an increase in personal gain increases the interest of employees in achieving high results.
At the same time, the leader should not stand in a position of absolute power, he acts, rather, as a coach who coordinates the work of the organization and helps people to effectively cope with their duties.
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Path-Goal Theory of Leadership Behavior
Motivation is an essential component in leadership and plays an important role in Path-Goal Leadership Theory. Ultimately, it's about how leaders can motivate their employees to achieve their smart goals in their work environment.
House and Mitchell suggest that leaders can increase motivation by rewarding their employees. In addition, they should clarify which path they will take to achieve the goal and focus on their employees by coaching them and keeping them on the right track in their work environment.
This will only increase the pleasure of work.
According to Path-Goal Theory, leaders should focus on a variety of leader behavior/leadership behaviors.
This may vary depending on the situation and the employee as long as they provide focus and support. This allows leaders to work on the department's goals.
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Assess the nature of the work performed
Once the leader knows his team members, he must also assess the nature of the work they do.
In particular, he will analyze their tasks and determine whether they are
- Simple or ambiguous/complex
- Repetitive or unique
- Neutral or stressful.
But he will also assess the social dynamics of the work, in particular the understanding of the team.
Once this is done, he can determine the style of leadership that suits each person and their situation.
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Path-Goal Theory Leadership Strategies
1. Directive.
Here the leader “takes charge”. He informs his collaborators of exactly what he expects of them, explains to them how to carry it out and when to finish it.
This style relies on formal authority. Be careful because it is out of step with the expectations of modern employees, who want more autonomy and freedom than previous generations.
However, although it is demotivating for the majority of us, it is well suited to novice or unconfident employees (with low perceived competence), and too ambiguous and crises.
2. Supportive.
The supportive style resembles servant leadership. The leader who adopts this style does everything possible to support his team.
He is pleasant, empathetic and makes the work as pleasant as possible. He carefully monitors group dynamics and anticipates conflicts.
This style works well for people with a strong need for affiliation. He is also very effective in psychologically difficult situations (eg: hospital environment, firefighters, etc.) because the energy that the leader instills helps the team to hold on.
3. Participative.
A participative leader asks his collaborators to help him make decisions, which allows him to obtain more commitment from them. But for this style to work, they must have a high level of competence to make good decisions and the confidence to assume them.
A collaborator with high perceived competence and a high need for control will thrive in this style of leadership.
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4. Success-Focused.
The success-focused leader sets the bar high. He expects a high level of performance from his employees and gives them carte blanche to achieve it. He asks them to constantly exceed their limits because he believes in their potential.
This type of leadership works well in environments where performance is easy to measure (ex: Sales) and where tasks are repetitive.
5. Characteristics of the work environment.
The content and structure of the work, the system of formal authority (for example, the presence or absence of a clear hierarchical structure in the organization), and the culture of the group (for example, how trusting relationships between employees are and how well they can work together in a team).
The path-goal leadership theory has been repeatedly tested in practice and proven to be effective.
Although the theory was developed almost 50 years ago, it does not lose its relevance, therefore, results-oriented managers should still focus on it in their work today.
6. Success-Oriented Leadership.
Success-oriented leadership is expected to set challenging goals, high performance is expected, and has a high level of confidence in the employee's ability to achieve management goals. This leadership style is well suited for quarterbacks to use on other team members.
The coordinator or coach awards the quarterback a series of goals and plays. The main goal is to win games, but there are smaller, equally important goals for the execution of games during the game.
The coordinator provides the quarterback and the playbook and sets the performance expectation – all with a high level of confidence that the quarterback team can direct the right games to win games at the right time.
7. Imperative Leadership.
The quarterback uses a different leadership style with different players. The quarterback gives orders by assigning certain games to the team and individuals.
Imperative leadership involves giving specific advice or orders, clarifying expectations, and assigning tasks to individuals or a group.
During group chat, the quarterback gives orders (or plays) to the players and directs them from the field. An individual player, such as a wide receiver, may be directed to be in a specific area of the field to receive the ball. It can also be directed with the ball to where it will run.
A group of defenders can be directed to tackle specific players on the opposing team. Regardless of position, each player must do according to quarterback expectations.
Path-Goal Theory: Exploring Motivation.
Path-Goal Theory enables leaders to improve their organization's output by influencing and guiding their people towards their goals. It would be wise to research the following characteristics to know what motivates your employees:
Are employees intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Extrinsic refers to the fact that the employee is mainly focused on making money and receiving bonuses, while intrinsic motivation is about being appreciated in the form of extra responsibility, independent work, and confidence.
Does the employee need a strong connection within the group and prefer to work in a team or does he require a high level of independence?
Does the employee want to do his work independently or is it important to him to be directed and controlled?
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