Behavioral Leadership Theory

Behavioral leadership theory, or style theory, refers to a management philosophy that leadership is not an inherent quality; instead, it is a skill that leaders can learn by modeling their behaviors, actions, and responses in a particular manner over time.

Hence, this theory of leadership contradicts the traditional belief that leadership is a quality with which one is born. Thus, it emphasizes facilitating leadership training programs to nurture individuals to become efficient and influential leaders in their professional spaces. Moreover, it ensures flexibility in inculcating new leadership behaviors with the evolving business scenario and situation.

The behavioral leadership theory is a management approach that emphasizes leadership as a teachable trait, and anyone can be trained to learn certain behaviors, reactions, and actions to become a leader. Also, such a belief disregards the great-man leadership theory that considers leadership and managerial skills as the innate qualities of individuals. Hence, the theory standardizes the styles adopted by leaders to increase the productivity of their team and ensure employee satisfaction. Moreover, it provides systematic training to those who have never led a team to become inspiring managers.

The foundation of the behavioral theory of leadership can be traced back to the 1950s when Ohio State University researchers began the Ohio State Leadership Studies. The two prominent researchers, Hemphill and Coons developed the Leadership Behaviour Description Questionnaire. Hence, this questionnaire was filled out by the various team members to rate their leaders on a scale of 'never' to 'always' for certain observed behaviors of the leaders. The study concluded that leaders who have a supportive style or behavior were able to impact their teams positively. However, the task-oriented leaders were more effective in improving performance standards.

According to the behavioral theory of leadership, professionals can learn management skills to become efficient leaders. However, there can be different styles of behavioral leadership, as discussed below:

• People-Oriented or Supportive Leadership: Supportive leaders are more focused on maintaining cordial relationships with their subordinates, team members, seniors, and customers to create a positive environment where everyone shows superior performance.
• Directive Leadership: In such a leadership pattern, the managers set goals for their subordinates and constantly monitor, guide, and direct their performance to ensure their accomplishment.
• Task-Oriented Leadership: Such leaders are goal-oriented, and their foremost priority is for their team to complete the task efficiently with a 100% output. These managers somehow follow the authoritative leadership style. 
• Participative Leadership: Such management philosophy emphasizes that the leaders involve their overall team in the decision-making process by welcoming their feedback and suggestions.
• Status-Quo Leadership: These leaders aim to meet expectations and accomplish the tasks by ensuring the fulfillment of the team's requirements for task completion. However, such managers don't target any outperformance.
• Dictatorial Leadership: Such types of leaders are focused on the output and not the health and safety of their team members; thus, they may sometimes become bossy and pressure their team for superior performance.
• Indifferent Leadership: In such a leadership style, the managers are self-centric and least concerned about the team. They watch the team working from afar and refrain from providing any feedback, suggestions, or assistance.
• Opportunistic Leadership: Such leaders are pretty adaptive, and they often adopt different behavioral leadership styles to address changing situations and times.
• Country Club Leadership: Managers with this mindset often gain more trust, loyalty, and respect from their team since they show more care and precaution for the upkeep of their people's health, safety, happiness, and satisfaction rather than using them as machines for higher productivity.
• Sound Leadership: It is a balanced form of leadership where the managers give equal importance to employee satisfaction, morale, and business productivity.
• Paternalistic Leadership: The leader and subordinates share a parent-child-like relationship in such leadership style. While the leaders are goal-centric, they allow sufficient flexibility to their team to achieve these goals. While the team members are given ambitious objectives, the ones who achieve them successfully get rewarded.

The behavioral theory of leadership is widely used in organizations to professionally train managers and other senior-level executives to ensure effective team management, employee satisfaction, and improved productivity. Some of the real-world cases are discussed below:

Example #1

Suppose Mrs. Ronald is a senior manager at XYZ Corp. The company has a culture of valuing people, and therefore, she undertook a couple of training programs to learn the people-oriented leadership style at the company. She thereby monitored and assisted her team members in their tasks to clear their doubts and solve their problems. Moreover, the work environment encouraged people to ask questions and take help when they are unable to perform a task. Thus, this practice strengthened the superior-subordinate relationships and developed a positive work environment.

Example #2

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, two iconic entrepreneurs, exhibited different leadership styles that contributed to their successes. Bill Gates preferred a participative approach of behavioral leadership theory, valuing employee input and effectively delegating tasks to leverage their skills. His ability to accept market changes and envision long-term goals, like putting a computer in every household, played a crucial role in Microsoft's success.

On the other hand, Steve Jobs adopted an autocratic leadership style, making decisions based on his ideas with minimal team input. His innovative and risk-taking nature led to the development of revolutionary Apple products. Although his leadership style was demanding, Jobs inspired and motivated his team, fostering a culture of creativity and positivity.

Gates' leadership was characterized by teamwork and adaptability, while Jobs focused on visionary design and bold decision-making. Despite their different approaches, both leaders were dedicated to innovation and understood what was needed to succeed in the tech industry. Their unique leadership styles were instrumental in the achievements of Microsoft and Apple.

The behavioral theory of leadership has long been accepted and criticized for its various benefits and limitations, as discussed below: