

Middle-of-the-Road Leadership - Medium Production/Medium People The result is a place of disorganization, dissatisfaction and disharmony. 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. Impoverished Leadership - Low Production/Low People 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.

Employee needs are always secondary to the need for efficient and productive workplaces. Produce or Perish Leadership - High Production/Low PeopleĪlso known as Authoritarian or Compliance Leaders, people in this category believe that employees are simply a means to an end. 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. These people operate under the assumption that as long as team members are happy and secure then they will work hard. This style of leader is most concerned about the needs and feelings of members of his/her team. Using the axis to plot leadership 'concerns for production' versus 'concerns for people', Blake and Mouton defined the following five leadership styles:Ĭountry Club Leadership - High People/Low Production

Neither preference is right or wrong, just as no one type of leadership style is best for all situations. If you make people your priority and try to accommodate employee needs, then you're more people-oriented. If you prefer to lead by setting and enforcing tight schedules, you tend to be more production-oriented (or task-oriented). Others are very people-oriented they want people to be happy. Some leaders are very task-oriented they simply want to get things done. Your answers to these types of questions can reveal a great deal about your personal leadership style. When your boss puts you in charge of organizing the company Christmas party, what do you do first? Do you develop a time line and start assigning tasks or do you think about who would prefer to do what and try to schedule around their needs? When the planning starts to fall behind schedule, what is your first reaction? Do you chase everyone to get back on track, or do you ease off a bit recognizing that everyone is busy just doing his/her job, let alone the extra tasks you've assigned? Balancing Task- and People-Oriented Leadership
