Reading: Behavioral Theories of Leadership

Behavioral Theory of leadership is a big leap from Trait Theory, as it was developed scientifically by conducting behaviour focused studies. The theory emphasizes that leadership capability can be learned, rather than being inherent. This theory is based on the principle that a leader's behaviors can be conditioned in a manner that one can have a specific response to specific stimuli.

As the questions about how to measure traits continued to challenge trait theory, researchers began thinking about measuring behavior. While you can’t easily measure confidence or honesty in a person, they noted, you can define a behavior or a set of behaviors that seem to embody the trait.

Beliefs are ideas that people have about the world around them and how it operates. People tend to behave according to their beliefs. Values are assessments of the goodness or badness of various features of one's life. Values form attitudes that guide a person's conduct. Beliefs and values have close interaction. Beliefs become values when they lead to certain favorable or unfavorable consequences.

Researchers define behaviors as observable actions, which makes measuring them more scientifically valid than trying to measure a human personality trait. In this theory, we will focus on two general kinds of behaviors by leaders called task behaviors and relationship behaviors.

What is Behavioral Theory of Leadership?  

Behavioral Theory of Leadership is a leadership theory that considers the observable actions and reactions of leaders and followers in a given situation. Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behave and assume that leaders can be made, rather than born, and successful leadership is based on definable, learnable behavior. Behavioral theories of leadership are classified as such because they focus on the study of specific behaviors of a leader. For behavioral theorists, a leader behavior is the best predictor of his leadership influences and as a result, is the best determinant of his or her leadership success. 

These theories concentrate on what leaders actually do rather than on their qualities. Different patterns of behavior are observed and categorized as 'styles of leadership'.  This area has probably attracted the most attention from practicing managers.

Overview of Behavioral Theory of Leadership: 

Behavioral Theory of leadership is a big leap from Trait Theory, in that it assumes that leadership capability can be learned, rather than being inherent. This theory is based on the principle that behaviors can be conditioned in a manner that one can have a specific response to specific stimuli. Rather than seeking inborn traits this theory looks at what leaders actually do by studying their behaviors in response to different situations, assessing leadership success by studying their actions, and then correlating significant behaviors with success. 

The practical application of the theory is that leader’s behavior affects their performance and different leadership behaviors could be appropriate at different times. The best leaders are those who have the adaptability to flex their behavioral style and choose the right style suitable for each situation.  

According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through teaching and observation and certain behavioral patterns may be identified as leadership styles.  

Advantages of Behavioral Theory of Leadership: 

Behavioral theory promotes the value of leadership styles with an emphasis on concern for people and collaboration. It promotes participative decision making and team development by supporting individual needs and aligning individual and group objectives. 

It helps managers evaluate and understand how their behavioral style as a manager affects their relationship with the team and promotes commitment and contribution towards organizational goals. 

his theory helps managers find the right balance between different styles of leadership, and helps them decide how to behave as a leader, depending on concerns for people and for productivity. 

Criticism / Arguments against - Behavioral Theory of Leadership: 

As there were inherent limitations with the Trait approach to leadership, when early researchers ran out of steam in their search for traits, they turned to what leaders did, how they behaved, and came with behavioral theory of leadership. This became the dominant way of approaching leadership within organizations in the 1950s and early 1960s but this theory too had its own limitations. 

Behavioral Theory of Leadership proposes leadership styles but a specific leadership style may not be best in all circumstances. When researchers really got to work on this it didn’t seem to validate their assumptions. While behavioral theories may help managers develop particular leadership behaviors but they provide little guidance as to what constitutes effective leadership in different situations.

There were lots of differences and inconsistencies between studies. It was difficult to say which style of leadership was significant in enabling one group to work better than another. The styles that leaders can adopt are far more affected by those they are working with, and the environment they are operating within than had been originally thought. Most researchers today conclude that no one leadership style is right for every manager under all circumstances.

Two Important Behavioral Studies: 

The first and foremost study on leadership was carried out by a psychologist, Kurt Lewin, and his associates in 1939 and identified different styles of leadership, viz. autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership. Subsequently, many research studies could be categorized under the heading of the behavioral approach leading to the identification of various leadership styles and their correlation with measures of effectiveness. The following three studies are strongly representative of the ideas in this approach:

• Ohio State Studies
• The Michigan Studies
• The Studies by Blake and Mouton

By looking closely at each of these groups of studies, we can draw a clearer picture of the key concepts and implications of the style/behavioral approach to leadership.

Of these three the two Key Studies in behavioral theory at the University of Michigan and Ohio State University became famous in the next generation of leadership research. These studies identified two key behavioral categories

• Orientation toward task: Task behaviors facilitate goal accomplishment and help the team to achieve its objectives.
• Orientation toward people: Relationship behaviors help team members feel comfortable with themselves, with each other, and with the situation in which they find themselves.

List of Behavioral Theories:

Given below is a list of theories and articles that are also classified under behavioral theories or should be read to understand behavioral theories: