What are the two dimensions of leadership?

Over time, a number of leadership models and styles have attempted to depict different approaches and qualities of leadership. A common factor in style assessments is that leaders typically have some balance between task-orientation or assertiveness, and relationship ability. The dimension someone more heavily emphasizes tends to influence his style.

Assertiveness Pros

1. An assertive leader is one who effectively schedules work, including delegating tasks, establishing deadlines and monitoring progress. Some level of assertiveness is necessary to instill a productive attitude and to motivate employees to task production. Assertive, or task-oriented, leaders often have strong organizational skills and command the attention of employees through a dominant personality or charismatic demeanor. The ability to drive employees to high production is a common trait of an effective assertive leader.

Assertiveness Risks

1. An extremely assertive leader runs the risk of taking on an autocratic leadership style. This occurs when the leader doesn't have much, if any, consideration for the human needs or emotions of his employees. This can cause employees to become bitter, feel helpless, shut down from idea sharing and ultimately lose morale. Some task-oriented leaders rely on fear or title power to get employees to work in the short term, but long-term burn out and loss of motivation may result without any display of empathy.

People Orientation Pros

1. People-oriented leaders may take on collaborative or laissez-faire leadership styles. People orientation, or relational ability, is the emphasis of concern for the welfare of employees in a leadership approach. Some level of empathy and concern for employees is necessary to motivate employees to follow a leader because they want to, not because they have to. When employees believe a manager cares, they are more often willing to assert themselves and perform well. People orientation helps leaders create a cohesive work force or team.

People Orientation Risks

1. You can err on the extreme of relational or people focus as well. Leaders who lack assertiveness may give employees too much flexibility or freedom because of a desire to avoid conflict. This can actually lead to low production and cause low-performing employees to take advantage of a permissive or accommodating leader. Extreme relational leaders sometimes lose top employees who get frustrated that lower performers get by without any consequence or correction.

   The University of Michigan in a leadership study discovered two dimensions of leadership behavior which were described as employee-oriented leadership and production-oriented leadership. This means that a leader will primarily be focused on people or focused on tasks. Leadership requires results, however, a leader must find a balance between accomplishing a required task and developing others in the process.

   In the study, they described employee-oriented as emphasizing interpersonal relations, taking a personal interest in the needs of their employees and accepting individual difference among team members. Production-oriented behavior will tend to emphasize the technical or task aspects of the job and sees the team members as a means to an end. What type of leader are you? What type of leader does your culture create? What type of leader does your culture demand?

   I have been both types of leader and found it better to be a people-oriented leader. As a leader, self-assessment, as well as feedback from other leaders is crucial to growth and success. Leaders must be able to make adjustments in their behavior, a lesson I have learned in both business and church environments. Change and adjustments are common, though difficult, as you learn and mature and become a better leader. My transformation from one behavior to another was not immediate. What I have found to be true was the same as the study results; people or employee-oriented behavior was associated with higher productivity and higher job satisfaction.

   Here are some characteristics of both employee-oriented and production-oriented leadership behavior:

   EMPLOYEE-ORIENTED CHARACTERISTICS

   • Are not fewer results oriented, just has a different approach that develops others and strengthens the team beyond a single task.
   • Employees are valued as an integral part of the success.
   • See’s diversity on the team as beneficial.
   • Values input and feedback from each team member.
   • The team is more important than the individual.
   • Goal and Vision are motivating driving factors.

   PRODUCTION-ORIENTED CHARACTERISTICS

   • Members are replaceable
   • Motivating factor drives team interaction and operations.
   • Low leadership development of team members.
   • Individual achievement is more important that team success.

   Investment in others is beneficial and allows others to be valued. There is no higher call in leadership than to see others reach their potential and grow. Leaders have the ability to choose their behavior. A true leader will see the task at hand and develop team members in the process of reaching the goal so that all are successful. Learn to be an employee-oriented leader.

   What are leadership dimensions?

   You will identify with one of the following 8 Dimensions: Pioneering, Energizing, Affirming, Inclusive, Humble, Deliberate, Resolute, or Commanding. But no single style will take you all the way to success. A Humble leader may have a hard time making tough decisions.

   What are the two models of leadership?

   The two main leadership theories are transformational and transactional leadership theories. Charismatic leadership might be accepted as a sub-title of transformational leadership.

   What are the two dimensions of the leader behavior description questionnaire?

   Hemphill and Coons (14) constructed the original form of the questionnaire; and Halpin and Winer (11), in reporting the development of an Air Force adaptation of the instrument, identified Initiating Structure and Consideration as two fundamental dimensions of leader behavior.

   What are the two dimensions of the behavioral approach leadership theory?

   Researchers studying the behavioral approach determined that leadership is composed of two general kinds of behaviors: task behaviors and relationship behaviors. Task behaviors facilitate goal accomplishment: They help group members to achieve their objectives.