Note: This site is moving to KnowledgeJump.com. Please reset your bookmark.
Path-Goal is based on Vroom's (1964) expectancy theory in which an individual will act in a certain way based on the expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. The path-goal theory was first introduced by Martin Evans (1970) and then further developed by House (1971).
The path-goal theory can best be thought of as a process in which leaders select specific behaviors that are best suited to the employees' needs and the working environment so that they may best guide the employees through their path in the obtainment of their daily work activities (goals) (Northouse, 2013).
While Path-Goal Theory is not a detailed process, it generally follows these basic steps as shown in the graphic below:
- Determine the employee and environmental characteristics
- Select a leadership style
- Focus on motivational factors that will help the employee succeed
Employee Characteristics
Employees interpret their leader's behavior based on their needs, such as the degree of structure they need, affiliation, perceived level of ability, and desire for control. For example, if a leader provides more structure than what they need, they become less motivated. Thus, a leader needs to understand their employees so they know how to best motivate them.
Task and Environmental Characteristics
Overcoming obstacles is a special focus of path-goal theory. If an obstacle becomes too strong, then the leader needs to step in and help the employee select a path to work around it. Some of the more difficult task characteristics that often arise are:
-
Design of the task - The design of the task might call for the leader's support. For example, if the task is ambiguous, then the leader might have to give it more structure or an extremely difficult task might call for leader support.
-
Formal authority system - Depending upon the task authority, the leader can provide clear goals and/or give the employee some or all control.
-
Work group - If the team is non-supportive, then the leader needs to be cohesiveness and espouse esprit-de-corps that provides comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to all team members.
Leader Behavior or Style
The independent variables of Path-Goal Theory are the leader's behavior — the leader adjusts her style of behavior to the employee and task characteristics so that the employee's motivation is to excel at their goal.
House and Mitchell (1974) defined four types of leader behaviors or styles: Directive, Supportive, Participative, and Achievement (explained in detail below). They are based on two factors that were identified by an Ohio State University study behaviors (Stogdill, 1974):
- Consideration - relationship behaviors, such as respect and trust.
- Initiating Structure - task behaviors, such as organizing, scheduling, and seeing that work is completed.
The first behavior listed below, Directive, is based on initiating structure. The other three (achievement, participative, and supportive) are based upon consideration.
The four path-goal types of leader behaviors are:
- Directive: The leader informs her followers on what is expected of them, such as telling them what to do, how to perform a task, and scheduling and coordinating work. It is most effective when people are unsure about the task or when there is a lot of uncertainty within the environment.
- Supportive: The leader makes work pleasant for the workers by showing concern for them and by being friendly and approachable. It is most effective in situations in which tasks and relationships are physically or psychologically challenging.
- Participative: The leader consults with his followers before making a decision on how to proceed. It is most effective when subordinates are highly trained and involved in their work.
- Achievement: The leader sets challenging goals for her followers, expects them to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. It is most effective in professional work environments, such as technical, scientific; or achievement environments, such as sales.
The leaders' behavior is not set in stone, as there are other leadership styles that may be used depending upon the situation. For example, House (1996) defined four other behaviors:
- Work Facilitation
- Group Oriented Decision Process
- Work Group Representation and Networking
- Value Based
Application
As noted earlier, the independent variables of Path-Goal Theory are the leaders' behavior, thus the path–goal theory assumes that people (leaders) are flexible in that they can change their behavior or style, depending upon the situation. This coincides with the research that while nature (genes) may be our internal guide, nurture (experience) is our explorer that has the final say in what we do (Ridley, 2003).
Next Steps
Next chapter: Transformational Leadership
Related page: Leadership Styles
Return to the main Leadership Page
References
Evans, M.G. (1970). The effects of supervisory behavior on the path-goal relationship. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance. 5: 277–298.
House, R.J. (1971). A Path-Goal Theory of Leader Effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly. 16, 321-328.
House, R.J., Mitchell, T.R. (1974). Path-goal theory of leadership. Journal of Contemporary Business. 3: l–97.
House, R.J. (1996). Path-goal theory of leadership: Lessons, legacy, and a reformulated theory. Leadership Quarterly. 7 (3): 323–352.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Ridley, M. (2003). Nature Via Nurture. New York: Harper Collins.
Stogdill, R.M. (1974). Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and and Research. New York: Free Press.
Vroom, V.H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley.
The Black Swan Group often talks about what you can do to become a more effective leader. But if your goal is reaching your full potential as a leader, learning leadership behaviors to avoid is equally important.
Keep reading to learn more about four leadership behaviors to avoid—and what you can do instead to unlock that full potential.
1. Reacting Instead of Responding
Many leaders are tempted to react to the situation at hand. But, they do so at their own peril because reactions are almost always rooted in emotion. On the flip side, responding is thoughtful and deliberate.
My instructions to leaders are the same: Stay as responsive as possible without reacting. After all, leaders are regularly involved in conversations in which emotions run high. In these scenarios, it’s critical to keep your wits about you to achieve a positive outcome. Maintaining a calm, controlled demeanor will be more effective than putting together a brilliant argument.
First, leaders need to learn how to control their emotions and behaviors instead of controlling someone else’s. If you can’t control yourself, you won’t be able to direct a discussion.
If you respond to an attack with an attack, you become part of the problem instead of the solution. Of course, there’s a great deal of ego involved in conversations like this.
Don’t confuse getting even with getting what you want. By focusing on satisfying someone else’s needs instead of aiming for a predetermined outcome, you will have a much easier time achieving your goals.
2. Being Stubborn Instead of Staying Curious
When leaders head into a conversation, some are so focused on the outcome they want that they miss signals from the other side. When they have uncomfortable conversations, they are eager to become comfortable again as quickly as possible, causing them to push the issue until the end.
That’s problematic. Your direct reports will see that you’re smacking them around and not acknowledging the pain that comes along with it. In such a scenario, you might trade temporary solace for long-term damage to the relationship. Because revenge is a powerful motivator, direct reports who feel slighted will make you uncomfortable whenever they have the opportunity.
The best leaders go into every conversation assuming that they will be attacked. This enables them to stay curious, which is the foundation of Tactical Empathy™. By staying curious and taking the time to demonstrate the impact each conversation will have on your team, there’s a much higher chance they will feel treated fairly—making your job as a leader that much easier.
3. Ignoring Feelings Instead of Learning
Leaders need to understand that—whether we like it or not—peers, colleagues, and direct reports make decisions based on how they feel, no matter how logical they believe they are.
In other words, it’s impossible to remove emotions from the decision-making process. Telling your direct reports to ignore their feelings and their colleague’s feelings is at the organization’s peril.
If you want to build collaborative teams, you need to focus on the forces that drive those feelings and behaviors. To do that, lean on emotional intelligence and emotional awareness. If you can combine rational thought processes with emotional intelligence, you can transform your team, improve your leadership methods, and increase the satisfaction of everyone you work with.
Would you be better off ignoring this?
4. Acting Quickly Instead of Listening
When a crisis happens, many leaders feel like they need to act immediately. If a problem pops up at 8 a.m., they think they need to solve it by 8:05.
Although quick problem-solving is a great skill, it doesn’t have to be deployed in every scenario. Sometimes, people just want you to slow down, listen, and think things through.
Many leaders fail to understand that problem-solving can happen by lending a helpful ear. This is when Labels™ can be particularly helpful. When someone approaches you with a problem, you might say something like: It seems like you have a vision for how we should handle this.
They may or may not have a vision, and it may or may not be the right one. But the fact that you allowed them to offer an idea or suggestion means you’re building the relationship regardless.
Now that you have an idea of some leadership behaviors to avoid, it’s time to learn about behaviors to emulate. Check out my book, Ego, Authority, and Failure, for an in-depth look at how to transform your leadership with tactical empathy.