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There are two basic types of task leadership and group maintenance leadership: • Task Leadership Roles usually include giving and seeking information from the group, asking the opinions of all group members, keeping the group energised, evaluating performance and giving direction to the group. • Maintenance Leadership Roles usually include encouraging engagement of group members, relieving any tensions that form within the group, building rapport, trust and respect, resolving conflict and drawing people into the group – increasing cohesiveness. Groups often require both types of leadership, as individuals within the group tend to fall into one of the two categories; that is they are either more task or relationship (maintenance) orientated. Some leadership roles may need to be taken by other members of the group in order to compensate for this mismatch in psychology.
Most leaders naturally tend more toward one of the two main leadership styles -- task leadership and social leadership. Both styles can be effective in specific situations, and leaders should strive to become well-rounded by mastering both approaches. Small-business managers are typically required to act as a jack-of-all-trades, and the most effective leaders will be able to switch between styles as needed.
The main priority of the task-oriented leader is the accomplishment of specified tasks. This type of leader monitors progress by tracking the achievements of the team, and judges the success of the project based on the extent to which the goals and objectives were completed. In contrast, the social leader prioritizes individual accomplishments, personal development and employee satisfaction. The social leader is likely to try and provide meaningful tasks to all employees though job enrichment. He measures success by factors such as a cohesive team and high morale.
The task-oriented leader is comfortable telling subordinates exactly what to do and how to do it. In a task-oriented environment, the leader determines the team's strategy and makes the important decisions. A social leader would never impose a decision on the team without first soliciting input and feedback from each team member in the group. Because the social leader treats each member of the team as an equal participant, he likes to achieve consensus before proceeding with a plan of action. The task-oriented leader considers actions like explaining his decisions a waste of valuable time that could be used to achieve the objectives.
The social leader motivates his staff with his friendly, interested behavior. Staff members want to work for the social leader because he is available, approachable and genuinely cares about their individual needs and concerns. The social leader is likely to reward staff members by organizing social events or recognizing top performers with an appreciation luncheon. Task-oriented leaders are much more strict, and motivate employees by requiring them to meet specific deadlines, goals and expectations. Failure to achieve the required performance standards will result in formal discipline by the task leader.
Situational FactorsEach leadership style is best suited to certain workplace characteristics. The task-oriented style of leadership will yield good results when careful management of resources -- such as financial, systems or personnel resources -- is required in addition to strict safety standards or quality output. For example, task leadership is essential in blue collar factory work where high, consistent output and safety procedures are paramount. In an academic or research environment with learned professionals, however, staff is likely to prefer a more collaborative, participative leadership style and may be more likely to resist attempts at overt control when faced with a task-oriented leader.
Source Smallbusiness.
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