I personally took it upon myself to research this leadership topic on my own. I've always been interested in the behaviors of others and ways to categorize them. This also holds true to leadership.

The performance aid I created highlights this topic, but the key purpose of the behavioral approach to leadership is to describe how leaders utilize both task behaviors (in layman's terms, "doing") and relationship behaviors (simply put, "connecting") to influence followers and to achieve common goals (Northhouse, 2022).

A very practical approach I found highly interesting was the use of Blake & Mouton's Leadership Grid, which is described in the performance aid. For me, obtaining a team leadership style is the most desired but also the most difficult to achieve because it involves a high level of energy to promote both goal accomplishment and interpersonal relationships (Northhouse, 2022).

An important point to remember is that different teams or groups will require a different style of leadership when applying this tool. For example, I think construction workers may benefit more from an authority-compliance approach to leadership because the focal point is on finishing the job, whether that be building a house or constructing a skyscraper.

Take a look at the different leadership styles and see which one you can identify yourself and others with!