Task-Oriented and People-Oriented Leadership - Essay Example

People-oriented leadership is quite different from task-oriented leadership, involving a focus on the interpersonal relationship development between leader and subordinates. There is an emphasis on team-building and facilitating an open system of communications in order to motivate employees. People-oriented leadership works to create positive psychological or sociological connections with employees, a type of transformational leadership, with much more human resources-based policies and practices designed to gain commitment and ensure that there is no resistance to change.

            Having defined both task-oriented and people-oriented leadership styles, there are several circumstances where each would be applicable. Task-oriented leadership would be most relevant within an organization where there are strict quality standards and performance expectations. For instance, Toyota, a leader in quality, would be concerned with compliance with specific rules and regulations associated with production and achievement of quality outputs. A task-oriented

the leader would develop rigorous schedules in order to produce quality results. In this type of production environment, there would be established important quality expectations that are expected to be met, creating a system of rewards or punishments for failing to produce quality products along with the production system. The task-oriented leader at a company such as Toyota would have strict deadlines in place to ensure timely delivery of quality products and then working to monitor and evaluate whether the employees have met with delivery and performance expectations.

            A people-oriented leader would be relevant within an organization where service delivery is highly important for ensuring business profitability. This people-oriented leader would begin emphasizing training importance and working as a coach to help individuals in the organization become self-actualized, the achievement of their maximum potential. It is about building a positive organizational culture where the focus is placed on building self-confidence, better inter-organizational relationships, and where social belonging is an important part of building a team necessary to carry out positive customer service models. To develop this type of culture, the manager must be visible throughout the organization, role model positive behaviors related to service delivery, and open effective and regular lines of communication for shared decision-making (Fairholm 26).

            Task-oriented leadership is also found outside of the workplace, such as in academics when students are granted opportunities to coordinate and lead a team of study or in special academic projects. Many universities establish strict deadlines by which a team is expected to return a positive end result after collaborating with one another. A task-oriented leader would develop specific job roles required to achieve a group project, such as delegating research efforts, conducting market research, and the actual writing of the project to different members. It would then become a step-by-step process with clearly defined roles and then establishing a system by which to monitor and control activities to ensure maximum productivity.

            People-oriented leadership is also relevant outside of the workplace and an appropriate example of this would be when working as a grief counselor at the local charity. Individual staff members operating in this environment must have empathic attitudes and compassion towards those that they service, thereby requiring skills and knowledge necessary to assist others. A people-oriented leader in this environment would work on coaching individuals to ensure that they maintain the qualities required for a humanistic model of service, such as sympathy. This people-oriented leader would consider how to facilitate better team-working between peers, perhaps using a role-play situation so that individuals can, proverbially, step out of their own shoes and experience the emotions of others. Roleplay tends to engage an individual with learning content and increases interest in the study matter (Poorman 33). This leader would point out strengths and weaknesses with individuals operating in the service team, helping them to develop better interpersonal skills so that the grief services make maximum impact on those who require understanding and social belonging from the service personnel. Authentic and well-developed relationships can only happen over time, starting with a series of reciprocal acts that lead to trust (Starnes, Truchon, and McCarthy 5). Therefore, a people-oriented leader never deviates from attempting to build solid relationships, a type of giving and take relationship that builds confidence in members of the organization through dedicated HR-based strategies and practices.

            In my personal life, task-oriented leadership has been present when trying to coordinate sporting events. It is necessary to have a clear set of tasks for the individual players, illustrating how their individual actions will lead to positive team results. Specific objectives for each player during a game are clearly highlighted (such as when the football coach draws its play strategies) so that the entire team works as a single unit for productive outcomes.

            People-oriented leadership, in personal life, has also been present in the family structure, providing assistance and support for those who are struggling with complicated emotions. For instance, when a family member desires to get a new job with much better pay, coming together as a family unit to assist in rehearsing possible questions asked during an interview shows legitimate support for their needs. It will also identify weaknesses in conversation and strategy, helping the person to become self-confident for when the actual interview occurs. Illustrating to family members that their emotions and needs are important and then creating coaching steps to help them achieve is only one personal example of this effective type of leadership.  This is a prime example of where people-oriented leadership can be implemented outside of the workplace for better relationship development and personal growth.