Path Goal Styles Path-Goal Theory

Path Goal Styles Path-goal theory essentially says that a leader can affect the performance, satisfaction, and motivation of a group by: offering rewards for successfully achieving goals, clarifying the paths to work towards these goals, and by removing any kinds of obstacles that get in the way of performance (Value-Based Management 2011). There are specific types of leadership styles with the broad definition of path-goal leadership.

One example is the supportive leadership which tries to consider the wants and needs of the subordinate, by showing concern for the person's happiness and welfare and work and by also creating an environment that is nice to work in. A supportive leader will work to enhance the subordinates' self-esteem and make the job more challenging and overall more interesting (Changing Minds 2011).

A second leadership style under the umbrella of path-goal leadership is directive leadership, which basically is where the leader tells the subordinate what needs to be done and then gives supportive throughout the process. This way can be used via giving the employee a schedule or deadlines. There may also be rewards in this more directive type of leadership. Ambiguity is oftentimes decreased in this type of leadership; the subordinate should always know what their tasks involve (2011).

The third type of leadership under path-goal leadership is the participative style of leadership. The participative leader will help her employees solve problems and push them to be creative and think outside the box in order to successfully meet goals. A fourth, and final, type of leadership that is under the definition of path-goal leadership is achievement-oriented leadership. A achievement-oriented leader will expect high standards of work. The leader will show faith in the abilities of the subordinate in order to help him or her achieve their goals.

This approach is often very helpful when a job is quite difficult (2011). A leader may definitely exhibit more than one style of leadership. There are so many types of leadership just as there are definitions for leadership. Leadership, as a word, is along the same lines as words like democracy or peace (Northouse 2006) because everyone knows intuitively what these words mean, but they often mean different things for different people. Because of this, it would be hard for leaders to prudently stick to one definition of leadership.

A leader may show participative leadership qualities as well as path-goal qualities or even autocratic and path-goal styles. It all depends upon the particular leader. As a human resource manager, I would choose the supportive leadership style of path-goal theory because, for me personally, it seem likes a very constructive way to go about setting goals and making sure that the tasks needed to get those goals done actually get done.

Once goals are set, there are very specific routes that can be taken to achieve the goals and I firmly believe that when there is a path -- or what is a map, essentially -- the journey to that goal becomes that much easier. Really, path-goal theory is about finding the way, creating a plan that has the success of the goal in mind constantly. Throughout this process supportive leadership is needed and I believe that supportive leadership is something that I do naturally.

I am friendly and open and I like to hear about the obstacles that individuals feel stand in their way of reaching their goals. I feel that I am supportive and a good problem-solver at the same time. Having a supportive and, overall, nice place to work is so important to getting the results that leaders want. That being said, the achievement-oriented approach to path-goal leadership is a good style to blend with supportive leadership because it challenges subordinates to work to their highest potential.

In combination with a supportive work environment, achievement-oriented leadership can help create the highest standard of excellence (Northouse 2009). Path-goal theory is all about helping subordination along the path to their goals (Northouse 2009). The leader can help the individuals find behaviors that can specifically help them reach their goals. When the leaders are able to choose these behaviors correctly, then.