Discussion question analysis and response frameworks

Team and Tension

The major components of House's Path-Goal Theory are directive leaderships, supportive leadership, participative leadership, and achievement-oriented leadership. Each leadership style has its own unique attributes which correlate directly to an individual's personality traits. For instance, directive leaders tend to have a more authoritarian approach to leadership. They tend to establish working hierarchies of relationships and reporting structures. Directive leaders also tend to operate as a single leader with sole responsibility over a limited amount of resources. As such directive leaders are particularly effective in routine and repetitive environments that adhere to strict requirements. Manufacturing and retail management positions tend to be very effective positions for directive leaders. Directive leaders give subordinates instructions about their task, how it is to be performed, and the time frame in which it needs to be completed. There is often very little freedom in regards to how the task should be accomplished. Instead, there are often predetermined metrics and attributes which govern the particular job. For instance, in a fast food establishment, how long does it take for a drive through order to be completed? In many instances, the directive leader would set clear guidelines as to what constitutes an effective delivery time and what does not. In addition, a directive leader sets clear standards of performance and offers clarity on the rules and regulations. Supportive leaders are in many instances a direct opposite of a directive leader. They are friendly and approachable, attend to the well-being of subordinates, make work pleasant, and treat subordinates as equals. Supportive leaders are often present in industries which require large amounts of intellectual capital and are not routine in nature. Participative leaders invite subordinates to share decision-making, consult with them, obtain their ideas and opinions, and integrate their suggestions into the decision-making process. Achievement-oriented leaders challenge employees to perform at their highest level, seek continuous improvement, and express a high degree of confidence that subordinates are capable of establishing and accomplishing challenging goals.

My preferred Path-Goal Leadership style is Directive. I tend to be relationship motivated as indicated by my high LPC score. According to the model I am also effective in moderately favorable situations. My Path-Goal Leadership style, I believe, is complimentary to Fiedler's LPC Measure result. According to the model, directive leadership behavior of subordinate characteristics is being dogmatic, authoritarian, and ambiguous. These concepts are direct fits with Fiedler's prescription of my personal leadership effectiveness. As such, I would thrive in work environments characterized by clear ideals of authority and responsibility. I would also be effective in environments which allow me to use my position power to elicit and direct action. Task will be clear, along with methods in which to achieve them.

Creative tension and emotional tension are often at odds with one another. Tension itself, is a needed element within the overall group dynamic. Tension however, when used inappropriately can often hinder group collaboration, synergy, and cohesion. As such, the clear delineation between creative tension and emotional tension is paramount to the overall vision of fosters a team vision. The group can first create creative tension when they clearly articulate their own vision and current reality. The group must then, in an honest fashion, make the gap between their vision current reality become clear and apparent. This appraisal is important as the group must clearly enumerate the differences between their objectives, and the group's current state of affairs. This method will ultimately create an emotional tension that seeks to be resolved. Fritz created this a tension-resolution system in the text. He even goes as far as to give the reader an example of stretching a rubber band. Fritz explains, as you stretch the rubber band, it creates tension. The tendency of the rubber band, therefore, is to pull back to resolve the tension in the system. Creative tension however can be a double edged sword. On one end, it can inspire individuals. However on the other end, it could motivate the team to act with urgency to reduce the overall tension in a quick manner. A problem that could occur however is that the team will relieve creative tension by lowering its collective vision thus reducing the gap between their vision and their reality. This successfully reduces the tension, but it also reduces the groups overall motivation and creativity to make the teams vision a reality. As a directive leader, I would first want to address this problem in an urgent fashion. The team should recognize that although there is a time constraint, they should not feel pressured to arrive at a solution that undermines the groups overall ability to innovate.

Taking my personal leadership style into account, I would first want to the group to understand the overall objective that it is charge with. By understanding the end result, it will be easier to establish a shared vision on how to accomplish it. An open forum in which all stakeholders can effectively communicate is an ideal method in which to accomplish this task. Allowing everyone to have ample time to delineate their view in a collaborative fashion is critical for group by in. I would rely heavily on creative tension as to help spur new and innovative visions which inspire the entire team. This is particularly helpful as a directive leader, often lacks creative innovation in regards to accomplishing tasks. Directive leaders do not rely heavily on ambiguity although it is apart of their work environment. Instead, many directive leaders tend to rely on others in regards to the overall creative aspects of a group. The same would apply in this instance as well. Through the use of dialogue, the group can better arrive at a solution that aligns the team while empowering individuals to perform at a high level. My role, after the solution has been garnered is to use my leadership style to achieve the desired results.