The Path-Goal Theory And Effective Leadership

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Leadership is an important aspect for an individual to develop and master. Throughout history, leadership has evolved and has been defined in many ways. For instance, Ginsberg (2008) defines leadership as “motivating a group of people to achieve a common goal” (p. 315). Similarly, Northouse (2016) looks at leadership as more of a process that influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Depending on the individual, the definition of leadership can vary. For this paper, leadership will be viewed as a process for leaders to use to influence their followers to achieve a goal. It is critical that an individual assess their behaviors and actions to figure out how to be an effective leader. Therefore, based on the various Northouse …show more content…

Participative leadership behavior allows the follower to share their thoughts and ideas in the decision-making process (Northouse, 2016). I did not expect this score to be above average, due to the position that I have within the field of social work. As a leader within the management side of social work, there are state and federal regulations to follow and policies of affiliated agencies that must be adhered to. Most of these policies and regulations are based on funding and other supports for the agency, therefore it is important to comply. Thus, it does not allow my level of leadership to make such decisions about which policies or regulations are put in place. However, the followers’ ideas, concerns, and issues are heard so that I can present them to the highest level of management to ensure their input is received regarding the decisions made. Overall, I am the type of leader that can shift between behavior styles when needed based on the needs of the followers. Due to the high scores that I have received, I am confident that I am an effective leader within the path-goal …show more content…

Northouse (2016) describes this skill area as another self-regulatory behavior that is focused on exploring other individuals’ thoughts and opinions before making a decision. This ties into my lowest score within the path-goal theory with participative leadership behaviors. As a Manager, I do listen to followers and get their opinion but I can be more open to including them in the beginning stages of the change, therefore, they can feel more included in the process. Creating this atmosphere will allow for the followers to feel empowered, enable trust, and create more of a unified

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