Style approach

There are various characteristics and styles of leadership; the emphasis of the style approach is the focus on the actions and behavioral characteristics of the leader. There are two behaviors of the style approach that researchers have observed, task behaviors and relationship behaviors (Northouse, 2013). People who are in roles of leadership should acquire both behaviors to be successful in their position and maintain motivation and the quest for achievement in their subordinates. Task behaviors are those traits that keep others motivated to work to complete objectives. Relationship behaviors are characteristics and actions that leaders possess that make others feel respected, understood and want to work towards a common goal. Unlike other approaches to leadership, such as the trait approach, the style approach looks at a leader’s behaviors and actions. Balancing these two behaviors is the key to being an effective leader (Northouse, 2013)

In case number 4.2 Susan Parks is a determined and diligent leader at Marathon Sports. Marathon Sports is an athletic equipment store that specializes in running shoes and accessories. She manages ten employees that are college students and work part time during the week and full time on the weekends. Marathon Sports has a huge opportunity for great growth with the store being located in a college town with a population of 125,000. According the case the store is estimated to have a fifteen percent growth each year. Susan Parks seems to have the perfect situation for a great team to be successful.

Susan Parks works long hours and she performs several different jobs from sales, buyer, planner and manager. She is constantly working and never seems to take a break. The rumor is that she eats her lunch standing up. It seems that Susan Parks has all the right attributes in performance and meeting a task but she does not seem to fully posses the relationship approach to leadership. Her employees have a mixed reaction to her