There are several leadership styles available to leaders to choose from. Successful and effective leaders are those who are able to realize which style needs to be adopted in which situation. In the article chosen about Giant’s head coach Tom Coughlin illustrates this. Coughlin’s inability to mould his behavior according to the team’s requirements was limiting players to show their best performance.
Rigid and authoritarian attitude of leaders de-motivates followers, since; they are bound by too many rules and regulations. Similarly, players of the Giant’s were not pumped about the game which restricted their ability to win the Super Bowl. As soon as, Coughlin realized that his leadership style was causing more harm than benefit he altered his style. This is a sign of an effective and successful leader. (Leadership Lesson from Super Bowl)
It is important for leaders to demonstrate high levels of relationship behavior as compared to task behavior. Relationship behavior ensured that Coughlin had an interactive relation with the players and he listened to player’s demands and complaints. Adding on, this created a trusting relationship between the two parties. It is essential for followers, in this case; the players, to trust the person in charge- the coach. As soon as the players trusted Coughlin their performances improved and the end result was a victory in Super Bowl.
Leaders cannot illustrate just relationship or task behavior and there should be a moderate balance between the two. The latter involves goal-setting, organizing, directing, and controlling. In this case, Coughlin would set a game strategy and explain it to the players. The game strategy cannot be set without the leader taking an initiative himself. Therefore, it can be said that leadership style needs to be adopted depending upon the situation.
References
6 Leadership Styles, And When You Should Use Them | Fast Company | Business + Innovation. (n.d.). Fast Company. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them
Leadership Lessons from Super Bowl XLII. (n.d.). Leadership Lessons from Super Bowl XLII. Retrieved February 4, 2014, from http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/Leadership-Lessons-from-Super-Bowl-XLII.aspx
