Implications of behavioral styles

While trait theory assumes that great leaders are born, behavior theory argues that leaders can be made. Considering leadership development systems in professional, academic, military, and paramilitary settings, ample evidence supports the assumption that leader behaviors can be developed and improved (Day, Harrison, & Halpin, 2009). Behavior research has not generally supported assumptions that high concern for people affects performance. But, research has fostered the understanding that followers prefer structure over consideration when roles are poorly defined (Yukl, 2010).

A weakness of early behavior research is that it attempts to seek simple answers to complex problems. Addressing the issue of oversimplified explanations, Yukl proposes, “behaviors interact in complex ways… Complementary behaviors are woven together in a complex tapestry” (2010, p. 80). This means that understanding leadership takes more than isolating behaviors; it requires studying the interactions among the behaviors to identify a pattern of leadership behavior and understanding how those patterns interact with the traits, the environment, and the follower. This leads to the final point: although behavior researchers failed to identify the best style of leadership, their results help to support the case for the primary assertion of situational leadership theory: the most effective leadership behavior depends on the situation.

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