Leadership, Task-Oriented

Task-Oriented versus Relations-Oriented Leadership

Task-oriented leadership is often discussed in connection with relations-oriented leadership. The distinction lies in the titles: task-oriented implies concentration on the task to be accomplished, while relations-oriented implies a concentration on the quality of relationships with others. Most effective are leaders who use both. Research on the effectiveness of task-oriented versus relations-oriented has not supported the superiority of either orientation.

Types of Leaders

Task-oriented leadership can be identified in selected types of leaders. For instance, with Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership model, a task-oriented leader would define the role of others, explain what to do and why, establish well-defined patterns of organization and channels of communication, and determine the ways to accomplish assignments.

Task-oriented leadership behavior has also been associated with performance leadership in connection with behavior that prompts and motivates the group's achievement of goals. The focus on task to strategic thinking means projecting patterns of collective behavior to the whole situation. It is also evident in the leader's interest in issues and methods and the system that can connect people and things to achieve objectives. Immediate supervision, combined with management as a whole, can foster a “culture of productivity”—a shared image of a highly productive work setting—in which supervisors, managers, and workers alike focus on the work being done and how to maintain successful operations.