The Path-Goal Leadership Theory

Setting goals and measuring progress against them is an important tool in every successful leader’s toolkit. We also know that finding ways to keep yourself and those around you motivated is paramount in keeping mindsets in growth mode. But did you know that setting goals runs much deeper than a single directive?

It has been proven that when setting goals for subordinates, it is best for a leader to employ a situational approach in order to adapt their leadership style to meet the changing needs and development level of their followers. It is often times more beneficial for a leader to choose their behaviors and leadership style based on the characteristics of their followers and the work setting (Northouse, 2016, p.93).

The path-goal theory is a contingency theory that allows leaders to choose a leadership style that will motivate their followers to reach their goals and help them steer clear of any obstacles they may come across in the process (Pennsylvania State University, 2019).

I think it is safe to say that we have all worked with our fair share of those who lacked motivation. For those of us who lead, or one day hope to lead in the workplace, it is important to understand this theory because without motivation in subordinates, attaining personal and organizational goals becomes nearly impossible. Studying successful leaders such as Jack Welch gives us insight on just how a leader can enhance follower’s performance and follower satisfaction by focusing on follower motivation (Northouse, 2016, p. 115).

The first component of the path-goal theory is leader behaviors. Under this component we see “achievement-oriented leadership,” which characterizes a leader as one who challenges their followers to perform work at their highest level possible, and shows a tremendous amount of confidence in that their followers are capable to succeeding in any goal thrown at them (Northouse, 2016, p. 117).

The second component of the path-goal theory is follower characteristics. Subordinate characteristics such as need affiliation, preference for structure, desire for control, and self-perceived task ability, determine how followers interpret a leader’s behavior (Pennsylvania State University, 2019). One characteristic the great Jack Welch really strove to understand in his followers were their perceptions of their own abilities to perform a specific task. Being that Welch focused solely on developing his followers, when they reached a high level of competence, he was able to develop trust in them and get out of their way, allowing them to accomplish their job. This in turn boosted their motivation because they saw that their leader had trust in their work. As a leader following the path-goal theory, it is paramount that you take into consideration your followers characteristics so you can match your style accordingly in order to motivate them and help them reach their end goal without any obstacles.

The third component of the path-goal theory that impact how leaders motivate subordinates is by considering task characteristics. Some task characteristics include the design of the task, the authority system of the organization, and the primary work group of the subordinates. When Welch first joined GE, he saw that the authority system of the organization was very bureaucratic. He thought that this type of authority system “created waste, slowed down decision making, and made the company less competitive” (Singh, 2016). After examining this task characteristic of the organization, Welch simplified work as much as possible, made the workplace less formal, dropped unnecessary tasks, worked with colleagues to eliminate bureaucracy, and streamlined decision making (Singh, 2016). By examining these task characteristics, Welch was able to better understand why his followers were not motivated, and by simplifying these tasks and adapting his behaviors to change the authority system, he changed that motivation for the better. 

Reflecting on how great leaders like Jack Welch applied the path-goal theory to their leadership dynamic allows us to take these theories and apply them to become more effective leaders with more motivated followers. Studying the path-goal theory also shows us how different leadership behaviors affect the satisfaction and work behavior of followers which is also beneficial to us as current and future leaders because it goes to show just how important it is to first consider task and follower characteristics before implementing any new behaviors or styles of leadership (Pennsylvania State University, 2019). 

References

Francis, A. (2014). What is the leadership style of Jack Welch?

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-leadership-style-of-Jack-Welch

Gunawardana, G. (2015). Jack Welch- A Path Goal Leader.

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/72119/jack-welch-a-path-goal-leader

Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice.

Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Pennsylvania State University. (2019). Lesson 6: contingency and path theories. PSYCH485.

Source:  https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1972967/modules/items/25704897

Singh, R. (2016). The secrets of Jack Welch – the world’s leading entrepreneur.

Source: https://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/secrets-jack-welch-worlds-leading-intrapreneur