What is Behavioral Leadership? Definition and Types

Every business or company regardless of its size or sector, needs solid leadership to thrive.

But when it comes to leading, there’s a lot of thinking on what makes leadership effective, which type is the best, and how it impacts a workplace.

An effective leadership is more about understanding and guiding than only command, control, and getting the job done.
 
And this is exactly what behavioral leadership does. It gets to the heart of what makes your team tick.

That’s why behavioral leadership stands out as a transformative approach that focuses on understanding and influencing the behavior of individuals and teams to achieve organizational goals.

This method of leadership is less about giving orders or setting expectations and more about nurturing a deep understanding of the emotional intelligence, communication skills, and interpersonal dynamics that drive effective leadership and help an organization thrive.

In this article, we will give you insights and strategies for mastering behavioral leadership to foster everlasting employee engagement in your organization.

What is behavioral leadership?

Behavioral leadership is a style of leadership that focuses on understanding and influencing the behaviors of individuals and groups within an organization.

It tells leaders to be aware of how they behave and to understand how it impacts their team's productivity and mood. It encourages them to follow certain behaviors for the betterment of the workplace.

Unlike traditional leadership models that might emphasize hierarchical authority or task completion, behavioral leadership centers on the psychological, behavioral, and social aspects of leading people.

Behavioral leadership believes that successful leaders aren't just born that way; they develop through learning and practice. In this approach, the focus is on what leaders do, and it suggests that the best way to predict if someone will be a successful leader is by observing their actions.

In other words, behavioral leadership is more of a people-leadership. What does it mean?

For example: A task-oriented leader will check the process to see if anything in the workflow needs changing. But a people-oriented leader will go directly to the individuals, asking them what's wrong.

As a result, behavioral leadership enhances employee motivation, improves communication, solidifies teamwork, and resolves conflicts in modern management practices.

Following are the key principles of behavioral leadership

1. Emotional Intelligence: The ability to identify, analyze, and control one's own emotions as well as to affect those of others.

2. Empathy: The capacity to put oneself in others' shoes, understanding their feelings and perspectives.

3. Communication: Clear, honest, and effective communication are the core pillars for building trust and guiding teams.

4. Adaptability: One's ability to change their strategy depending on the circumstances and the people engaged.

Understanding human behavior

Behavioral leadership is based on human behaviors so firstly it is necessary to understand the theories and concepts that explain human behavior.

Here are some foundational theories that provide insights into what motivates and drives people.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.

From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are:

1. Physiological needs: Basic needs such as food, water, and shelter.
2. Safety needs: Security and protection from harm.
3. Love and belonging needs: Social relationships and affection.
4. Esteem needs: Self-esteem, recognition, and respect from others.
5. Self-Actualization needs: The realization of personal potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory

Herzberg's two-factor theory, also known as the motivation-hygiene theory, posits that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors causes dissatisfaction.

According to Herzberg, the factors leading to job satisfaction (motivators) are:

• Achievement
• Recognition
• The work itself
• Responsibility
• Advancement

Conversely, factors leading to dissatisfaction (hygiene factors) include:

• Company policies
• Supervision
• Salary
• Interpersonal relations
• Working conditions

Vroom's Expectancy Theory

Vroom's expectancy theory asserts that individuals are motivated to act in a certain way based on the expected outcome. The theory is based on three key components:

1. Expectancy: The belief that increased effort will lead to increased performance.
2. Instrumentality: The belief that if one meets performance expectations, they will receive a desired reward.
3. Valence: The value an individual places on the rewards of an outcome.

Understanding these theories helps leaders to create strategies that effectively motivate and engage their teams. For example:

• Using Maslow's Hierarchy: Leaders can ensure that basic needs are met and create opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment.
• Applying Herzberg's Theory: Leaders can focus on enhancing motivators while ensuring that hygiene factors do not cause dissatisfaction.
• Leveraging Vroom's Theory: Leaders can clarify the link between effort, performance, and rewards to motivate their teams.
  
  

Types of behavioral leadership

Behavioral leadership includes a lot of different styles, and each one has its own traits and ways of being used at work. Let us take a closer look at these styles:

1. Transformational leadership

Transformational leaders find ways to encourage and drive their teams by creating an engaging vision and encouraging a culture of growth and new ideas together. They show others how to do things right and give their people the tools they need to do their best.

Transformational leadership can be hard to use in places where people don't like change or where systems are rigid. Leaders also need to be able to communicate well and understand how people feel.

A great example is Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc., who was known for leading his team with vision and creativity, which led to the creation of new goods and the complete transformation of entire industries.

2. Servant leadership

Servant leaders put the needs of their team members ahead of their own, focused on helping others instead of being in charge.

Servant leadership helps groups build trust, loyalty, and teamwork. It motivates people to talk to each other honestly, care about others, and work for the better good.

In situations where quick decisions need to be made or strong guidance is needed, servant leadership may be seen as weak or useless. It also takes leaders to find a balance between helping others and reaching the goals of the company.

Howard Schultz, who was the CEO of Starbucks, showed servant leadership by putting the health and happiness of his workers first and making the company's culture one of acceptance and respect.

3. Democratic leadership

Democratic leaders include team members in the decision-making process and ask for their opinions and input to encourage teamwork and ownership. They care about openness, fairness, and getting their teams to agree on things.

Democratic leadership makes team members feel like they own their work and are committed to it, which leads to more job happiness and new ideas.

Democratic leadership can take a long time and not work well when decisions need to be made quickly or leaders need to give strong instructions.

For example, Meg Whitman, who used to be CEO of eBay, used democratic leadership by letting workers have a say in big decisions and encouraging open communication and teamwork.

4. Situational leadership

These leaders change how they lead based on the current scenario, the needs and skills of their team, and their own personal style. They look at how ready and developed their fans are and change how they work with them based on that information.

Situational leadership follows an adaptable, quick, and sensitive approach to handle a wide range of problems and chances with ease.

Leaders may need to have a lot of emotional intelligence and social knowledge to use situational leadership. It can be hard to use the same method with different teams and in different conditions.

Situational leadership was shown by Indra Nooyi, who was the past CEO of PepsiCo. She changed how she led based on the needs and skills of her team members and how the market was changing.

The role of behavioral leadership in the workplace

Behavioral leadership is an important tool for modern leaders who want to motivate and engage their teams. HR professionals, business leaders, and key decision-makers of people in an organization can create a more motivated, cohesive, and high-performing workforce by understanding and using the principles of behavioral leadership.

Making the workplace positive and putting the health and happiness of employees first, has a major impact on their engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

According to Gallup, the trifecta of an effective leadership is:

• Lead and support change
• Communicate clearly
• Inspire confidence in the future

When all 3 are strong, 95% of employees trust their leaders, and as a result the organization thrives. This is the true power of behavioral leadership.

Behavioral leadership principles make the workplace a place where both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators can be met, leading to happy and engaged workers. The workforce is more engaged when this is done along with clear communication and having goals.

Leaders can tailor their approach and create a work setting that encourages intrinsic motivation by learning about their employees' needs and what drives them.

Clear communication, feedback, and help also give workers the tools they need to do their best.

Behavioral leaders are great at handling differences in a constructive way, which helps them resolve conflicts and bring about change.

By showing empathy and actively listening, they can figure out why people are arguing and help find answers. Similarly, their ability to shift helps them lead teams through change in a way that causes the least amount of trouble and increases buy-in.

How to develop behavioral leadership skills

Developing behavioral leadership skills and competencies is compulsory if you want to effectively manage your workforce and foster a positive work environment.

Following are some practical strategies and tips for developing key behavioral leadership skills, such as emotional intelligence, active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution.

1. Build positive relationships

Successful teams are built on strong and positive relationships. Build trust and foster open communication by being upfront, sincere, and likable.

Create a secure environment for criticism and actively listen to others to promote open conversation.

Handle disputes quickly and fairly. To comprehend other viewpoints and come up with win-win solutions, engage in active listening and empathy exercises.

Take the time to get to know the individuals on your team and learn about their goals and skills. This fosters a feeling of kinship and acceptance.

2. Build emotional intelligence skills

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the foundation for effective communication and fostering meaningful relationships. It consists of four main components:

a) Self-awareness: It is the understanding of one's own emotions, triggers, and strengths.

b) Self-regulation: A proper control of your emotions and reactions.

c) Social awareness: The ability to perceive other people's emotions and understand social dynamics.

d) Relationship management: It involves creating strong, good relationships with people.

Developing EI abilities requires practice. Here are a few tips:

1) Mindfulness exercises: Regularly practice mindfulness techniques such as meditation to improve self-awareness and emotional regulation.

2) Seek feedback: Consult trustworthy coworkers about your communication style and emotional intelligence.

3) Observe and learn: Pay attention to how emotionally intelligent leaders behave and apply these principles to your own leadership style.

3. Motivate and inspire teams

Motivating teams requires understanding what drives them. Consider various motivational theories:

• Goal setting: Set goals that are attainable, unambiguous, and in line with the desires of the team and the person.
• Recognition and rewards: Acknowledge and celebrate achievements, both big and small. This reinforces desired behaviors and motivates further success.
• Supportive environment: Create a work environment that fosters learning and growth. Provide opportunities for professional development and ensure access to necessary resources.

Bonus Tip: Have an optimistic attitude and find solutions when faced with difficulties. Maintain a positive attitude by acknowledging minor victories and accomplishments.

4: Lead by example

Walk the talk! What you do and how you act greatly impact your team. This is why setting a good example is important:

 Stay true to who you are and what you believe in. Honesty builds faith and encourages others to do the same.

Maintain high moral standards. Your team will work harder and be more engaged if they trust you and the company's ideals.

5. Continuous learning and development

Adopt a growth attitude and make learning a top priority.

Ask for feedback from peers, superiors, and even people on your own team.

Reflect on experiences by thinking about your leadership experiences, both the good and the bad, on a regular basis. Find places where things could be better and come up with ways to fix them.

Find ways to invest in yourself and your career. Join workshops, training programs, and coaching or mentorship opportunities.

The role of mentoring in behavioral leadership

Developing behavioral leadership abilities and promoting a culture of leadership excellence inside companies and organizations can accomplished effectively with mentoring. 

Mentoring supports behavioral leadership by providing individuals with guidance, support, and feedback on their actions and behaviors.

Here is how mentoring contributes to behavioral leadership and how Together can help:

1. Skill development

Mentoring programs give mentees chances to grow from seasoned mentors who exhibit successful behavioral leadership skills.

As mentees hone abilities including emotional intelligence, active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution, mentors offer direction, feedback, and support.

2. Behavioral modeling

Mentoring helps mentees see and replicate good behavioral leadership qualities modeled by their mentors.

Mentees can acquire different leadership styles by seeing personally how mentors negotiate difficult interpersonal dynamics, interact successfully, and motivate others.

3. Feedback and reflection

Mentoring relationships help mentees to be honest in their comments and reflections, therefore enabling them to acquire an understanding of their strengths, areas of development, and blind spots in their behavioral leadership style.

Mentors assist their students find ways to improve the efficacy of their leadership by offering constructive comments.

4. Accountability and goal setting

Together help mentors and mentees to create objectives, measure development, and plan check-in sessions to evaluate performance and handle issues.

Establishing responsibility systems helps mentees take charge of their own growth and aggressively pursue their leadership objectives.

5. Networking and support

Together, networking and support tools enable mentees to interact with peers, mentors, and other corporate leaders.

This gives mentees more sources of support and direction, access to many points of view and experiences, and helps them to grow.

6. Program administration

Together’s automation of operations like participant registration, mentor-mentee matching, scheduling, and communication helps to expedite mentoring program management.

This saves time and money for program managers to concentrate on program development and participant support.

7. Data analytics and insights

Together offer data analytics and reporting capabilities so program managers may monitor important indicators such as program results, satisfaction levels, and participation rates.

These realizations guide decisions, assess program success, and point out areas needing work.

Through the use of Together, organizations can improve the efficacy and influence of their mentoring initiatives, therefore fostering good behavioral leadership qualities, employee growth, engagement, and organizational success.

Conclusion

For HR professionals, organizational leaders, key decision makers, managers, and team leaders, hoping to motivate and involve their staff successfully, behavioral leadership is a potent tool. 

Understanding the ideas and applying the concepts of behavioral leadership can help produce a more motivated, unified, and engaged workforce.

Overcoming the difficulties of managing varied teams, handling behavioral problems, and promoting organizational performance depends on combining emotional intelligence, good communication, and a strong awareness of human behavior.

This is where Together’s mentorship programs and tools enable your company to cultivate strong behavioral leadership abilities and transform your workforce.

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