Free Newsletter
Stay Informed and Grow your Leadership!

Enter Your E-mail Address
Enter Your First Name (optional)
Then

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Leadership-central.com NewsLetter.

Managerial Grid Model - Also known as Leadership Grid

Technical Details

Name: Managerial Grid Model, also known as Leadership Grid
Author: Dr. Robert R. Blake, Dr. Jane Srygley Mouton.
Classification: Behavioural Leadership Model
Year: 1964

Pro's

  • Measures your performance
  • Highly used in today's organizations
  • Allows for self analysis of leadership style

Con's

  • Minimal empirical data to support its effectiveness
  • Doesn't take internal or external variables into consideration
  • Doesn't take the work environment into consideration
  • Flawed Self-assessment

Overview

At conception, the managerial grid model was composed of five different leadership styles. These styles were a relation between a manager's concern for people, concern for production and his motivation. The motivation dimension really provides the underlying motive of the leader behind a successful leadership style. Thus the managerial grid model categorizes leaders into one of 81 possible categories. Later, two additional leadership styles were added as well as the element of resilience.

Leadership / Management Grid Leadership / Management Grid

Leadership Styles Associated with Managerial Grid

The Indifferent or Impoverished (1,1)

These leaders have minimal concern for people and production. Their priority is to fly under the radar while they content to seek solutions that won't bring any negative focus to themselves or their department. Preserving their employment, position as well as their seniority is what drives their elusive and evading behaviors. In short, the indifferent leaders are ineffective and are sorely lacking in any of the traits that can be attributed to successful and effective leaders.

Impact on employees:

  • Employees have a high degree of dissatisfaction
  • No harmony within the group
  • High turn over

Impact on organization:

  • Inefficient operation

The Country Club or Accommodating (1, 9)

These leaders will go above and beyond to ensure that the needs and desires of his employees are met. These leaders are making the assumption that their staff will yield maximum results as they are likely to be self-motivated when they are lead in such environment. These leaders will have behaviours that will yield and comply with the needs of their staff. The productivity of the group however, can suffer from the lack of attention on tasks.

Impact on employees:

  • Employees are Happy
  • Good team harmony

Impact on organization:

  • Low productivity

The Status Quo or Middle-of-the-Road (5, 5)

These leaders balance out the needs of their staff with those of the organization, while not adequately achieving either. These leaders will balance and compromise their decisions, often endorsing the most popular one. They dedicate minimal efforts towards facilitating the achievements of their staff or the production results in average or below average levels.

Impact on employees:

  • Employees are not really discontent nor are they happy
  • Good harmony within the group

Impact on organization:

  • Average performance

The Dictatorial or Produce, Perish or Control (9, 1) Similar to autocratic leader

These leaders focus all of their attention to production-related matters and very little towards the needs of their employees. These leaders will direct and dominate while holding the belief that efficiency gains can only be achieved through rigid disciplines especially those that don't require human interaction. Employees are considered expendable resources. Productivity is usually short lived as high employee attrition is unavoidable. The dictatorial style is inspired by the McGregor X theory.

Impact on employees:

  • Employees experience a high level of dissatisfaction
  • High level of conflict within the group

Impact on organization:

  • High employee turnover
  • Peak performance is short lived

The Sound or Team (9, 9)

According to Dr. Robert R. Blake and Dr. Jane Srygley Mouton (and I agree), the sound leader is the most effective leadership style. These leaders will contribute and are committed, can motivate and are motivated while holding the belief that trust, respect, commitment and employee empowerment are essential for fostering a team environment where team members are motivated, thus resulting in maximum employee satisfaction as well as the most efficient productivity. This sound leadership style is also inspired by the McGregor Y theory.

Impact on employees:

  • Employees are forming a highly cohesive team
  • Employees are satisfied
  • Employees are motivated and work as a team

Impact on organization:

  • Low employee turnover
  • Attracts highly skills employees
  • Efficient organization
Later additions:

The Opportunistic Style or OPP (Any of the 5 Positions)

These leaders, as the name suggests will seek any situation that will be of benefit to themselves. They will adopt any style that will increase the likelihood of reaching their objective. They will exploit and manipulate in order to persuade others. Any means is acceptable for securing personal benefits; gaining support is only a secondary concern. These leaders are a prime example of "The end justifies the means."

The Paternalistic Style or PAT: Migrates from (1, 9) tor (9, 1)

These leaders will guide their employees and define initiatives for others and themselves. They will praise and reward employees for good performance. They will, however, discourage any thinking that is contrary to their own.

7 Key Behaviors Associated with the Managerial Grid Model

BEHAVIOR DESCRIPTION
Initiative Being at the forefront of action.
Inquiry Seeking and testing information's to further one's own understanding.
Advocacy Communicating your opinions and ideas with convictions.
Decision Making Identifying possible options and consequences and acting on one.
Conflict Resolution Confronting disagreements and reaching a resolution.
Critique Using previous experience to anticipate how behaviors have an effect on actions.
Resilience Understanding how problems influence the ability to move forward.

Want to expand on the discussion?

We encourage you to expand on the discussion, add to the critique or even share your vision with regards to the future applications of the theory.

Other Visitors thoughts

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

I like the Sound of Team way of managing  
I like the Sound of Team way of managing a business; It works well for everyone involved. I never have liked a job where there is a high turnover of employees. …

leadership grid Not rated yet
according to leadership grid, country club management is denoted by what characteristics?

Click here to write your own.


New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.


Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism Check



Stay Informed!!
Get our Newsletter.

Email

Name

Then

Your e-mail address is totally secure.
See our Privacy Policy