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Leadership Theory : The Ohio State University Essay

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Although trait and skill theories have ideas that can be intertwined and can be compared

to one another, style leadership theory differs quite drastically. Instead of focusing on who the

leader is, if there is some type of genetic makeup to leaders, or whether skills can be learned,

style leadership focuses on what those leaders do, not who they are. Style theory refers to three

main theories or styles of leadership. These theories are known as the Ohio State University

studies, the Michigan University studies, and the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid.

In 1945, a group of researchers at Ohio State University sought to identify the observable

behaviors of leaders instead of focusing of their individual traits. To document their findings,

they generated a list of 150 statements designed to measure nine different dimensions of

leadership behavior. These statements were used to develop the Leaders ' Behavior Description

Questionnaire (LBDQ). The surveys were then given to members of a group, who were asked to

respond to a series of statements about the leader of their group. Respondents of the LBDQ-rated

leaders on how frequently they engaged in a certain behavior. The results of the survey

showed that two main behaviors, consideration and initiating structure. Consideration is how the leader shows concern for members of the group. These leaders treated everyone as his/her equal and were friendly and approachable. Initiation structure means the leader

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