Leadership Impact on Behaviors: Example, Guidance, Support

Leadership Influence on Behaviors: Setting a Positive Example, Providing Guidance, and Support

Leadership has a profound impact on employee behavior within an organizational context. The psychology of leadership is a multifaceted field that significantly influences employee behavior through various leadership styles, emotional intelligence, trust, communication, motivation, role modeling, decision-making, conflict resolution, feedback, and recognition. This article delves into the subtopics of setting a positive example, providing guidance, and support, and how these aspects influence employee behavior.

Setting a Positive Example

Leaders serve as role models for their teams. Employees often mimic the behavior and values of their leaders. When leaders demonstrate integrity, work ethic, and dedication, employees are more likely to exhibit similar behaviors. Conversely, leaders who display negative behaviors can inadvertently encourage their employees to do the same. Leading by example is a vital dimension of empowering leadership, which can significantly improve subordinates' attitudes and behavior toward work or job. In the context of China, the exemplary leadership of business leaders is a highly valued means of management and motivation.

Providing Guidance

Effective communication is a cornerstone of leadership. Leaders who communicate clearly, actively listen, and provide constructive feedback can enhance employee understanding and motivation. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, and reduced productivity. Leaders play a pivotal role in setting goals and motivating employees to achieve them. Goal setting theory suggests that well-defined, challenging goals can motivate individuals to perform at their best.

Providing Support

Leaders with high emotional intelligence can understand and manage their own emotions and those of their team members. They can empathize with employees, leading to better communication and conflict resolution. Empowering leadership has a positive impact on psychological ownership, which can be seen as a vital dimension of leading by example. Empowering leadership can significantly improve subordinates' attitudes and behavior toward work or job, and it can help employees acquire a sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and self-identity in the organization and work.

Leadership empowering behavior was first proposed by Konczak et al. (2000) as a series of management behaviors adopted by leaders to empower employees. Leadership empowering behavior is a type of special leadership style that emphasizes the process of power sharing between a leader and employees, allowing employees to develop self-control and autonomy to stimulate their intrinsic motivation and work performance. The essence of leadership empowering behavior is a series of management behaviors to share information and rights with employees and promote psychological empowerment to provide employees with increased opportunities to participate in decision-making.

In conclusion, leadership has a significant impact on employee behavior through various aspects, including setting a positive example, providing guidance, and support. Effective leadership can foster a positive work environment that benefits both the organization and its employees.