Leadership is a critical factor to success and one of the most effective and sought after leadership models is instrumental leadership. Instrumental leadership is a style that focuses on the tangible goals and results of a team or organization. It is an effective way to motivate, inspire, and guide members of the team to accomplish their desired objectives. As a leader in any organization, it is important to consider which type of leadership style is best suited to the team and the organization’s goals. Instrumental leadership is a style that can be used to achieve the desired results, while still allowing the members of the team to remain creative and take an active role in the process. This blog post will examine the many benefits of instrumental leadership and discuss how to effectively implement this style of leadership in order to maximize team performance. We will look at the skills, tools, and techniques used in instrumental leadership and explore how to develop these skills. Finally, we will discuss how to effectively measure the success of instrumental leadership and the results
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What are the benefits of instrumental leadership?
The instrumental leadership style can benefit a team or organization in a number of ways, including:
Increased productivity
In instrumental leadership, the leader assigns tasks and gives guidance on how to complete them. A leader who is instrumental minimizes intervention and trusts a team member to complete the task as directed. The team leader can come up with a solution or choose another team member who is better suited for the task if the individual is having trouble finishing it.
Clear communication
Instrumental leaders frequently communicate their expectations for their team in a direct and unambiguous manner. When assigning tasks, people typically include all the information required for completion, such as the deadline, the requirements, and the desired level of quality. Team members are aware to speak with the leader if they need more information. This ensures that accurate information is conveyed and that nothing is lost in the communication channel.
Faster decision-making
Since the leader is ultimately accountable for all decisions, instrumental leadership can also speed up the decision-making process. They apply their knowledge to assist their group or organization in overcoming obstacles. They keep in mind that they are aiming for task completion and goal achievement when they decide to ask for input from other members and decide how to implement recommendations, allowing them to remove factors that might conflict with these goals.
Employee improvement
Effective instrumental leaders regularly give their staff feedback, giving them insightful information that can help them get better. They keep track of employees’ performance, recording their strengths and areas for development. The employee then meets with the manager to go over these evaluations and performance-enhancing techniques. Building strong professional relationships with team members through feedback demonstrates the leader’s investment in them and desire to see them succeed.
What is an instrumental leader?
A leader who is instrumental is one who prioritizes completing tasks while also being conscious of the various factors that can have an impact on productivity. They’re goal-oriented individuals who anticipate that their team members will adhere to deadlines and perform to standards. They see feedback and communicating task requirements as communication’s two main purposes. When efficiency is crucial for a team’s urgent project, instrumental leadership can be effective. When this occurs, factors like managerial direction and group dynamics take a backseat to the team’s efforts to meet expectations. The traits of an instrumental leader may include:
How to become an instrumental leader
Follow these steps to become an effective instrumental leader:
1. Monitor the external and internal environments
The term “external environment” refers to elements outside of a group that may have an impact on its performance. Examples include socioeconomic variables or modifications to the supply chain. Making goals that are reasonable and developing a sound plan to achieve them require awareness of these factors.
It’s also critical to be aware of internal environment factors like group dynamics and team morale. Delegating tasks effectively and setting goals can be influenced by your team’s interactions and collaboration. You can use it to find any group weaknesses and fill in the gaps by taking appropriate action.
2. Set strategic goals
Strategic objectives are clear, quantifiable outcomes that you want your team or organization to achieve. Short-term and long-term strategic goals can be related to a variety of business aspects, including tasks, finances, customer relations, growth, or overall vision. Setting and communicating realistic goals that take into account both internal and external environmental factors is your goal as an instrumental leader, and you also want to make sure that your team can accomplish these goals. Consider the constraints placed on your team to establish a reasonable goal, for instance, if you want them to increase productivity by a certain percentage.
3. Identify strengths and areas in need of improvement
As an effective leader, you must motivate your team members to achieve their objectives and assess their level of achievement. To increase success, it’s critical to understand each person’s strengths and weaknesses so you can assign them tasks they can complete. Early on, evaluate their work and, if possible, establish personal improvement objectives. Once you have an idea of what each team member is capable of, try to assign tasks that will challenge them without being too demanding. This will increase engagement and motivation.
4. Provide actionable feedback
Feedback lets you interact more personally with team members and shows team members how well they’re accomplishing both individual and team goals. Be specific about the accomplishments and shortcomings of your team members when providing feedback. Give specific illustrations of each so that participants can gauge their level of contribution to the team’s or organization’s strategic goals. Additionally, when addressing areas for development, give the team member advice on how to close performance gaps.
Instrumental vs. expressive leadership
Expressive leadership, which emphasizes team relationships and members’ emotional well-being and how these things can support group success, can be thought of as the antithesis of instrumental leadership. These two leadership philosophies differ from one another in a number of ways. The major differences include:
Focus
Instrumental and expressive leaders focus on different areas of management. The focus of an instrumental leader is productivity. They want to make sure their team completes their assignments and adheres to the highest standards. Conversely, expressive leaders prioritize teamwork and group dynamics because they believe that a cohesive team is more productive due to its increased capacity for collaboration and effective communication.
Communication
Expressive leaders interact with their team to foster harmony and create an environment that encourages participation and efficient task completion, as opposed to instrumental leaders who primarily use communication to convey functional information. Regular performance reviews may be conducted by both styles of leaders, but an expressive leader is more likely to view a person’s output holistically. They may suggest ways to develop with the team in addition to productivity-boosting techniques, and they may also encourage the individual to seek support from the leader.
Personalization
Leaders who are expressive are more likely to give each team member a unique work experience. Although instrumental leaders may take into account the individual characteristics of each of their team members, they typically demand strict adherence to deadlines and quality standards. Expressive managers may be more concerned with an employee’s development and change the requirements of a task to suit the individual.
FAQ
Who is an example of an instrumental leader?
A goal-oriented individual who is primarily focused on completing predetermined tasks is an instrumental leader. We can envision that a Fortune 500 CEO or an army general would be effective leaders.
What are the characteristics of an instrumental leader?
- Are job-centreed and emphasise directing, planning, problem-solving and controlling others.
- Instead of concentrating on the needs of the people doing the work, concentrate on the task at hand.
- Are likely to make unilateral decisions.
What do instrumental leaders focus on?
Instrumental leadership focuses on achieving goals. Those in positions of leadership who play a major role in task completion and productivity work to maintain productivity. They make good managers because they get the job done. However, they are frequently so preoccupied with the task at hand that they risk alienating other group members.
What is instrumental leadership in sociology?
Sociologists commonly distinguish two types of leaders, instrumental and expressive. A leader whose primary concern is achieving group objectives and carrying out group tasks is known as an instrumental leader. Frequently, instrumental leaders attempt to fulfill their duties despite alienating other group members.
