Theories in Action – GRID Theory
Throughout my internship, I have met with my boss, one of the partners of the team, weekly about my goals and how to accomplish them. In this process he has told me what motivates him and how this has led him to become so successful in his career. Through these discussions and observing him in the workplace, it became clear to me that I should evaluate his leadership style through Robert Blake and Jane Mouton’s Leadership GRID Theory.
As a behavioral approach, the Leadership GRID Theory is consistent with the assumption that leaders have two principal responsibilities; forming and maintaining strong relationships with their followers (relationship-oriented leadership), and moving the group towards the completion of certain goals (task-oriented leadership). Through the use of a nine-point scale leadership grid, Blake and Mouton were able to make assumptions regarding the effectiveness of different leadership styles, emphasizing five different orientations:1,1; 9,1; 1,9; 5,5; and 9,9. Of these leader orientations, Blake and Mouton predicted that 9,9 leaders, those who displayed both high concern for relationships and high concern for results, would be the most effective when leading people. I believe after observing and talking to my boss, he most correlates with a 9,9 style of leadership.
In our meetings my boss explains to me how to be the most successful in the commercial real estate industry. “You want your clients to LOVE you, not like you. They don’t need to know anything about you or your family, but they need to know they can trust you.” This industry is heavily focused on relationships – relationships with your teammates, clients, and others in the industry. I have witnessed this while my boss is on calls with clients as he demonstrates his focus and concern to them. These relationships, he explains, are what motivate him. He says he loves working with people and working to find the best outcome for them.
The second thing my boss explains that motivates him is money. At first I was taken back by someone admitting this, but he strives to be the most successful he can be, and with that comes money. Although real estate revolves around relationships, you would not be making deals and would not be successful without accomplishing goals. My boss sets high standards for himself, and his team, and wants to see them accomplished.
It is important to note 9,9 leaders are rare. However, I believe my boss to be a 9,9 leader rather than a 5,5 leader because he does not “settle for solutions and positions that are uncontroversial but suboptimal”, as 5,5 leadership would suggest. His leadership style shows he is willing to confront difficult and controversial situations in order to find the best possible solutions successfully, lending himself to a 9,9 style of leadership.