Provides a framework for understanding the impact and consequences
of individual, team and organization behaviour.
Illuminates a set of behavioural and attitudinal values around which
entire organizations and communities can agree to operate and strive
for;
Enables people to better understand their own behaviours and that
of others. Most importantly, the Grid provides a means and methodology
to address and harness the potential of this diversity.
The Leadership Grid was developed over 40 years ago by behavioral scientists,
Drs. Robert Blake and Jane Mouton. It has been the most extensively used
management and leadership development program, throughout the world. The
Grid itself is the most reliable visual framework we know of for understanding
various approaches to leadership. Its two main components (or axes) are
Concern for Production (horizontal axis) and Concern for People (vertical
axis) measured on a scale from 1 (low) to 9 (high).
Production, in this context, means the results or the outcome expected,
such as number of units produced, time expended, sales volume, or perhaps
quality level-whatever an organization or team is responsible for producing.
People can be bosses, peers, or subordinate employees. "People"
concerns can be identified as job satisfaction, quality of work life,
training/development, working conditions, salary structure, fringe benefits,
job security, etc.
While there are numerous ways of looking at the relationship between
Production and People concerns, the Grid identifies seven major theories
about how people exercise leadership in the pursuit of organizational
objectives with and through others, and how each of the seven theories
affects productivity. It allows people to see the differences and similarities
among them, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each style, and
to develop conclusions regarding sound and unsound ways of leading.
The numbers of the Grid 9,1 and 1,9 for example, serve as a kind of shorthand
representing general patterns of behavior. The Grid is not a psychological
assessment or evaluative mechanism and is not intended to "slot"
individuals. It is, however, a clear description of basic behavior patterns
that enable us to identify sound and unsound use of the six elements of
leadership: Initiative, Advocacy, Inquiry, Decision Making, Conflict Resolution,
and Critique.
