Most leaders will know what to achieve; they will also have a list of all the tasks that need to be achieved. However, they are unable to delegate these tasks in a fashion that is acceptable to all: the employees and the upper management of the company. Task-oriented leadership is about finding the right balance. That middle line achieves both these goals without alienating anyone. 

To know more about task-oriented leadership, its strategies, the qualities of such a leader, and their weaknesses and strengths, read ahead. 

What is Task-Oriented Leadership?

Task-oriented leadership is about accomplishing tasks and achieving your target within an organization. It is about efficient management of your time so that you can achieve the greatest amount of productivity. Additionally, it involves effective delegation of complex tasks so that the employees are able to meet all deadlines. 

7 Strategies Of Task-Oriented Leaders

Task oriented leaders are focused on getting the job done, but how do they ensure that everything is done timely? Here are the top strategies they adopt. 

1. Clarify Objectives and Give Direct Instructions

Employees tend to underperform when they are unable to understand a particular assignment. If you are a task-oriented leader, make sure to minimize the middlemen, so you can give direct instructions. 

This ensures that the employees understand the intricacies of the tasks and commandments are not lost in translation. 

2. Delegate Tasks Effectively

Delegative leadership goes hand in hand with task-oriented leadership. Leaders who shy away from handling tasks for their employees end up experiencing severe burnout. They are afraid to trust anyone but themselves for difficult tasks. 

This prevents the employees from taking responsibility and rising up to the occasion. 

3. Create Semi-flexible Deadlines

Tight schedules may make your employees complete tasks on time, but it will make them lose their productivity. This is because semi-flexible deadlines help individuals work on their own pace and give it their all during the process. 

Take the example of a writer, if you assign them 5 tasks for the week, it is up to them to pace their tasks accordingly. This agency helps enhance their productivity. 

4. Offer Guidance and Help Where Needed

Oftentimes, task-oriented leaders focus too much on the task at hand and seldom provide help. This makes their employees alienated from both the boss and the work at hand. Employees need to feel like they can rely on their superior leader to help them where needed. 

5. Identify the Strengths of Employees

Each of your employees will have something unique to offer; it is your job to identify these strengths and use them to your advantage. Moreover, playing to the strengths of the employees will help empower them and give you guaranteed results for the company. 

6. Applying a Reward System

When we think of rewards, we mostly think of bonuses and pay raise, but employees also need something more substantial. They need to feel like they are valued in the company and their work there is appreciated. 

Boses who seldom appreciate their employees fail to get good work out of them. So make sure to think of a reward system and show appreciation to your employees. 

7. Attaining Favorable Outcomes for All

The responsibility of a task-oriented leader is to get a win-win situation for all. This includes both the employees and the upper management of the company. They have to appoint just enough tasks that achieve the target without creating burnout for the employees. 

5 Qualities of Task-oriented Leadership

1. Excellent Time Management

Task oriented leaders are pros when it comes to handling tasks on time. They have exceptionally good organization skills, which help them keep tabs and finish tasks within a specified time. 

2. Effective Delegation

Most leaders will shy away from delegating tasks. They are either unsure of their employee’s capability or they are too boastful of their own. Task oriented leaders assess the skillets of each individual within their team and delegate task accordingly. 

3. Long Term Strategizing

Since task oriented leaders want to finish tasks on a priority basis, they plan long term and do not shy away from taking small risks. As long as they are achieving their long term targets, they do not care much about failures in the short term. 

4. Smooth Communication Skills

Since task oriented leaders have to get a lot done in relatively less time, they have to be smooth talkers. They are extremely articulate and are able to express their views easily. Moreover, they have good listening skills which helps them know and handle the concerns of their peers. 

5. Flexible Leadership Skills

It is true that task oriented leaders focus primarily on getting the job done. However, this gives them the chance to shift leadership styles according to the need of the hour. They can be authoritative when they want something complex done and charismatic when they want to influence and inspire others. 

Also Read: Why Charismatic Leadership Is the Need of Hour?

What Are The Strengths Of Task-Oriented Leadership?

Task oriented leaders make for exceptional leaders. Here are some of their strengths that make them stand out. 

1. Clarify objectives and end goals, so employees are not confused about the tasks appointed to them. 
2. Framework tasks precisely and accurately, so you do not have to brainstorm all the ideas individually. 
3. Issue exact deadlines and set reminders so that the team feels accountable for their actions.
4. Offer guidance and support where needed, thus helping new employees adjust better to the status quo.
5. Excellent representatives because they are great at identifying what the company needs.

What Are The Weaknesses Of Task-Oriented Leadership?

1. Can Neglect the Welfare of Staff

In the pursuit of accomplishing tasks, task-oriented leaders can often neglect the welfare and well-being of their staff. Their top priority becomes the achievement of a target, so even if their employees suffer because of the pressure, these leaders seldom pay heed to it. 

2. Put Too Much Burden on Some Individuals

Since task-oriented leaders are responsible for getting all the tasks done, they also put too much burden on individuals, especially the ones that do the most amount of work. Since their primary goal is task achievement and not equity between the employees, they end up being unfair to the most accomplished of individuals. 

3. Blaming Staff for All Loses

This is a tendency that only some task-oriented leaders have. When things go south and tasks are not accomplished, these leaders blame their staff for being either too slow or shame them for underperforming. This creates a non-conducive work environment for all. 

Also read: How Good Leadership Skills Can Transform a Toxic Workplace?

4. Forced to Follow Strict Deadlines

In the modern world, more and more companies are having their employees follow flexible deadlines and schedules. This increases the productivity of the workforce and helps individuals exercise their own agency. Additionally, it ensures a proper work-life balance for individuals. 

5. Follow Orders Which Restricts Creativity

Task-oriented leaders tend to limit the creativity of individuals because they often give direct instructions on how a particular task needs to be completed. This leadership style is mostly adopted by leaders of technical firms, where there is less room for creative outcomes; employees are expected to follow a particular structure. 

Examples Of Task-Oriented Leadership

1. Sheryl Sandberg:

An advocate for feminist leadership, Sheryl Sandberg was also the CEO of Facebook. She is one of the best task oriented leaders and is known for revolutionizing the way the company operates. According to her, 

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

2. Jack Ma:

Jack Ma, an inspiration for many, was the first businessman from China who appeared on the Forbes Magazine cover. The founder of Alibaba group is also the richest man in China and opines:  “Leadership is your instinct, and then it’s your training. Leaders are always positive; they never complain.”

3. Bill Gates

The founder of Microsoft and the second-richest man on this planet gets work done, no matter the cost and no matter the difficulty level of the said task. He presents his views on leadership in the following, saying: “If you give people tools, [and they use] their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected.”

What Are Other Forms Of Leadership That Are Not Task-Oriented?

1. Public-oriented Leadership

Public oriented leadership focuses on the needs and wants of the public. Its primary goal is to serve the public and commit to solving its problems. All decisions taken by such leaders will be in relation to the public and how a particular decision is helping the people. 

2. Relationship Oriented Leadership

Relationship oriented leadership focuses on building, sustaining and maintaining relationships in the long run. Such leaders prioritize team and relationship building and gives their team members validation and appreciation. The style is often known for its excellent communication skills, collaboration factor and trust building exercises. 

Become A Task-Oriented Leader With Best Diplomats

Leadership trainings usually focus on confidence building and improving your communication skills. They seldom pay attention to delegating the responsibilities of a leader. It is the job of a task-oriented leader to know it all. 

With Best Diplomats, you get a chance to learn the ins and outs of all kinds of leadership styles. You learn how to command respect without appearing authoritative; how to be inclusive without being a pushover. Moreover, you get a chance to explore friendships and build lifelong bonds with a diverse group of people. 

To know more about the training sessions hosted by Best Diplomats, contact us. 

Conclusion

When we think of task-oriented leadership, we often think of only task appointments. This may sound easy, but leaders often struggle with being an effective task-oriented leaders. 

From feeling the guilt of overburdening their employees to the pressure of meeting targets, they juggle a lot. If you want to perfect your strategy and stand out in this highly competitive world, make sure to incorporate all the suggestions given in this article. 

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