Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Class Activities
Chapter 4: Behavioral Approach
Activities
These activities may be used in either small-group or large-group settings, depending on class size and
Leadership Behavior Questionnaire #1
Have students complete the Leadership Behavior Questionnaire individually and share their results in
own scores and to explain the scores’ meaning as related to their leadership ability.
Leadership Behavior Questionnaire #2
Have students complete the Style Questionnaire individually and share their results in small groups.
Have them discuss how well this leadership style works for them. Do others perceive their leadership
Case Analysis #1
Have students complete the Leadership Behavior Questionnaire individually. Form small groups based
on students’ preferred style (i.e., high-task leaders should be in one group, high-relationship leaders
should be in another, moderate scores on both dimensions in another, etc.) Assign one of the cases to
Case Analysis #2
Assign each case to one or more small groups for in-class analysis and discussion. Each small group
should then report back to the entire class about the results of its group work. Ask, “As a follower, how
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Case Role Play
Assign one of the cases to small groups for in-class analysis and discussion. Then ask each group to role
play the scenario using a different leadership style than the one described in the case. Assign a different
Build a Portfolio: Move to Writing Assignments Section
At this stage in the course, students have likely reflected enough about their leadership styles to identify
areas of strength and weakness. As part of a course-long learning exercise, have them write brief
Tell Me a Story
Have students practice telling a story in class about a time when they were called upon to lead a group.
How well did their leadership style work in that situation? Would another style have been more
effective? Why? What did they learn from the experience? This can be part of the course-long project to
Leading Change
Ask the class: “In your experience at work, or on a committee, or with a task group, what are the
behaviors by others you most wish would change?” (Write comments on board. Some examples –
Different Strokes
One criticism of the style approach is that it implies that the most effective leadership style is high in
both task concern and relationship concern. In small groups, have students identify and discuss
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Seeing Is Believing
Have students help you compile a collection of clips from TV shows and movies that depict characters
using each of the seven leadership styles. Show these in class and ask the class to assess the actors’
Seeing Is Believing #2
Have students bring in an article from a sports magazine, celebrity magazine, or other popular magazine
that profiles a leader they like. Have them share how the leader’s task and relationship behaviors are
Writing Assignments
Contemporary Leadership
Have students write a 2–3-page reaction paper about a contemporary leader (someone they know
personally or a public figure) and the leadership behaviors they think this person demonstrates.
Students should identify which of the Leadership Grid styles is demonstrated by the leader, supporting
Style Questionnaire
Have students write a 2–3-page reaction paper that explains their score on the Style Questionnaire,
Managing Up
The style approach is often used in training and development programs for managers, somewhat of a
top-down approach. Ask students to imagine a bottoms-up approach to encouraging change and
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Conflict and Style
Ask students to reflect on a significant conflict that occurred in a group they belong to. Have them
Change Up
Once students have completed the Leadership Behavior Questionnaire, ask them to try modeling a
different leadership style (than their dominant style) in a group they belong to. Have them report on the
Job Fit
Given the students’ profiles on the Leadership Behavior Questionnaire, what types of jobs would be
One-Minute Paper Topics
How has your college experience affected your leadership style?
Internet Activities
Internet #1: Class Blog
In your class blog or chat room, write about some of the discussion questions provided in this chapter.
Some additional questions are suggested here:
• How can career experiences influence one’s leadership style?
• The Leadership Grid in our textbook is based on interpersonal (face-to-face) communication. In
Internet #2: Take Me to Your Leader
Look up National Public Radio’s program “Take Me to Your Leader.” During a 2-week road trip during the
presidential campaign of fall 2008, three NPR staffers traveled across the United States asking local
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
people about their community leaders. One of the goals of the program was to show that leadership
happens in other arenas besides politics.
• Option 1: On the website, listen to the audio recording of Greg Bock’s profile: “A Small-Town
Fire Chief Juggles Big Responsibilities.” How does Bock show concern for relationships? For
tasks? How might these behaviors be expressed by leaders in other lines of work?
Internet #3: Web Search
Northouse states that many training and development companies use the styles approach to teach
managers how to become more effective. Look up several of these programs online. Most will list the
services they offer and associated fees. But there are some that offer free tips for improving one’s skills.
• To what extent are these courses (either free or fee-based) based on research? What makes
Internet #4: Tweeting Like a Leader
If you have asked students in Week 1 to follow a thought leader on Twitter throughout the term, have
them report on how the leader’s tweets reflect his/her leadership style. You can make this a more
formal content analysis by asking students to print out the tweets over a period of a month and then