Ohio State Leadership Studies

The Ohio State Leadership Studies, conducted in the 1940s and 1950s, focused on identifying effective leader behaviors. Researchers developed the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) to assess how leaders interact with their teams. They discovered two main types of behaviors: consideration, which involves being supportive and building relationships, and initiating structure, which focuses on task organization and goal setting. These findings highlighted that effective leadership often requires a balance of both behaviors, influencing future leadership theories and practices by emphasizing the importance of interpersonal dynamics alongside task management.