| Course | LDR-3050 Foundations of Leadership |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Module 3 reflection assignment: attending to tasks and relationships |
| Length | About 495 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for LDR 3050 Module 3
High on Task, Low on People: Rebalancing How I Lead a Night Shift
Student Name
Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Thomas Edison State University
LDR-3050: Foundations of Leadership
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
High on Task, Low on People: Rebalancing How I Lead a Night Shift
The Questionnaire and the Quiet Quit
The task and relationship questionnaire gave me a high score for task behaviors, such as setting goals and making the schedule clear, and a low score for relationship behaviors, such as taking time to talk with people and helping them feel at ease. The result did not surprise me, but an event last month made it matter. Luis, one of my fastest selectors, quit with a text message. When I asked a coworker why, she said, "He didn't think you knew he was there unless his rate dropped." Blake and Mouton (1964) plotted the same two concerns, for production and for people, on their managerial grid.
What the Two Behaviors Are
Northouse (2020) describes task behaviors as those that help group members achieve their objectives: defining roles, setting timelines and clarifying standards. Relationship behaviors help followers feel comfortable with themselves, with each other and with the situation: listening, showing appreciation and building trust. Blake and Mouton's grid, presented in the chapter, places leaders on both dimensions at once. I am a high-task, low-relationship leader, what the grid calls authority-compliance.
Does Relationship Behavior Actually Matter?
I used to think relationship behavior was a nice extra. Judge et al. (2004) tested that assumption in a meta-analysis of studies on consideration, which is close to relationship behavior, and initiating structure, which is close to task behavior. Both were related to leader effectiveness, but consideration mattered more for how satisfied and motivated followers were. Luis did not leave because the standards were high. He left because no one noticed him.
Balancing Without Lowering Standards
I do not want to swing to the other extreme. The pick rate matters; stores depend on our trucks leaving on time. What I need is to add relationship behaviors without dropping the task ones. Three changes follow. First, I will hold a five-minute check-in with each selector every two weeks, asking what is going well, what is getting in the way and whether they want to cross-train. Second, I will recognize good work by name at the start-of-shift huddle, not only when someone sets a record. Third, I will learn one thing about each person's life outside work, because I realized I did not know whether Luis had children.
How I Will Know
I will track two things for three months: voluntary departures from the shift and the number of selectors who ask to cross-train as loaders, which I take as a sign that people see a future here. If both improve while our on-time departure rate holds, the balance is working.
Conclusion
I have been leading half the job. The questionnaire, the research and Luis's text all point the same way: a leader who attends only to the task loses people who are good at the task. My standards will stay where they are, and my attention to people will rise to meet them.
References
Blake, R. R., & Mouton, J. S. (1964). The managerial grid. Gulf.
Judge, T. A., Piccolo, R. F., & Ilies, R. (2004). The forgotten ones? The validity of consideration and initiating structure in leadership research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(1), 36-51. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.1.36
Northouse, P. G. (2020). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). Sage.
What the LDR 3050 Module 3 instructions ask for
The Module 3 reflection asks how you balance task and relationship behaviors as a leader. Expect to use the module's questionnaire, place yourself on a model such as the leadership grid and examine what your balance has meant for the people you lead. Be honest about the cost of your current balance, using a real event if you have one. Bring in research beyond the textbook, especially studies of initiating structure and consideration, and close with habits that add the behavior you lack without abandoning the one you already use well. A conversation or a resignation that showed you the cost of your balance makes the reflection concrete, but describe it fairly and protect the person's privacy.
Inside the LDR 3050 Module 3 example
The reflection opens with a questionnaire result and a selector's departure that gave it weight. It defines both kinds of behavior and places the writer on the leadership grid. A section uses a meta-analysis to test the writer's assumption that relationship behavior is optional. A section plans three specific habits that add relationship behavior while keeping standards. A short section sets two measures to watch for three months, and the conclusion states the lesson plainly. The tone stays self-critical without being harsh, and the writer keeps the job's real demands in view, which makes the plan believable. The measures chosen, departures and cross-training requests, fit the problem the reflection opened with.
LDR 3050 Module 3 rubric: what earns full marks
The task and relationship reflection earns credit for correct concepts, honest analysis of the writer's own balance, research support and practical plans. Reflections that show the consequences of an imbalance through a real event demonstrate insight. Using evidence to test one's own assumptions is the kind of thinking the course values. A plan with measures and dates signals that the writer means to follow through, and a conclusion that keeps standards while adding care shows balanced judgment. Placing oneself on the leadership grid accurately, with reasons, adds precision to the self-assessment. Mentors also notice when a writer keeps the strengths of the current style while adding what is missing.
LDR 3050 Module 3 help from the desk
Students lose points by describing both behaviors without saying which they favor, by treating relationship behavior as being friendly or by planning a complete change of style. Others give no evidence of the cost of their current balance. Use the questionnaire as a start, then look at what has happened on your team. Name specific habits to add. Explain how you will keep your strengths. Choose a measure that would show improvement. Remember that both behaviors matter; the goal is balance, not a swing to the other side. Keep the plan small enough to do every week. A free first sample on your own LDR-3050 Module 3 reflection is available on request.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
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LDR 3050 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free LDR 3050 Module 3 sample paper?
Rebalancing task and relationship behavior after a fast selector quit by text message is the subject of the reflection above.
What are task behaviors?
Leader actions that help the group reach its goals, such as defining roles, setting timelines and clarifying standards.
What are relationship behaviors?
Leader actions that help followers feel comfortable with themselves, each other and the situation, such as listening and showing appreciation.
What is the leadership grid?
Blake and Mouton's model that places leaders on two dimensions, concern for results and concern for people.
Do both behaviors matter?
Yes. Research finds both relate to leader effectiveness, with consideration strongly related to follower satisfaction.