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College of Professional Studies �� Master of Science in Leadership

LDR 6100 Developing Your Leadership Capabilities

6 Week Term Module Dr. Richard L. O’Bryant

[email protected]

Overview

•  Situational Approach Perspective

•  Leadership Styles

•  Developmental Levels

•  How Does the Situational Approach Work?

Situational Approach Description (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)

•  Focuses on leadership in situations

•  Emphasizes adapting style - different situations demand different kinds of leadership

•  Used extensively in organizational leadership training and development

“Leaders match their style to the competence and commitment of subordinates”

Perspective

Situational Approach Description, cont’d (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)

•  Composed of both a directive dimension & supportive dimension:

–  Each dimension must be applied appropriately in a given situation

–  Leaders evaluate employees to assess their competence and commitment to perform a given task

Definition

Leadership Styles

•  Leadership style - the behavior pattern of an individual who attempts to influence others

It includes both: –  Directive (task) behaviors –  Supportive (relationship) behaviors

Definition

•  Directive behaviors - Help group members in goal achievement via one-way communication through: –  Giving directions –  Establishing goals & how to achieve them

–  Methods of evaluation & time lines –  Defining roles

Dimension Definition

Leadership Styles

•  Supportive behaviors - Assist group members via two-way communication in feeling comfortable with themselves, co-workers, and situation –  Asking for input –  Problem solving –  Praising, listening

Dimension Definitions

S1 - Directing Style

•  Leader focuses communication on goal achievement

•  Spends LESS time using supportive behaviors

S2 - Coaching Style

•  Leader focuses communication on BOTH goal achievement and supporting subordinates’ socioemotional needs

•  Requires leader involvement through encouragement and soliciting subordinate input

S3 - Supporting Style

•  Leader does NOT focus solely on goals; uses supportive behaviors to bring out employee skills in accomplishing tasks

•  Leader delegates day-to-day decision-making control but is available to facilitate problem solving

S4 - Delegating Style •  Leader offers LESS task input and social support; facilitates

subordinates’ confidence and motivation in relation to the task

•  Leader lessens involvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarification

•  Gives subordinates control and refrains from intervention and unneeded social support

Development Levels

The degree to which followers have the competence and commitment necessary to accomplish a given task or activity

How Does the Situational Approach Work?

•  Focus of Situational Approach

•  Strengths

•  Criticisms

•  Application

Situational Approach •  Assumes that subordinates

vacillate along the developmental continuum of competence and commitment

•  Leader effectiveness depends on - –  assessing subordinate’s

developmental position, and –  adapting his/her leadership

style to match subordinate developmental level

“The situational approach requires leaders to demonstrate a strong degree of flexibility.”

Focus

How Does The Situational Approach Work? Using SLII® model – In any given situation the leader has two tasks:

1st Task 2nd Task Diagnose the Situation

Identify the developmental level of employee

Ask questions like: •  What is the task subordinates are

being asked to perform? •  How complicated is it? •  What is their skill set? •  Do they have the desire to complete

the job?

Adapt Style

To prescribed Leadership style in the SLII ® model

•  Leadership style must correspond to the employee’s development level

How Does the Situational Approach Work? Employee’s Developmental Level

•  Competence •  Commitment

Leader’s Leadership Style

•  Direc8ve •  Suppor8ve

Strengths •  Marketplace approval. Situational Leadership® is

perceived as providing a credible model for training employees to become effective leaders.

•  Practicality. Situational Leadership® is a straightforward approach that is easily understood and applied in a variety of settings.

•  Prescriptive value. Situational Leadership® clearly outlines what you should and should not do in various settings.

•  Leader flexibility. Situational Leadership® stresses that effective leaders are those who can change their styles based on task requirements and subordinate needs.

•  Differential treatment. Situational Leadership® is based on the premise that leaders need to treat each subordinate according to his/her unique needs.

Strengths

Criticisms •  Lack of an empirical foundation raises theoretical

considerations regarding the validity of the approach.

•  Further research is required to determine how commitment and competence are conceptualized for each developmental level.

•  Conceptualization of commitment itself and why it varies is very unclear.

•  Replication studies fail to support basic prescriptions of the Situational Leadership® model.

Criticisms •  Does not account for how particular demographics

influence the leader-subordinate prescriptions of the model

•  Fails to adequately address the issue of one-to-one versus group leadership in an organizational setting

•  Questionnaires are biased in favor of Situational Leadership®.

Application •  Often used in consulting because it’s easy to conceptualize

and apply

•  Straightforward nature makes it practical for managers to apply

•  Breadth of situational approach facilitates its applicability in virtually all types of organizations and levels of management in organizations

LDR 6100 Developing Your Leadership Capabilities

6 Week Term Module Dr. Richard L. O’Bryant

[email protected]