Determining Your Leadership Style

According to the Situational Leadership Theory, leaders are effective when they select the right leadership style for the situation they face. Specifically, this depends on thematurity of followers – that is, their readiness to take responsibility for their own behavior. This, in turn, is based on two variables with which we are already familiar: (1)task behavior (the degree to which followers have the appropriate job knowledge and skills – that is, their need for guidance and direction), and (2) relationship behavior (the degree to which followers are willing to work without taking direction from others – that is, their need for emotional support).

Situational Leadership Theory identifies the following four basic leadership styles:

Telling – used in situations in which followers need a great deal of direction from their leaders but don’t need much emotional support from them.
Selling – used in situations in which followers lack the skill to be able to succeed and require emotional support from their leaders.
Participating – involves situations in which followers need very little guidance with respect to how to do their jobs, but need considerable emotional support from their leaders to motivate them.
Delegating – involves situations in which followers are both willing and able to do what is asked of them.

To be to identify and enact the most appropriate style of leadership in any given situation, it is first useful to understand the style to which you are most strongly predisposed. This experiential leadership exercise will help you gain such insight into your leadership style.

YOUR TASKS:

1. COMPLETE YOUR PERSONAL SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP QUESTIONNAIRE:

Following are eight hypothetical situations in which you have to make a decision affecting you and members of your work group. For each, indicate which of the following actions you are most likely to take by writing the letter corresponding to that action in the space provided.

Action A: Let the members of the group decide themselves what to do.
Action B: Ask the members of the group what to do, but make the final decision yourself.
Action C: Make the decision yourself, but explain your reasons.
Action D: Make the decision yourself, telling the group exactly what to do.

________ 1. In the face of financial pressures, you are forced to make budget cuts for your unit. Where do you

cut?

________ 2. To meet an impending deadline, someone in your secretarial pool will have to work late one evening

to finish typing an important report. Who will it be?

________ 3. As coach of a company softball team, you are required to trim your squad to 25 players from 30

currently on the roster. Who goes?

________ 4. Employees in your department have to schedule their summer vacations to keep the office

appropriately staffed. Who decides first?

________ 5. As chair of the social committee, you are responsible for determining the theme for the annual

company party. How do you do so?

________ 6. You have an opportunity to buy or rent an important piece of equipment for your company. After

gathering all the facts, how do you make the choice?

________ 7. The office is being redecorated. How do you decide on the color scheme?

________ 8. Along with your associates you are taking a visiting dignitary to dinner. How do you decide what

restaurant to go to?

2. SCORE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE:

Count the number of situations to which you responded by marking A. This is your delegating score.
Count the number of situations to which you responded by marking B. This is your participating score.
Count the number of situations to which you responded by marking C. This is your selling score.
Count the number of situations to which you responded by marking D. This is your telling score.

3. ANALYSE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE BY THOROUGHLY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

Based on this questionnaire, what was your most predominant leadership style? Is this consistent with what you would have predicted in advance? Fully support your answer.
According to situational leadership theory, in what kinds of situations would your style be most appropriate. Have you ever found yourself in such a situation, and if so, how well did you do?
Do you think that it would be possible for you to change this style if needed? Please fully support your answer.
Identify and describe a specific situation that would be appropriate for each specific leadership style. Fully support your answer.

………………….Answer Preview……………

Action A: Let the members of the group decide themselves what to do.

Action B: Ask the members of the group what to do, but make the final decision yourself.

Action C: Make the decision yourself, but explain your reasons.

Action D: Make the decision yourself, telling the group exactly what to do.

____B____ 1. In the face of financial pressures, you are forced to make budget cuts for your unit. Where do you cut?

___D_____ 2. To meet an impending deadline, someone in your secretarial pool will have to work late one evening to finish typing an important report. Who will it be?

____C____ 3. As coach of a company softball team, you are required to trim your squad to 25 players from 30 currently on the roster. Who goes?

____D____ 4. Employees in your department have to schedule their summer vacations to keep the office appropriately staffed. Who decides first?

APA