Dr Catherine HannawayDurham University

14th July 2011

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Shape of the Session

• Your leadership challenges• Your leadership style in meeting those

challenges• Situational leadership model• Reflect on your leadership style• How a situational leadership approach can

help address your leadership challenges

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• Be able to diagnose others’ development levels and choose the appropriate leadership style

• Understand why there is no best leadership or coaching style

• Learn to use a common language for coaching and developing others

• Understand the negative impact of over-supervision and under-supervision on performance and morale

Learning Objectives

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• Diagnosis—assessing development needs

• Flexibility—using a variety of leadership styles comfortably

• Partnering for Performance—reaching agreements with others about the leadership style they need

The Three Skills of a Situational Leader

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The willingness and ability to look at a situation and assess others’ development needs in

order to decide which leadership style is the most appropriate for

the goal or task at hand:

Competence

Commitment

Diagnosis

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• Demonstrated goal- or task-specific knowledge and skills

• Transferable knowledge and skills

How would you know someone has competence?

Competence (Can Do!)

• Motivation

• Confidence

Commitment (Want to Do!)

D1D1—Low competence and high commitment

D2D2—Low to some competence and low commitment

D3D3—Moderate to high competence and variable commitment

D4D4—High competence and high commitment (has mastered the goal or task and is motivated and confident – ‘a self-reliant achiever’).

The 4 Levels of Development

The Needs of each development level?

The Needs of a D1• Acknowledgement of enthusiasm & transferable skills• Clear goals and roles• Priorities• Action plans• Information• Boundaries and limits• Step by step plan for learning• Direction about what & how• Frequent feedback on progress• Concrete examples

- Open to direction because they are excited and want to do well

Needs of a D2• Involvement in clarifying goals and action plans• Perspective that progress is being made• Assurance that it’s Ok to make mistakes• Explanations of why• Opportunities to share concerns and be heard• Reassurance• Advice• Coaching to build skills• Help in analysing successes and mistakes• Praise for progress

- still need direction

The Needs of a D3• A sounding board to test ideas• Good questions to build self-reliant problem solving skills• Praise for high levels of competence and performance• The opportunity to take the lead in goal setting and action

planning• Encouragement and support• Help in removing obstacles to goal achievement• Help in looking at past successes and skills objectivity to build

confidence- know how to do the task, but

commitment is variable

The Needs of a D4

• Trust• Variety and challenge• Autonomy• Opportunities to teach and mentor others• Acknowledged/to be valued for contributions

- self directed/self motivated

The ability to use a variety of leadership styles comfortably

Need to be able to use 2 kinds of leadership behavior:

- Directive

- Supportive

The second skill of situational leadership - Flexibility

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The extent to which a leader

• Sets goals and clarifies expectations

• Tells and shows an individual what to do, when, and how to do it

• Closely supervises, monitors, and evaluates performance

Directive Behaviour

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• Structure

• Organise

• Teach

• Supervise

• Evaluate

Directive Behaviour

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The extent to which a leader

• Engages in more two-way communication

• Listens and provides support and encouragement

• Involves the other person in decision making

• Encourages and facilitates self-reliant problem solving

Supportive Behaviour

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• Ask for input

• Listen

• Facilitate problem solving

• Explain why

• Encourage

Supportive Behaviour

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4 Styles of Leadership – each a combination of Directive and

supportive behaviour• Style 1 – Directing - high directive/low

support• Style 2 – Coaching – high directive/high

support• Style 3 – Supporting – high supportive/low

directive• Style 4 – Delegating – low support and low

direction

• How frequent is the observation, monitoring & feedback in Styles 1&2

…. and styles 3&4?

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In all four styles, the leader

• Makes sure goals and expectations are clear

• Observes and monitors performance

• Gives feedback (including praise)

Appropriate Leadership Behavior

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• Match

• Over-supervise

• Under-supervise

A Leader Has Three Choices

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• something I have learned in this session

• something I am going to reflect on

• something I am going to do as a result of this session

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