Republic of the Philippines

EULOGIO “AMANG” RODRIGUEZ

INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Nagtahan, Sampaloc, Manila

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Subject: CAS 101–EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Topics: 3.4.6
6 Maturity levels of followers and leaders
3.4.7 Leadership styles and the need for their flexibility
Reporter: Noel Jose B. Malanum
Professor: Dr. Eledio T. Acibar

Topic: 3.4.7 Leadership styles and the need for their flexibility
(Executive summary)
To many, leaders are not born, but made. It is increasingly
accepted, however, that in order to be a good leader, one must have the
experience, knowledge, commitment, patience, and most importantly the
skill to negotiate and work with others to achieve goals. Good leaders are
thus made, not born. Good leadership is developed through a never
ending process of self-study, education, training, and the accumulation of
relevant experience.
Over time, researchers have proposed many different styles of
leadership as there is no particular style of leadership that can be
considered universal. Despite the many diverse styles of leadership, a
good or effective leader inspires, motivates, and directs activities to help
achieve group or organizational goals. Conversely, an ineffective leader
does not contribute to organizational progress and can, in fact, detract
from organizational goal accomplishment.
Leadership styles are the approaches used to motivate followers.
Leadership is not a “one size fits all” phenomenon. Leadership styles
should be selected and adapted to fit organizations, situations, groups,
and individuals. It is thus useful to possess a thorough understanding of
the different styles as such knowledge increases the tools available to lead
effectively. Below are the different leadership styles for articulated on
books.
Autocratic Leadership Style - Autocratic leadership is an extreme
form of transactional leadership, where leaders have complete power over
staff. Staff and team members have little opportunity to make
suggestions, even if these are in the best interest of the team or
organization. The benefit of autocratic leadership is that it is incredibly
efficient. Decisions are made quickly, and the work to implement those
decisions can begin immediately. In terms of disadvantages, most staff
resent being dealt with in this way. Autocratic leadership is often best
used in crises situation, when decisions must be made quickly and without
dissent.
Bureaucratic Leadership Style - Bureaucratic leaders follow rules
rigorously, and ensure that their staff also follows procedures precisely.
This is an appropriate leadership style for work involving serious safety
risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances, or at
dangerous heights) or where large sums of money are involved.
Bureaucratic leadership is also useful in organizations where employees do
routine tasks (Shaefer, 2005). The drawback of this type of leadership is
that it is ineffective in teams and organizations that rely on flexibility,
creativity, or innovation (Santrock, 2007).

Charismatic Leadership Style - Charismatic leadership theory

describes what to expect from both leaders and followers. Charismatic
leadership is a leadership style that is identifiable but may be perceived
with less tangibility than other leadership styles (Bell, 2013). Often called
a transformational leadership style, charismatic leaders inspire eagerness
in their teams and are energetic in motivating employees to move
forward. The ensuing excitement and commitment from teams is an
enormous asset to productivity and goal achievement. The negative side
of charismatic leadership is the amount of confidence placed in the leader
rather than in employees. This can create the risk of a project or even in
an entire organization collapsing if the leader leaves. Additionally, a
charismatic leader may come to believe that s/he can do no wrong, even
when others are warning him or her about the path s/he is on; feelings of
invincibility can ruin a team or an organization.

Democratic/Participative Leadership Style - Democratic leaders

make the final decisions, but include team members in the decision-
making process. They encourage creativity, and team members are often
highly engaged in projects and decisions. There are many benefits of
democratic leadership. Team members tend to have high job satisfaction
and are productive because they are more involved. This style also helps
develop employees’ skills. Team members feel a part of something larger
and meaningful and so are motivated to by more than just a financial
reward. The danger of democratic leadership is that it can falter in
situations where speed or efficiency is essential. During a crisis, for
instance, a team can waste valuable time gathering input. Another
potential danger is team members without the knowledge or expertise to
provide high quality input.

Laissez-Faire Leadership Style - Laissez-faire leadership may be

the best or the worst of leadership styles (Goodnight, 2011). Laissez-faire,
this French phrase for “let it be,” when applied to leadership describes
leaders who allow people to work on their own. Laissez-faire leaders
abdicate responsibilities and avoid making decisions, they may give teams
complete freedom to do their work and set their own deadlines. Laissez-
faire leaders usually allow their subordinate the power to make decisions
about their work (Chaudhry & Javed, 2012). They provide teams with
resources and advice, if needed, but otherwise do not get involved. This
leadership style can be effective if the leader monitors performance and
gives feedback to team members regularly. The main advantage of
laissez-faire leadership is that allowing team members so much autonomy
can lead to high job satisfaction and increased productivity. It can be
damaging if team members do not manage their time well or do not have
the knowledge, skills, or motivation to do their work effectively. This type
of leadership can also occur when managers do not have sufficient control
over their staff (Ololube, 2013).
Transactional Leadership Style - This leadership style starts with
the idea that team members agree to obey their leader when they accept
a job. The transaction usually involves the organization paying team
members in return for their effort and compliance. The leader has a right
to punish team members if their work doesn't meet an appropriate
standard. The minimalistic working relationships that result (between staff
and managers or leaders) are based on this transaction (effort for pay).
Flexibility of these leadership styles depends on the following:

Size of an Institution/Organization
Many organizations have the tendency to grow, and as they grow, to
divide into subgroups where the real decision making power lies. As
institutions or organization grow, problems arise which may become more
difficult to address at a macro or senior management level.

Degree of Interaction/Communication
Organizational interaction or communication in this paradigm refers to a
relational approach between two or more individuals on the basis of social
and organizational structures aimed at achieving goals (Ololube, 2012).
Given that uncertainty surrounds many situations in organizations, leaders
need to be involved with their staff. In this way, leaders can keep focused
on key issues and ensure that organizational learning takes place. The
quantity and quality of interaction in an organization tends to influence
the style of organizational management with the main issue being that
employees must work together in order to accomplish tasks.

Personality of Members
The personality attributes of employees and other managers/leaders can
influence the leadership style of an organization. Some people tend to
react more to certain styles of leadership than others. Individuals who like
to depend on others generally do not like to participate in organizational
affairs since their need for security and direction is better served by a
rigid organizational structure.

Goal Congruency
The term goal congruence is applied to an organization that ensures that
all its operations and activities support the achievement of its goals.
Organizations with high goal congruence review their operations and
activities to ensure that none of these limit or inhibit the ability to achieve
organizational goals. 

Level of Decision Making

Differentiating effective leaders from ineffective leaders is a major
management concern. One means of differentiation may be the quality of
decision making and that effective leaders make good decisions or choices
that yield favourable outcomes for the organization (Schoderbek, Cosier,
& Aplin, 1988). 
Conclusion
More frequently, academic commentaries and books surface that
blends theoretical, empirical, and practical ideas and knowledge relevant
to understanding studies, methodologies and issues essential to
educational leadership. These syntheses are only achieved with the
reflective ability of the authors to link thematic issues across wider range
and overlapping themes from which they start off and become known.
Effective educational leadership style in school management is
relatively fast, easy and cost effective if applied appropriately. The results
of the effective educational leadership style applications are feasible for a
number of purposes, which include improve administrative performance,
team-building, and enhanced individual and school innovation in teaching
and learning.

Topic: 3.4.6 Maturity levels of followers and leaders

(Executive summary)

The appropriate leadership style to use in a given situation is

determined by the leader's assessment of the maturity level of the
followers in relation to the specific task that the leader is attempting to
accomplish through their efforts. As the level of followers' maturity
increases, the leader should begin to reduce his or her task behaviour and
increase relationship behaviour until the followers reach a moderate level
of maturity.

As the followers begin to move into an above average level of

maturity, the leader should decrease not only task behaviour but also
relationship behaviour. Once the maturity level is identified, the
appropriate leadership style can be determined.

Leadership styles matching evolving levels of followers' maturity

Four distinct leadership styles are identified in the Hersey and Blanchard
Leadership Model - each reflecting the evolving levels of maturity of the
followers:

(1) Directing - the leader provides clear instructions and specific

direction.

(2) Coaching - the leader encourages two-way communication and helps

build confidence and motivation on the part of the employee, although the
leader still has responsibility and controls decision making.

(3) Supporting - the leader and followers share decision making and no
longer need or expect the relationship to be directive.
(4) Delegating - the leader uses this style when his / her followers are
ready to accomplish a particular task and are both competent and
motivated to take full responsibility.

In addition to these four approaches to leadership, there are also four

levels of follower maturity:

 Level M1: Followers have low competence and low commitment.

 Level M2: Followers have low competence, but high commitment.
 Level M3: Followers have high competence, but low commitment
and confidence.
 Level M4: Followers have high competence and high commitment
and confidence.

Maturity is the preparedness and ability of a person to take responsibility

for directing his or her own behaviour. The level of maturity displayed will
depend on the nature of the specific task, function, or objective that a
leader is attempting to accomplish through their efforts.

The Hersey and Blanchard Leadership Model takes a situational

perspective of leadership. This view suggests that the appropriate
leadership style is determined by the level of development or maturity of
the followers.

Their theory is based on the amount of task oriented

direction and relationship / personal support oriented direction a leader
needs to provide given the requirements of the situation and the level of
development or maturity of the followers.

Task oriented behaviour is the extent to which the leader engages in

spelling out the duties and responsibilities to an individual or group. This
behaviour includes telling people what to do, how to do it, when to do it,
where to do it, and who's to do it. In task behaviour the leader engages in
one-way communication.
Relationship oriented behaviour is the extent to which the leader engages
in two-way or multi-way communications. This includes listening,
facilitating, and supportive behaviours.

So in summary, according to Hersey and Blanchard - leader

behaviours are identitifed and determined along 2 paths:

(1) Directive Behaviour

One-Way Communication

Followers' Roles Clearly Communicated

Close Supervision of Performance

(2) Supportive Behaviour

Two-Way Communication

Listening, providing support and encouragement

Facilitate interaction Involve follower in decision-making

Conclusion
In summary, effective leaders must know their staff
well enough to meet their ever-changing abilities and demands placed
upon them. It should be remembered that over time followers as
individuals and as groups develop their own patterns of behaviours and
ways of operating, i.e., norms, customs, and mores. While leaders may
use a specific style for the work group as a group, they may quite often
have to have differently with individual followers because of different
levels of follower readiness. In either case, whether working with a group
or an individual, changes in leadership style from S1 to S2, S3 and S4
must be gradual! This process by its very nature cannot be revolutionary
but must be evolutionary; gradual development changes, a result of
planned growth, and the creation of mutual trust and respect.
To be an effective leader, one need to understand
there is no single solution to manage followers at work or even one best
leadership style to use for all the followers. However there is a practical,
easy way to understand an approach which is situational leadership. This
model of leadership contains four leadership styles representing different
combination of directive and supportive behaviour. These are
directing/telling, coaching/selling, supporting/participating and delegating.
The right leadership style is primarily a function of the degree of difficulty
of the task and the development level of the follower doing that task. A
leader can use one leadership style when dealing with one follower and
use different style when leading a team or another follower.