SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP

THE INSTRUMENT
LEADER EFFECTIVENESS AND ADAPTABILITY DESCRIPTION
Paul Hersey and Kenneth H. Blanchard

DIRECTIONS: Assume you are involved in each of the following twelve situations. Think
of yourself as being in a leadership position when you are teaching someone or a group to
perform a task. READ each item carefully and THINK about what you would do in each
circumstance. Then CIRCLE the letter of the alternative that you think would most closely
describe your behavior in the situation presented. Circle only one choice.

1. Your employees have not been responding to your friendly conversation and
obvious concern for their welfare. Their performance is in a tailspin.
A. Emphasize the use of uniform procedures and the necessity for task
accomplishment.
B. Make yourself available for discussion but do not push.
C. Talk with the employees and then set goals.
D. Be careful not to intervene.

2. The observable performance of your employee is increasing. You have been

making sure that all employees are aware of their roles and standards.
A. Engage in friendly interaction, but continue to make sure that the employee is
aware of his/her role and standards.
B. Take no definite action.
C. Do what you can to make the employee feel important and involved.
D. Emphasize the importance of deadlines and tasks.

3. Members of your employee group are unable to solve a problem themselves.

You have normally left them alone. Employee performance and interpersonal
relations have been good.
A. Involve the employees and together engage in problem solving.
B. Let the employees work it out.
C. Act quickly and firmly to correct and redirect.
D. Encourage the employees to work on the problem and be available for
discussion.

4. You are considering a major change. Your employees have a fine record of
accomplishment. They respect the need for change.
A. Allow employee involvement in developing the change, but do not push.
B. Announce changes and then implement them with close supervision.
C. Allow the employees to formulate their own direction.
D. Incorporate employee recommendations, but direct the change.

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5. The performance of your employees has been dropping during the last few
months. Employees have been unconcerned with meeting objectives. They have
continually needed reminding to do their tasks on time. Redefining roles has
helped in the past.
A. Allow the employees to formulate their own direction.
B. Incorporate employee recommendations, but see that objectives are met.
C. Redefine goals and supervise carefully.
D. Allow employee involvement in setting goals, but do not push.

6. You stepped into an efficiently run training situation. The previous leader ran a
tight ship. You want to maintain a productive situation, but would like to begin
humanizing the work environment.
A. Do what you can to make the employees feel important and involved.
B. Emphasize the importance of deadlines and tasks.
C. Be careful not to intervene.
D. Get the employees involved in decision making, but see that objectives are met.

7. You are considering major changes in your work structure. Members of your
group have made suggestions about needed changes. The group has
demonstrated flexibility in its day-to-day activities.
A. Define the change and supervise carefully.
B. Acquire the group's approval on the change and allow members to organize the
implementation.
C. Be willing to make changes as recommended, but maintain control of the
implementation.
D. Avoid confrontation; leave things alone.

8. Employee performance and interpersonal relations are good. You feel somewhat
unsure about your lack of direction of an employee.
A. Leave the employee alone.
B. Discuss the situation with the employee and then initiate necessary changes.
C. Take steps to direct your employee toward working in a well-defined manner.
D. Be careful of hurting leader-employee relations by being too directive.

9. Your superior has appointed you to head a task force that is far overdue in
making requested recommendations for change. The taskforce is not clear about
its goals. Attendance at meetings has been poor. The meetings have turned into
social gatherings. Potentially, the group has the talent necessary to help.
A. Let the group work it out.
B. Incorporate group recommendations, but see that objectives are met.
C. Redefine goals and supervise carefully.
D. Allow group involvement in setting goals, but do not push.

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10. Your employee, who is usually able to take responsibility, is not responding to
your recent redefining of standards.
A. Allow employee involvement in redefining standards, but do not push.
B. Redefine standards and supervise carefully.
C. Avoid confrontation by not applying pressure.
D. Incorporate employee recommendations, but see that new standards are met.

11. You have been promoted to a new leadership position. The previous leader was
uninvolved in the affairs of the work group. The work group has adequately
handled its tasks and direction. Group interrelations are good.
A. Take steps to direct the work group toward working in a well-defined manner.
B. Involve the work group in decision making and reinforce good contributions.
C. Discuss past performance with the work group and then examine the need for
new practices.
D. Continue to leave the work group alone.

12. Recent information indicates some internal difficulties among employees. The
group has a remarkable record of accomplishment. Members have effectively
maintained long-range goals and have worked in harmony for the past year. All
are well qualified for the task.
A. Try out your solution with employees and examine the need for new practices.
B. Allow employees to work it out themselves.
C. Act quickly and firmly to correct and redirect.
D. Make yourself available for discussion, but be careful of hurting boss and or
employee relations.

PROCEED TO THE NEXT PAGE TO BEGIN DETERMINING YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE

AND RANGE

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DETERMINING LEADERSHIP STYLE AND RANGE

DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of the alternative action you chose for each situation and
then total the number of times an action was used in each of the four sub-columns. The
alternative action choices for each situation are not distributed alphabetically but according to
the style quadrant a particular action represents.

SITUATION ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS

1 A C B D

2 D A C B

3 C A D B

4 B D A C

5 C B D A

6 B D A C

7 A C B D

8 C B D A

9 C B D A

10 B D A C

11 A C B D

12 C A D B
QUADRANT (1) (2) (3) (4)
QUADRANT
SCORES

PROCEED TO THE NEXT PAGE TO CONTINUE YOUR SCORING

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BASIC LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR STYLES

DIRECTIONS: Transfer your quadrant totals associated with each of the four basic
leadership styles on the previous page to the boxes below.

QUADRANT 3 QUADRANT 2

High Supportive / Involvement High Directive / Control

and and
Low Directive / Control High Supportive / Involvement
Behavior Behavior

SUPPORTIVE COACHING
CONSULTING
PARTICIPATING

QUADRANT 4 QUADRANT 1

Low Supportive / Involvement High Directive / Control

and and
Low Directive / Control Low Supportive / Involvement
Behaviors Behavior

DELEGATING DIRECTING

Your dominant leadership style is defined as the quadrant in which the most responses
fall. Your supporting style is the leadership style that you tend to use on occasion. The
frequency of responses in quadrants other than that of your dominant style suggests the
number and degree of supporting styles as you perceive them. At least two responses in a
quadrant are necessary for a style to be considered a supporting style.

The more evenly distributed the numbers are between the quadrants, the more flexible
your style is. A score of 1 or 0 in any quadrant may indicate a reluctance to use that
style.

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DETERMINING STYLE ADAPTABILITY

DIRECTIONS: Circle the score given each alternative action choice and then calculate
the total score as indicated.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
SITUATIONS
A B C D
1 +2 -1 +1 -2

2 +2 -2 +1 -1

3 +1 -1 -2 +2

4 +1 -2 +2 -1

5 -2 +1 +2 -1

6 -1 +1 -2 +2

7 -2 +2 -1 +1

8 +2 -1 -2 +1

9 -2 +1 +2 -1

10 +1 -2 -1 +2

11 -2 +2 -1 +1

12 -1 +2 -2 +1

SUB-
TOTAL

TOTAL (add the four sub-totals together)

After determining your total score on style adaptability you can integrate it on to the Effectiveness
Continuum below. Place an (X) along the ineffective (-1 to -24) or effective (+1 to +24)
continuum that corresponds to your total score from above.
_____________________________________________________________________
-24 | | | | | -18 | | | | | -6 | | | | | 0 | | | | | +6 | | | | | +12 | | | | | +18 | | | | | +24
*** LEAD Instrument adapted from 1976 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators, University Associates, page 87

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THREE SKILLS OF A SITUATIONAL LEADER

 FLEXIBILITY: How does flexibility result in a safer work

environment?

 DIAGNOSIS: How do you go about diagnosing a situation?

 PARTNERING FOR PERFORMANCE: What do you do to partner

with your employees for safer performance?

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SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP: A DEFINITION

LEADER BEHAVIORS:

1. DIRECTIVE / CONTROL BEHAVIORS:

These are the behaviors a leader uses that deal directly with instructing a person
on how the job should be done. Here a leader is focusing on giving direction and
structure. It is the directive behaviors that are required when the employee has
low technical skills.

2. SUPPORTIVE / INVOLVEMENT BEHAVIOR:

These leader behaviors deal with providing an employee with personal
encouragement, support, and recognition. Supportive behaviors are most
appropriate when an employee lacks self-motivation, or needs his/her motivation
level reinforced.

LEADERSHIP STYLES:
1. DIRECTING: (HIGH DIRECTIVE/CONTROL & LOW SUPPORTIVE/INVOLVEMENT)
This leadership (training) style is most effective with an employee who has a low
competence level, but a high degree of commitment. All emphasis is place on
giving directions.

2. COACHING / CONSULTING: (HIGH DIRECTIVE/CONTROL & HIGH

SUPPORTIVE/INVOLVEMENT)
This approach is most effective when an employee has some degree of
competence, yet his/her level of motivational commitment is low to moderate.
The leader is seen as a coach. The leader continues to instruct the employee on
how to do the job, but s/he persuades and clarifies

3. SUPPORTIVE / PARTICIPATIVE: (LOW DIRECTIVE/CONTROL & HIGH

SUPPORTIVE/INVOLVEMENT)
This style is needed when an employee has plenty of task competence, but the
degree of commitment is variable. In this case, the leader needs only to
demonstrate supportive behaviors to maintain an employee's level of
commitment.

4. DELEGATING: (LOW DIRECTIVE/CONTROL & LOW SUPPORTIVE/INVOLVEMENT)

This leadership (training) style is only effective when an employee is both
competent and highly committed. Because the employee is of this caliber, the
leader needs only to delegate.

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SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP: THE LEADERSHIP MODEL

High
Supportive
Participating Coaching
/

Consulting
H: Supportive/Involvement H: Directive/Control
L: Directive/Control H: Supportive/Involvement
INVOLVEMNT

S3 S2
SUPPORTIVE

S4 S1
L: Directive/Control H: Directive/Control
L: Supportive/Involvement L: Supportive/Involvement

Directing
Delegating
in

Low
High
DIRECTIVE / CONTROL

Readiness of Subordinate
D4 D3 D2 D1
Self-Reliant Achiever Capable But Disillusioned Learner Enthusiastic
Cautious Performer Beginner
High Competence, Moderate to High Low-to-Some Low Competence,
High Commitment, Competence, Competence, High Commitment,
Able, Willing, Low Commitment, Unable, Unwilling,
Motivated Variable Unable but Insecure
Commitment, Willing/Motivated
Able, Insecure
Leader Behaviors
S4 S3 S2 S1
Turn Over Share Ideas, Explain Decisions, Provide Instructions,
Responsibility for Facilitate Decisions Provide Opportunity for Supervise
Decisions and Clarification Performance
Implementation

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STYLE 1: DIRECTING
LEADER BEHAVIOR:
GUIDING, DIRECTING, ESTABLISHING

GIVING DIRECTIONS:

Use the space below for the “Giving Directions” activity

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STYLE 2: COACHING/CONSULTING
LEADER BEHAVIOR:
EXPLAINING, CLARIFYING, PERSUADING

 WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONFRONTATION AND

CRITICISM?

Confrontation is a coaching process by which leaders correct performance problems,

develop commitment to continual improvement, and maintain positive relationships with
employees. It means facing the problems squarely and dealing with them.
Confrontation is not criticism.

CONFRONTING VS. CRITICIZING

CONFRONTING CRITICIZING

Problem Person

Specific General

Change Blame

Relationship Self

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 THE FOUR COACHING FUNCTIONS:

The Four Functions of Coaching and Their Desired Outcomes

Confronting Counseling Mentoring Tutoring

• Clarification • Accurate • Development • Increased

of descriptions of political technical
performance of problems savvy competence
expectations and their • Sensitivity to • Increased
• Identification causes the breadth of
of • Technical and organization's technical
performance organizationa culture understanding
shortfalls l insight • Personal net- • Movement to
• Acceptance • Venting of working expert status
of more strong • Greater pro- • Increased
difficult tasks feelings activity in learning pace
• Strategies to • Commitment managing • Commitment
improve to self- one's career to continual
performance sufficiency • Commitment learning
• Commitment • Deeper to the
to continual personal organization's
improvement insight about goals and
one's feelings values
and behavior • Sensitivity to
senior
managers'
likes and
dislikes

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STYLE 3: SUPPORTIVE / PARTICIPATING:

LEADER BEHAVIOR:
ENCOURAGING, COLLABORATING,
COMMITTING

 WHAT AN ENCOURAGING TRUSTING CLIMATE

LOOKS LIKE:
CHARACTERISTICS ACTIONS
Open

Willing to Risk

Cooperative

Accepting and Warm

Expert

Accountable

Supportive

Respectful

Genuine

Mutual

Open Minded About

Problems

Dependable

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QUADRANT 4: DELEGATING
Leader Behavior:
Observing, Monitoring, Committing

 OBSERVING: FOCUS ON BEHAVIORS NOT JUDGMENTS

 MONITORING: DOCUMENT OBSERVATIONS

 COMMITMENT:
THE BRIDGE OF MOTIVATION

T C
R O
U A
S C
T H
I I
N N
G G

BARRIERS
RESPECT EMPATHY
BELIEF
I’LL BUILD YOU THE BRIDGE, BUT I WON’T CARRY YOU ACROSS

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