Personal vs. Situational Leadership (Hersey & Blanchard) ” DMH Leadership Training Institute September 9, 2010 Felix Vincenz, Ph.D.

Assignment Complete the Leader Analysis Behavior II (LBAII) –Self Perceptions of Leadership Style Want a “naïve” sample of your own perceptions of your leadership style across a number of situations and settings involving followers If you are familiar with Situational Leadership as a concept, having heard a lecture before, read the book, taken a class, etc. , this will be less useful to you. However, give it your best shot Do not compare answers or dialogue with your peers Do not discuss with your followers – this is a “self” perception There are other instruments for getting followers’ perceptions of your leadership style, but we won’t have the time to get into those

Management vs. Leadership Leadership - occurs whenever one person attempts to influence the behavior of an individual , regardless of the reason Management – process of working with and through individuals to accomplish organizational goals Management ALWAYS involves Leadership PROMPT TO THE AUDIENCE: So what is the difference? [body of slide set] Lot of times when we discuss leadership and management, we talk about it within the context of saying something derogatory about management – as if it’s somehow a lesser brother Yes, there’s something called Visionary Leadership Focus is on: Long-range and strategic planning or figuring out where NEXT to take the organization, rather than perfecting existing processes and outputs Inspiring and influencing individuals both within and outside the formal chain of command Visionary Leadership is key to an organization, but when we focus on Situational Leadership, we are focusing on the skills that managers need to have, no matter where they are in the organizational chain of command, whether you’re a Unit Director, an Executive Committee member, a Central Office Policy Wonk, or the Director of the Department of Mental Health PROMPT to AUDIENCE: Why is focusing on visionary leadership not particularly useful? Often based on charisma, and charisma is something you’re born with and cannot be learned – situational leadership is something that can be learned , practiced and perfected Visionary leaders can be a Lincoln or a Churchill, but they can also be a Hitler or a Mao Tse Dung Yes, there are skills involved, as anyone who has ever participated in a Strategic Planning session can attest, but that’s a whole other presentation

Leadership Competencies Diagnosing Cognitive Competence – understanding what the situation is now what it will be/can be in the future Adapting Behavioral Competence – adapting actions and resources to close gap between current performance and ultimate objectives Communicating Process Competence – conveying information so that followers can understand and accomplish the goal

Leadership Skills Technical Human Skills Use of knowledge, methods, techniques and equipment necessary for specific tasks Acquired through experience, education, training Human Skills Ability and judgment in working with and through people Understanding motivation sufficiently to influence others

Leadership Skills (con.) Conceptual Skills Planning – setting goals, objectives, “work maps” Organizing/Integrating Resources - people, capital, equipment – to effectively accomplish goals Controlling – providing feedback and adjusting processes to ensure outcomes - Work maps: specificity as to how goals and objectives are to be accomplished

Skill Mix – Up the Organizational Chain - Leadership and Management have overlapping skill sets, yet vary in the overall concentration

Bottom Line Effective leadership Does not happen by accident but is the result of deliberate actions that can be learned Meets the needs of the followers Not based in technical knowledge but in facilitating knowledge, skill and experience, specifically the ability to diagnose, adapt and communicate Conceptual and human skills increase in importance as one moves up the continuum from non-supervisory to leadership positions

The Quadrant Task and Relationship Behavior exist on two separate and distinct dimensions, creating the four quadrants used to identify the four basic leadership styles [FLIP BETWEEN THIS AND NEXT 2 SLIDES] Styles 1(S1): above average amount of task behavior and below average amounts of relationships behavior DIRECTING Style 2 (S2): above average amounts of both task and relationship behavior TEAM LEADING Style 3 (S3): average amounts of relationship behavior and below-average amounts of task behavior COUNTRY CLUB Style 4 (S4): below-average amounts of both relationship and task behavior ABANDONING PROMPT TO AUDIENCE Whole lot of work done in the time leading up to WWII tried to assess which one of these quarters was the most effective In fact, the doctoral dissertation of one of the developers was specifically concerned with that question OK, so which one of these 4 do you think is better? – one qualifier, if you’ve taken any coursework in SL or have read any of the books, I don’t want you to answer

Task Behavior Leaders spells out the duties and responsibilities of the individual or the group Involves what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, and who is to do it Involves one-way communication from the leader to the follower Not concerned with the follower’s feelings so much as directing them to achieve the goal OK - before

Relationship Behavior Extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communication Behaviors include listening, facilitating, and supporting High amount of relationship behavior is required when an impasse is reached in an assignment High amount of relationship behavior is required when an impasse is reached in an assignment. The follower may know how to do the assignment, but requires relationship behavior to get over the hump.

Situational Leadership - Basic Principles Situation Leadership is an interplay among the - Amount of guidance and direction a leader provides = task behavior Amount of social-emotional support a leader providers = relationship behavior Readiness level of the follower in performing a specific task, function or objective

Situational Leadership – Basic Principles (con.) Focus is on the behavior of the leader in relation to the followers – “followers are the most crucial factor in any leadership event” (Fillmore Sanford) No best way to influence people – leadership styles MUST change based on the readiness of the followers the leader is attempting to influence

Task Behavior Leaders spells out the duties and responsibilities of the individual or the group Involves what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, and who is to do it Involves one-way communication from the leader to the follower Not concerned with the follower’s feelings so much as directing them to achieve the goal

Relationship Behavior Extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communication Behaviors include listening, facilitating, and supporting High amount of relationship behavior is required when an impasse is reached in an assignment High amount of relationship behavior is required when an impasse is reached in an assignment. The follower may know how to do the assignment, but requires relationship behavior to get over the hump.

The Quadrant Task and Relationship Behavior exist on two separate and distinct dimensions, creating the four quadrants used to identify the four basic leadership styles Styles 1(S1): above average amount of task behavior and below average amounts of relationships behavior Style 2 (S2): above average amounts of both task and relationship behavior Style 3 (S3): average amounts of relationship behavior and below-average amounts of task behavior Style 4 (S4): below-average amounts of both relationship and task behavior You’ll see that we’ll build and build on this basic quadrant to provide a clearer idea of the relationship of leader behavior to follower behavior

The Whole Point! No one style is effective in all situations! Nomenclature – Task and Relationship behavior may not always be the appropriate or most comfortable terms based on setting Task behavior AKA “guidance” or “direction” Relationship behavior AKA “supportive” or “facilitating”

Diagnosis Why is Diagnosis Important? - To maximize the leader-follower relationship, leaders Must determine The task-specific outcomes followers are to accomplish Both on an individual and group basis Assess follower readiness and the specific leadership style required If you’ll remember from Lesson 1, one of the key competencies of Leadership is the ability to Diagnose

What is Readiness? Readiness is NOT a personality trait Readiness IS a situational state Based on the task to accomplish The motivation and expectancies of the follower No connections between the readiness of the group and any of its individual members No connections between the readiness of the group or any of its individual members Individual members can be at completely different levels of readiness The group as a whole may be at yet another level of readiness - Therefore, the leader may need to adopt a very different leadership style when interacting with the group as a whole, then when interacting with any individual in the group

Components of Readiness Ability Knowledge: understanding of a task Skill: proficiency in a task Experience: ability gained from performing the task Willingness Confidence: assurance in ability to perform the task Commitment: Duty to perform the task Motivation: desire to perform the task

Willingness and Ability Interacting Influence System A change in one will affect the other and the overall readiness of the whole Combinations can be arrayed along a continuum

R1 – Unable and Unwilling or Insecure Does not perform task to acceptable levels Unclear about direction Avoids task or “passes the buck” Unable and Unwilling Unable and Insecure Defensive, argumentative Body language signs of discomfort Complaining Confused Resistant, performs only to exact request Procrastinates with fear of failure Body language signs of discomfort: furrowed brow, shoulders lowered, leaning back

R2 – Unable but Willing or Confident New task and with no experience Excited and enthusiastic, but anxious Interested , attentive and responsive, listening carefully Receptive to input and seeks clarity Accepts tasks and acts quickly Preoccupied with end results rather than incremental steps Incremental steps? – because they don’t know what the steps are to accomplish the overall task

R3 – Able and Unwilling or Insecure Demonstrated knowledge and ability Appears hesitant or reluctant to finish or take next step Able but Unwilling Able but Insecure Resistant Questions own ability Seeks reinforcement Focuses on potential problems Feels over-obligated or over-worked Solicits frequent feedback Concerned that assignment is punishment for past competence Encourages leader to stay involved

R4 – Able and Willing or Confident Operates autonomously Results oriented and takes charge of tasks Makes effective decisions regarding tasks Keeps boss informed of progress Shares creative ideas and willing to help others Completes responsibilities on time or early Streamlines operations

Matching Leadership Style to Readiness Steps Identify the follower readiness level of the individual and/or group specific to that task/situation Draw perpendicular line to the point in intersects the Leading Behavior curve Identify and implement the most appropriate amount of task and relationship behavior for that specific task/situation Remember there is always some combination of both task and relationship behavior – the curved line never goes to the lower left or lower right corners of the S4 or S1 quadrant Locus of Decision-Making At lower levels of readiness – the leader provides direction, and decisions are leader directed At higher levels of readiness – followers become responsible for task direction and the decisions are follower or self-directed

S1 – Telling (AKA Guiding, Directing, Structuring) Defines roles and provide specifics – who, what, when, where & how KISS – keep it simple and specific Close supervision and accountability Incremental supervision Unable and Unwilling Unable and Insecure Explicit task requests Provide direction in small steps Positively reinforce small success Reduce fear of mistakes Keep emotional level in check Help step by step Consider consequences for refusal Focus on instruction Ineffective Leader Behavior Demanding Demeaning Dominating Attacking

S2 – Selling (AKA Explaining, Persuading, Clarifying) Follower is still unable but is trying & confident Leader provides relationship behavior as well as task behavior to support follower’s motivation and commitment Provide specifics (who, what, where and how), but also answers the “why” questions Encourage two-way behavior Discuss details and reinforce improvement Seek “buy in” through persuasion Ineffective Leader Behavior Manipulating Preaching Defending Rationalizing

S3 – Participating (AKA Facilitating, Collaborating, Committing) Leader provides high amount of supportive behavior, but low amounts of guidance Encourages input and supports risk-taking Actively listens Compliments work Able but Unwilling Able but Insecure Share responsibility for decisions Encourage and support Feed follower’s “need to know” Reduce fear of mistakes Focus on results Assist with identification of next steps Involve follower in outcomes of task Discuss apprehension Involve follower in outcomes of task to increase commitment and motivation Ineffective Leader Behavior Patronizing Placating Condescending Pacifying

S4 – Delegating (AKA Observing, Monitoring) Follower is able, willing and confident and has sufficient experience at the task Leader provides freedom & opportunity Delegates tasks and activities and resists over-burdening Encourages autonomy and risk-taking Observes and monitors activities, listens to updates, and remains accessible When the follower is developing the issue is insecurity When the follower is regressing the issue is unwillingness Ineffective Leader Behavior Abandoning Dumping Avoiding Withdrawing

Probability of Success when Leader Style Mismatched to Follower Readiness Things to Remember It is the follower who determines leadership behavior Changes in follower behavior MUST result in the leader reassessing and modifying his leadership style accordingly Readiness S1 S2 S3 S4 R1 High Med. High Med. Low Low R2 R3 R4 Some folks worry what an S4 style means for relationships they’ve formed with their followers R4/S4 match does not necessarily mean less friendship Often there is more friendship because of the trust implicit in this pairing, just the need for less emotional support

Natural Style The “natural” style of a leader is often the least effective Why? We tend to work more diligently and practice that which is not natural to us We tend to pay more attention to the details What does it mean if your natural style is not S4? If your preferred leadership style is not S4, that does not mean that you are not a natural leader. -What is does mean is that if you want to work with individuals with high levels of readiness, you are going to have to work at it. It is particularly important if you are interested in moving up in the organization. Although high and low levels of readiness can be found at all levels of an organization, depending on the nature of the task leaders and followers must accomplish, as well as changes in their levels of motivation, the higher you rise in an organization, the more you tend to encounters followers with R4 levels of readiness

Putting it All Together

Scoring the LBA II Style Flexibility Grid Circle the letter corresponding to your answers for questions 1 – 20 Total up the # circled under each leadership style S1 – S4 in the TOTALS Subtract 5 from each score S1 – S4 and enter the ABSOLUTE vale in the boxes, adding up the final score in SUBTOTAL box

Scoring the LBA II Results (con.) Subtract “SUBTOTAL” from 30 to get your FLEXIBILITY SCORE Put an arrow on the Style Flexibility Graph next to your Flexibility Score Score closer to 0 reflect less leadership flexibility, and are product of using one or two styles in every situation, regardless of follower readiness Score closer to 30 reflects greater leadership flexibility and is a product of using each of the four leadership styles in response to different readiness levels Primary: if you have a tie for your primary style, enter all tying numbers into the appropriate quadrants

Scoring the LBA II Results (con.) Style Matrices Primary Style: Enter the highest score S1 – S4 into the appropriate quadrant Secondary Style: Enter any other scores S1 – S4 that are higher than 3 into the appropriate quadrant(s) Developing Style: All scores <4 are entered into the appropriate quadrant Represent styles you need to further develop Primary: if you have a tie for your primary style, enter all tying numbers into the appropriate quadrants

Scoring the LBA II Results (con.) Style Effectiveness Circle the letter corresponding to your answers for questions 1 – 20 Total up the # of circles under each column – Poor (P), Fair (F), Good (G), and Excellent (E) Multiply the totals under each column by the number below those totals and enter the products into the box, summing them for the Style Effectiveness Score Primary: if you have a tie for your primary style, enter all tying numbers into the appropriate quadrants

Scoring the LBA II Results (con.) Put an arrow on the Style Effectiveness Graph next to your Style Effectiveness Score Score closer to 20 indicates low style effectiveness, suggesting that the leadership style selected does not generally correspond to readiness level of the follower Score closer to 80 indicates high style effectiveness, suggesting that the leadership style selected is appropriate to the readiness level of the follower Primary: if you have a tie for your primary style, enter all tying numbers into the appropriate quadrants

Scoring the LBA II Results (con.) Style Diagnosis Review the Poor and Fair columns under the Style Effectiveness Grid and identify any items circled The number in right-hand corner signifies the Leadership Style selected Add up the # of each Leadership Style selected and enter that into the appropriate quadrant of the Style Diagnosis Matrix Primary: if you have a tie for your primary style, enter all tying numbers into the appropriate quadrants

Scoring the LBA II Results (con.) Add up the # of each Leadership Style selected and enter that into the appropriate quadrant of the Style Diagnosis Matrix Any quadrant score higher than 2 suggests a consistent pattern of selecting a leadership style inappropriate to the readiness level of the follower Analyze your answer sheet to identify the nature of that pattern Primary: if you have a tie for your primary style, enter all tying numbers into the appropriate quadrants

Q & A ?