Leadership Style

Homework - Week 6

1. If the leader has been dealing with the follower appropriately by using an S4 leadership style and the follower suddenly begins performing at Performance Readiness® level R3, what should the leader do? (10 points)

If the employee's performance dropped from a R4 to a R3, the leader should first response to the followers current performance level, in this case the leader needs to move to an S3 Participative Leadership style, leader needs to participate, communicate and support/assist the follower is solving problem causing the performance decline. As soon as the subordinate's readiness level increase the leader can divert back to a S4 leadership style, start delegating, observing and monitoring once again. However, if the problem persist and the follower needs more help than maybe the leader needs to go to an S2 Selling Leadership style.

2. What is a wide style range? If you have a wide style range, are you necessarily a good situational manager? Why, or why not? (10 points)

Style range is the ability of an individual to vary their leadership style. Depending to the situation, the leader must change their style and they have to decide how much flexibility is necessary. Style adaptability is the extent to which a manager can vary their leadership style that is appropriate to the demands of a given situation A wide style range will not guarantee effectiveness; adaptability of various style determine the effectiveness on influence to people. The concept of adaptability implies that the effective leader is able to use the right style at the right time.

If this is the case then, we can say that a wide range style provides the potential for being an effective leader in several situations. I think that a wide style range can make a good situational manager as long as they can adapt their leadership style to fit the situation. The manager must also be able to effectively use the different style (flexibility) to successfully influence behavior, but before he can do that he must also be able to diagnose the situation correctly, this the key to adaptability.

Example could be: A manager working for a paint department, which has strict guidelines and continuously rotating two new workers, this manager, might not have the flexibility to modify or use different leadership styles...maybe only uses an S1 style. On the other hand if you have another department, which has flexible guidelines, with experience and rotating new workers, this manager depending on his workers performance level will modify his behavior to the situation and use all four basic styles as needed or required.

3. If you completed the LEAD Self instrument, would you be able to assess your leader's style? Why, or why not? (10 points)

The LEAD instrument (self) and (other) is a situational leadership instrument