Contemporary Leadership Models

Question 1

What is the situation leadership model?

Answer 1

• Leaders should utilize different leadership styles according to situation.
• No universal behaviors or practices are appropriate for all leadership scenarios.
• Managers must choose appropriate management style based on leadership situation and capacity and competence of both leaders and followers

Question 2

What are the 4 directive/supportive stages

Answer 2

high directive / low supportive - Directing (S1)
high directive / high supportive - Coaching (S2)
low directive / high supportive - Supporting (S3)
low directive / low supportive - Delegating (S4)

Question 3

What are the 4 development levels of the individual?

Answer 3

Low competence / High commitment - D1
Low competence / Low commitment - D2
Moderate\High competence / Variable commitment - D3
High competence / High commitment - D4

Question 4

Describe the directing style of leadership

Answer 4

• Focuses on directive behaviors and is minimally supportive
• Sets goals, lays out tasks, and monitors followers closely
• Communicates primarily about goals, tasks, and progress
• Gives instructions
• Assumes low mastery and that employees need interventions to succeed

Question 5

Describe the coaching style of leadership

Answer 5

• Sets goals, models, and encourages
• Instructs, evaluates, and gives regular feedback
• Assumes lower mastery and commitment
• Must give time and energy
• May need to do detailed teaching
• Must be close to subordinates and understand their motivation

Question 6

Describe the supporting style of leadership

Answer 6

• Gives public recognition to boost confidence and authority of subordinate
• Participates primarily in problem solving
• Lets many decisions and corrections come from the team
• Aims to develop employees’ mastery, adaptation, and progression

Question 7

Describe the delegating style of leadership

Answer 7

• Gives low direction and low support
• Trusts employees and gets out of the way
• Assumes highest levels of mastery and commitment
• Must have extensive prior knowledge about employees’ mastery and attitude
• Direct, first-hand evidence is best.
• Leader may have to rely on indirect evidence (i.e., others’ opinions).
• Checks in and doesn’t abandon employee
• Not checking in may increase employees’ stress.

Question 8

What are some strengths to the situational leadership model?

Answer 8

• Has stood the test of time.
• Appears to work; very practical
  
  • Is easy to understand and learn
  • Can be applied to many different organization types and settings
• Prescriptive; prescribes how-to plans
• Is follower driven
• emphasizes leader flexibility
• reminds us to treat each subordinate differently based on the task at hand and to seek opportunities to help those subordinates.

Question 9

What are some weaknesses to the situational leadership model?

Answer 9

• only few research studies have been conducted to justify the assumptions by the approach/
• the model does not make clear as to how commitment is combined with competence to form the 4 levels
• Authors of this method do not explain how competence and commitment are weighted across different development levels.
• it does not fully address the issue of 1:1 vs group leadership in an organizational setting.
• Does not indicate how employees move from each stage.