Leadership Styles Profile Exercise

Read the following statements and select one of the alternative actions that best describes how you would approach the situation. Circle your answers as you go.

Guidance:-

- Answer all of the questions

- Try to answer as honestly as you can

- Don’t ponder too long on each question

- Choose the nearest or best fit answer if in doubt

1.Situation

  • Your own team are not responding lately to your friendly conversation & obvious concern for their welfare. Their performance is declining rapidly.

2.Situation

  • The observable performance of your team is increasing. You have been making sure that all members were aware of their responsibilities & expected standards of performance.

3.Situation

  • Members of your group are unable to solve a problem. You have normally left them alone. Group performance & interpersonal relations have been good.
  1. Situation
  • You are considering a change. Your team have a fine record of accomplishment. They respect the need for a change.
  1. Situation
  • The performance of your team has been drooping during the last few months. Members have been unconcerned with meeting objectives. Redefining roles & responsibilities has helped in the past. They have continually needed reminding to have their tasks completed on time.
  1. Situation
  • You stepped into an efficiently run business area. The previous manager tightly controlled the situation but you would like to begin humanising the environment.
  1. Situation
  • You are considering changing to a structure that will be new to your team. Team members have made suggestions about the change needed. The group has been productive & demonstrated flexibility in its operatives.
  1. Situation
  • Team performance & interpersonal relations are good, you feel somewhat insecure about your lack of direction.
  1. Situation
  • Your operations manager has appointed you to head a task force that is far overdue in making requested recommendations for change. The group is not clear on its goals. Attendance at sessions has been poor. Their meetings have turned into social gatherings. Potentially they have the talent necessary to help.
  1. Situation
  • Your staff usually able to take responsibility are not responding to your recent defining of standards.
  1. Situation
  • You have been promoted to a new position. The previous manager was uninvolved in the affairs of the team. The staff have adequately handled its tasks& directions. Team interactions are good.
  1. Situation
  • Recent information indicates some internal difficulties amongst staff. The team has a remarkable record of accomplishment. Members have effectively maintained long-range goals. They have worked in harmony for the past year. All are well qualified for the task.
/ Alternative actions:
You would…
  1. Emphasise the use of uniform procedures & the necessity for task accomplishment.
  2. Make yourself available for discussion but not push your involvement.
  3. Talk with followers & then set goals
  4. Intentionally not intervene.
Alternative actions:
You would …
  1. Engage in friendly interaction but continue to make sure that all members are aware of their responsibility & expected standards of performance.
  2. Take no definite action.
  3. Do what you can to make the group feel important & involved.
  4. Emphasis the importance of deadlines & tasks.
Alternative actions:
You would …
  1. Work with the group & together engage in problem solving.
  2. Let the group work it out.
  3. Act quickly & firmly to correct & direct.
  4. Encourage the team to work on the problem & be supportive of their efforts.
Alternative actions:
You would…
  1. Allow group involvement in developing the change but no be too directive.
  2. Announce changes & then implement with close supervision.
  3. Allow the group to formulate its direction.
  4. Incorporate team recommendations but you direct the change.

Alternative actions

You would …
  1. Allow the team to formulate its own direction.
  2. Incorporate team recommendations but see that objectives are met.
  3. Redefine roles and responsibilities & supervise carefully.
  4. Allow group involvement in determining roles & responsibilities but not be too directive.

Alternative actions

You would …
  1. Do what you can to make the staff feel important & involved.
  2. Emphasise importance of deadlines & tasks.
  3. Intentionally not intervene.
  4. Get the staff involved in decision making but see that objectives are met.
Alternative actions
You would…
  1. Define the change & supervise carefully.
  2. Participate with the team in developing the change but allow members to organise implementation.
  3. Be willing to make changes as recommended but maintain control of implementation.
  4. Avoid confrontation, leave things alone.
Alternative actions:
You would …
  1. Leave the team alone
  2. Discuss the situation with the group & then initiate necessary changes
  3. Take steps to direct the team toward working in a well-defined manner.
  4. Be supportive in discussing the situation with the group but not too directive.

Alternative actions

You would …
  1. Leave the group alone.
  2. Discuss the situation with the group & then initiate necessary changes.
  3. Take steps to direct followers towards working in a well defined manner.
  4. Be supportive in discussing the situation with the group but not too directive.
Alternative actions:
You would …
  1. Allow staff involvement in redefining standards but not take control.
  2. Redefine standards & supervise carefully.
  3. Avoid confrontation by not applying pressure, leave the situation alone.
  4. Incorporate group recommendations but see that new standards are met.
Alternative actions:
You would …
  1. Take steps to direct followers towards working in a well defined manner.
  2. Involve staff in decision making then reinforce good contributions.
  3. Discuss past performance with the group & then examine the need for new practices.
  4. Continue to leave the group alone.
Alternative actions:
You would …
  1. Try out your solution with staff and examine the need for new practices.
  2. Allow team members to work it out themselves.
  3. Act quickly & firmly to correct & redirect.
  4. Participate in problem discussion whilst providing support for the team.

Your Leadership Style Profile

To develop your leadership style profile, first transfer the circled alternative actions for each of the twelve situations to the corresponding numbered situation in the table below. Then, total the number of circled actions for each of the four vertical columns and write their sums next to ‘Totals’.

(1) / (2) / (3) / (4)
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 / A
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
TOTALS / DIRECTIVE
(S1) / COACHING
(S2) / SUPPORTIVE
(S3) / DELEGATIVE
(S4)

Table 1

Transfer the total for each column to the box in the corresponding square in the diagram below, e.g. write the column (1) total in the box in S1, the column (2) total in the box S2, etc.

S3

/

S2


S4

/

S1

Now you can interpret the result of the scoring you have just completed. From this, three very important pieces of information come together to form your leadership style profile.:-

Primary style

Primary style is the style you would tend to use most frequently. The square in the diagram above which has the greatest number of responses indicated is your primary style.

Secondary style

Secondary, or supporting style(s) include the square(s) – other than your primary style square in which there are two or more responses. These styles tend to be your ‘back up’ styles when you are not using your primary style.

Style range

Style range refers to the total number of squares in the model above in which there are two or more responses. Style range provides a sense for how flexible you are in varying the types of behaviours you engage in when attempting to influence others.

Three or more responses in a square indicate a high degree of flexibility. One response in a square is not statistically significant and therefore it is difficult to predict flexibility into that style.

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