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Developmental Leadership:  Learning to Shift Your Style

Marie G. McIntyre, Ph.D.

(All material on yourofficecoach.com is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre.  All rights reserved.)

 

One of the most important tasks of a manager is to help employees acquire the skills, abilities, and knowledge needed to be fully competent in their jobs.  Frequently, the manager’s own leadership style either promotes or inhibits an employee’s development. 

 

1.  Identifying Your Preferred Leadership Style

Just as we each have individual personality characteristics, each manager has his or her own leadership style.  You may not have given much thought to describing your leadership style, but your employees could definitely tell you about it!   The better you understand your natural style, the more easily you can modify it when you need to.

 

A. Fundamental Leadership Behaviors

 

Two basic responsibilities of any manager are exercising control and encouraging employee involvement.  These two things may sound somewhat contradictory, but they actually are not.  The table below specifies just what is meant by Control and Involvement, the two factors we will use to describe different leadership styles.

 

 Control

·         Setting goals

·         Clarifying expectations

·         Providing direction

·         Giving information

·         Defining roles

·         Answering questions

·         Organizing & structuring

·         Making decisions

 Involvement

·         Listening

·         Asking opinions

·         Providing encouragement

·         Getting feedback

·         Trying new ideas

·         Facilitating discussions

·         Developing relationships

·         Sharing decision making

 

 

All managers need to use Control and Involvement behaviors in different combinations and at different times.  Knowing when to use each of these behaviors appropriately is one of the keys to being an effective manager.

 

B. The Developmental Leadership Model

 

The Developmental Leadership Model combines Control and Involvement behaviors into four different leadership styles.  These styles are not innately good or bad – the key is to use the right style at the right time – and with the right person.  The four styles are shown in the table below.

 

§         Identifying Your Style Preferences

Rank the four styles according to your level of comfort with each one.  Give a 4 to the style with which you are most comfortable, a 3 to the next most comfortable, and so on.  Then discuss with your group members the reasons why you prefer your highest-ranked style and why you may tend to avoid your lowest-ranked style.

 

 

2.  Choosing the Appropriate Style for Each Employee

Successful managers learn that they must treat their employees both the same and differently!  You want to be consistent and not show favoritism, but at the same time you need to change your leadership style to meet each employee’s individual needs. 

 

Employees differ in the amount of direction and interaction they want from their manager, so one factor influencing your style may be the employee’s preference.  Thinking back to motivational differences, for example, a high-affiliation employee may want to interact more frequently than someone motivated largely by achievement.  Another critical factor in determining the appropriate leadership style is the employee’s job maturity.  This is the primary factor used in the Developmental Leadership Model.

 

 

A. Matching Leadership Style & Job Maturity

 

The key to using the Developmental Leadership Model is learning to shift your style to match the developmental level of each employee and the specific situation you are facing.   The appropriate style is determined by assessing the employee’s job maturity, which is related to several factors.

 

 

Low Job Maturity

·         Little work experience

·         Little job experience

·         New to organization

·         New to assignment

·         Poor decision-making ability

·         Poor job performance

·         Poor work habits

·         Avoids responsibility

 

 

High Job Maturity

·         Extensive work experience

·         Extensive job experience

·         Familiar with organization

·         Familiar with assignment

·         Good decision-making ability

·         Outstanding job performance

·         Good work habits

·         Enjoys responsibility

Is this person or group . . .                                                                       

1.      Able to set appropriate work-related goals?

1    2   3   4   5

2.      Willing to set high, but attainable goals?

1    2   3   4   5

3.      Able to solve work-related problems?

1    2   3   4   5

4.      Likely to be a self-starter?

1    2   3   4   5

5.      Likely to stick with a task until it is completed?

1    2   3   4   5

6.      Eager to take responsibility?

1    2   3   4   5

7.      Able to work without much supervision?

1    2   3   4   5

8.      Likely to prefer working independently?

1    2   3   4   5

9.      Supportive of the objectives of the task or job?

1    2   3   4   5

10.  Interested in the task or job?

1    2   3   4   5

11.   Educated and/or experienced in this area?

1    2   3   4   5

 

Add up your score and see which style might be best...

Low Maturity                                                                            High Maturity

11                    22                  33                  44                    55

Directing   -   Consulting   -    Participating   -   Delegating

 

 

B. Coaching Employees through a Learning Curve

 

Developmental leadership can help you coach employees through a learning curve when the job, organization, or assignment is new to them.  By gradually shifting from higher control and involvement to lower control and involvement, you help the employee learn to become more independent and self-sufficient. 

 

 

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