DanielleJacques

OGL300:TheoryPracticeofLeadership
ProfessorAllen
17July2016
Assignment#3:BehaviorandSituationalApproachestoLeadership
Powerful,capable,andintelligentleadersareinstrumentalinsecuringsuccessforany
organization.Theirimpactonpeople,processes,andprofessionsisundeniable,anditisnatural
thatscholarswouldwanttostudyleadersandleadershipinordertofindamethodologythrough
whichtheycanbemimickedandreplicated.
Themannerinwhichoursocietyisstructuredandthelackofdiversityinprevious
decadesoftheAmericanworkforcenaturallygivescredencetoaspecificconceptionofaleader:
anindividualwhoactivefacilitatesconversations,leadscompromise,andactsasanmajor
touchstonewithintheorganization.Thisveinofthinking,thestudyofanindividualsapproaches
andreactionstovarioussituationsisthefoundationofthebehavioralapproachtoleaders.
Instarkcontrasttothebehavioralmodel,thesituationalapproachtoleadershipfocusona
moreholisticapproachtoaleadersbehaviors.Whilethebehaviorapproachascribesastylefor
anysituationaleadermayface,thepopularsituationalapproachfocusesonaleadersabilityto
adapttothechallengesandrequirementsofamyriadofsituations,expectations,andchallenges.
Inthiswayleadersitdoesanexcellentjobofassessingleadershipbasedonanynumberfactors
whichanindividualmayfaceintheirposition.
InrelationtothebehavioralapproachBlakeandMoutonsLeadershipGridModel
focusesonthedifferencebehaviorsofleadersasafunctionoftheirconcernforpeople,meaning
theircolleaguesandsubordinates,andtheirconcernforresults.Thisresultsinfiveprimary

managementstyles,eachhighlightedbyalow,medium,orhighleveloffocusinthe
aforementionedareas.
Beginningatthelowertiersinrelationtoconcernforpeoplearetheimpoverished
managementandauthoritycompliancemanagementstyles.Thedifferentiationbetweenthe
stylesisrelatedtotheirconcernforresults,impoverishedmanagerslackconcernforboth,while
authoritycompliancemanagershaveaconcentratedfocusonresults.Thisleadstoimpoverished
managersconsistentlyexertingtheminimumamountofeffortrequiredtosucceed.
Movingslightlyuptheladder,intermsofconcernforpeople,isthemiddleoftheroad
managementstyle.Asitsnameimplies,middleoftheroadmanagersareneitheroverly
concernedorunconcernedwiththeirpeopleorresults.Ratherthestylefocusesonbalancing
thesetwo,sometimescontradictory,areasinordertoachievesuccessfortheorganizationasa
whole.Managerswhopracticethisstylerespondequitablytotheneedsofbothareasbyactingas
compromisers,whohaveintermediateconcernforthetaskandanintermediateconcernforthe
peoplewhodothetask,(78).
ThefinaltwostylesintheBlakeandMoutongridarethecountryclubmanagementand
teammanagementstyle.Theformercorrespondswithmanagementthatisoverlyconcernedwith
peopleandlacksanysubstantialorsignificantconcernforresults.Thisstyleisreferredtoas
overlymaternal,asitprovidesthebenefitofnurturingpeoplewithinanorganization,but
completelyignorestheeverimportantdemandforresultsandsuccess.Wherethecountryclub
managerfaillacksbasicfocusonorganizationalsuccess,theteammanagerisabletoforgeahead
withadualfocusonpeopleandresults.However,unlikethemiddleoftheroadmanager,this
individualhasmuchmorethananintermediateconcernfortheseareas.Asaresult,strong

interdependentrelationshipsareformedbyteamleadersthroughastakeintheorganizations
success.Resultsbecomesynonymouswithpersonalsuccessandthe

LiketheBlakeandMoutonmodel,theBlanchardSituationalApproachModelto
leadershipcanbesortedinafewmainareas.Thismodelanalysesleadershipstylesbasedona
functionbetweendirectivebehaviorandsupportivebehavior.Fromthisfourprincipalareasare
thefocusofthemodel:delegating,supporting,coaching,anddirecting.Delegationis
representativeofleaderswithlowdirectiveandlowsupportivebehavior.Theseleadersneither
makeoverwhelmingeffortstocontrolnordeveloptheirteams.Supportersarefocusedonlow
directivebehaviorand,unsurprisingly,highsupportivebehavior,workinghardtoprovidethe
necessarysupporttotheirteammembers.Thecoachingstyleisaleaderwhoisfocusedonboth
supportiveanddirectivebehavior,providingbothtoimproveateammatesperformance.Finally,
directingbehaviorisfocusedonhighdirectionandlowsupport.
Whatdifferentiatesthismodelisthatnoneofthestylesareinherentlybadorgood.
Ratheritisdependentupontheskillandmaturityofthecorrespondingteammember.This
modeldefinesfourareasofdevelopmentforapotentialprofessionalrangingfromD1,for
developing,toD4,fordeveloped.Agoodleader,utilizingtheframeworkprovidedinthismodel,
takesintoaccountavarietyofsituationalfactorsincludingtheabilityoftheirteammates,when
decidinghowtoapproachaleadershipsituation.
Lookingatthefinalcasestudyinchapterfour,WeAreFamilywecanseesome
oftheissueswiththevariousleadershipstyles.Utilizingtheinformationprovidedinthetext,I
woulddescribeMarianneasacountryclubleaderormanager.Thoughthetextualevidencedoes

notpointtoherhavinganextremelydiminishedfocusonresults,shefocusesonthedesiresof
herteamtothepointthatsheletsitinterferewithherfocusonresults.Furthermore,herpersonal
relationshipswithhersubordinatescloudherjudgementandherabilitytoanalyzesituations
fairlyandempowerBetsyasaleader,ratherthancriticizingherstyle.
Betsywouldbestbedescribedeitherasaleaderembracingateammanagementstyleora
middleoftheroadmanagementstyle.TheprovidedtexthintsatBetsysdesiretomaintain
positiverelationshipswithherteamandmakechangesandaccomplishments,however,Ifoundit
relativelyunclearhowhighherexpectationswere.Regardless,Idonotthinktheconflictcalls
forachangeinleadershipstylefromBetsy.MarianneshouldfocusonsupportingBetsys
attemptstoconnectwithherteamandimprovetheirprocesses,ratherthanutilizingthedegreeof
herpersonalleadershiptointerferewithBetsyssuccess.Mariannesleadershipstyledoesnot
directlyaffecttheoutputoftheteamuntilitcomesintoconflictwithBettysefforts,soherstyle
doesnotnecessarilyneedtochange,theextenttowhichsheexertsherinfluencemustbe
reduced,however.Ifitisnotchanged,MarianneshoulduseittostrengthenBetsysconnection
withtheteam,ratherthancreatinganoutsideescapistrealityforBetsysteam,whereby
Mariannebecomesawaythattheycanavoidorganizationalrealitiestheywouldprefertoavoid.
Inmypersonalexperience,IfindleaderswithmanagementstyleslikeMariannestobe
extremelydestructive.Theimportancetheyplaceupontheirpersonalrelationshipscanoften
deterthemfromwelcomingnewadditionstotheirteamwhentheyfeelthatthisnewpresence
threatenstherelationshipstheyworkedhardtopreserve.Thisisprincipallycausedbythefact
thattherelationshiptheyhavedevelopedisprimarilybasedonpersonalconnectionswithlittle
professionalintertwinementduetotheirunsophisticatedfocusonresultsandorganizational

success.Inthiswaytheteamisfocusedonpersonalwaysofrelatingwithoneanotherratherthan
thefactthattheirinterdependentrelationshipscreatesuccessfortheminsidetheorganization.I
hadoneexperience,whereacomanageronanewteamIhadbeentransferredtowasdistrustful
ofmyburgeoningrelationshipwithherchiefsubordinate.Thetwoofthemhadworkedtogether
formanyyears,andthoughtheyworkedwell,theywereunaccustomedtomyresultsfocused
work.WhenImadeattemptstochangetheirprocessesandmakesuggestionsonimprovement
forherchiefsubordinate,mycounterpartrejectedmyefforts,andmadenoattempttohelp
solidifymyrelationshipwithourteam,especiallyherfavorites.Shesawmypresenceandmy
driveforsuccessasathreattotheenvironmentandrelationshipsshehadworkedhardto
develop.
Inthefinalcasestudyinthefifthchapter,GettingtheMessageAcrosswecanutilize
theBlanchardmodeltomakeafewassessments.First,themajorissueattheWCBAseemstobe
Annslackofpivotingasaleader.Thoughsheseemstomakesignificanteffortsinrecruiting
qualitystudentsforthestationandestablishingpositivepersonalrelationshipswiththem,she
doeslittletodifferentiateherstyleafterthispoint.Withtheeffortthatsheexertsinrecruitment
andsocialization,Annshouldmakeanefforttocategorizeherstudentsintogroups,thosewho
needagreatdealofguidanceandthesewhoclearlyunderstandtheexpectationsofFCCrules
andtheconsequencesforbreakingthoserules,intentionallyornot.Annshouldperhapsstayon
withstudentsoftheformertype,andevenquestionthemorassisttheminunderstandingand
interpretingthelimitationsoftheirspeechontheair.Instead,Annseffortsinrecruitmentand
relationshipbuildingarenotfullybeingrealizedthroughhersituationalapproach.

Ihavehadasingleexperiencethatmakesmecallthesituationalapproachtomind.
Personally,Ilearnbestthroughrepetitionandconstantexposuretotasksandprocesses.Inthis
wayIbecomemorecomfortableandexpandmyprofessionalrepertoire.ManyyearsagoIhad
justmadeantransitiontoanewindustryandthemoverequiredagreatdealofmemorizationof
informationandautomationoftasksthathadneverbeenutilizedinmyoldposition.Asaresult,I
needconsistentexposuretothemandalertedmymanagertotheproblem.Insteadofresponding
tomyneedforanextendedcoachingperiod,heattemptedtoimmediatelytakealessactiverole
inhisapproachtomanagingme,whichdidnotsetmeupforsuccess.

References
Northouse,P.G.(2015).Introductiontoleadership:Conceptsandpractice.LosAngeles:Sage
Publications.