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LEADERSHIP RESPONSES
DIRECTIONS: After reading each brief description of a situation that a school leader might encounter, rank order the four responses listed based upon what you think you might do if faced with that situation. Give a '4' to the response that you would most likely make, a '3' to the one that would be the second most likely response for you to make, etc. This is a forced choice instrument! You MUST give a '4', a '3', a '2', and a '1' to a different response within each set of four responses provided for a given situation. While it is acknowledged that the leadership responses specified for each situation do not include all possible reactions, you MUST limit yourself to those that have been listed. (Note: The red question marks [?] are drop down boxes to use for your choices.)

SITUATION# 1: A key subordinate has been performing in an extremely ineffective manner -- and this substandard performance has persisted over a two-year period.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

4 A. Meet with the individual and establish specific performance goals and appropriate
time frames for their accomplishment.

2 B. Meet with the individual and have an honest discussion regarding what he/she
perceives as the factors hindering the desired performance.

1 C. Meet with the individual, explain how his/her performance is making both of you
look bad, and provide additional resources to help him/her do the job.

3 D. Meet with the individual and give him/her a pep talk by explaining how important
his/her contribution is to the overall success of the organization and by urging a renewed commitment to doing a quality job. SITUATION# 2: Two subordinates are fighting over who has organizational responsibility for managing a particular task that never has been clearly assigned.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

4 A. Bring both together and collaboratively devise a solution that addresses both of
their interests and needs.

1 B. Bring both together and assign the task to the subordinate who has the greatest
acceptance and support from others in the organization.

2 C. Bring both together, explain how their in-fighting is detracting from their collective
ability to attain the organizational mission, and explore ways to resolve the matter consistent with the core values of the organization.

3 D. Bring both together, listen to their rationale regarding why each should manage the
task, then assign the task to the individual who has made the best case and revise his/her job description so the responsibility now is clearly defined.

SITUATION# 3: A recently hired subordinate openly and repeatedly challenges your decisions in staff meetings.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

2 A. Meet with the individual and direct him/her to stop that behavior because it is
inappropriate and undermines your working relationship.

3 B. Meet with the individual and explore the negative impact that his/her behavior
could have on the group and what it is trying to achieve.

1 C. Meet with the individual and establish a procedure that would allow him/her to
voice concerns about your decisions with you in private as opposed to within the setting of a staff meeting.

4 D. Meet with the individual and explore why he/she feels the need to act the way
he/she has been acting in staff meetings. SITUATION# 4: A particular work unit (department or grade level) for which you have organizational responsibility has performed at an unusually high level that has far exceeded your expectations.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

4 A. Call a general staff meeting, praise the unit's productivity, explain why you think
that it has been able to perform at such a high level, and urge other units to follow suit.

1 B. Call a general staff meeting and explain that you are assigning that unit additional
responsibilities because it has been so productive.

3 C. Call a general staff meeting, have the total group examine what has contributed to
that unit's success, and engage the total group in a discussion focusing on what is preventing other units from duplicating that success.

2 D. Call a general staff meeting, emphasize the unit's productivity, and announce the
reallocation of fiscal resources within the division to give the recognized work unit more to work with. SITUATION# 5: A particular work unit (department or grade level) consistently has complained that it does not have a large enough staff to effectively deal with all of its assigned responsibilities.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

2 A. Revise the areas of responsibility for this unit by taking some tasks away from it
and assigning them to other units.

4 B. Ask the unit's staff to analyze its work load and identify what tasks it can handle
with its existing level of staffing and which it needs to give up for reassignment to other units.

1 C. Have the leaders of the various units within your division negotiate among themselves
in terms of dividing up all organizational responsibilities -- as well as all resources including staff positions.

3 D. Ask the unit's staff to analyze wbich of its responsibilities can be totally eliminated
because they are inconsistent with the organization's mission and values.

SITUATION# 6: You have been directed to eliminate one of your four top assistants because of budgetary reductions for the coming year.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

4 A. Meet individually with each assistant and engage each in a conversation regarding
his/her career aspirations, personal plans, and openness to reassignment to other positions within the organization.

2 B. Determine which of your assistants is the most expendable given his/her power base
and level of organizational support.

3 C. Analyze how each of your assistants' removal might be interpreted by others in the
organization and whose removal might send the wrong messages given what you are trying to accomplish within the organization.

1 D. Utilize some simple and clearly defined criterion like seniority to make the ultimate
decision regarding who must go. SITUATION# 7: You have been asked to identify a new set of priorities for your organization.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

3 A. Meet individually with representatives from the major stakeholder groups from
within and outside your organization and use their ideas as the framework for identifying the priorities.

1 B. Devise priorities that clearly reflect previously identified core values of the organization. 4 C. Establish a representative task force of staff members to identify possibilities and
then have them use a prescribed consensus decision-making model to determine the priorities.

2 D. Utilize written surveys and focus groups to ascertain staff and community concerns
and desires and have your immediate staff use that information to establish priorities. SITUATION# 8: A powerful community group repeatedly has criticized your professional performance.
(4=most likely; 1=least likely)

1 A. Find some outside expert or group that will publicly recognize your successes and
emphasize your accomplishments.

3 B. Generate and disseminate a written position paper that pulls together appropriate
facts that logically address and contradict the group's concerns.

4 C. Meet with the leaders of the critical group and try to ascertain what its concerns are
and how you can best respond to them.

2 D. Identify another powerful community group that supports you and ask its leaders to
get more actively involved in off-setting the first group's criticism.
Stanley A. Schainker (Based on the ideas of: Lee Bolman & Terry Deal, 1997.)