BULDING THE FUTURE

Think of a leader you know. Is part of what you admire about them their ability to lead in any situation? A leader often demonstrates flexibility in dealing with different people but not necessarily using the same leadership style in every situation. This skill of flexible leadership is learned using the best form of education; "learn by doing" and practicing with people around you. The role of a leader then, has two parts:

• to identify the most appropriate type of leadership for the situation and
• to motivate those around you, the follower or the learner in reaching a higher level of independence to accomplish the task at hand.

Every follower has different abilities, motivation and self-confidence and therefore requires different levels of leadership or guidance. By dividing followers into four 'readiness' levels we can understand the variances and then apply the most appropriate leadership style in the situation to get the greatest results, as noted in the tables below.

Follower's Readiness Levels

1	2	3	4
Low: follower lacks ability, motivation and confidence to accomplish the task	Moderate low: follower is highly motivated but uncertain of task	Moderate high: follower able to accomplish task, motivated but insecure	High: follower able, willing and independent



Leadership for Each Readiness Level

High Task and Low Relationship	High Task and High Relationship	High Relationship and Low Task	Low Relationship and Low Relationship
Leadership: tell them all the details, provide structure, and supervision	Leadership: guide through tasks, advise positively on areas of improvement, explain reasons why	Leadership: provide encouragement and support, stand back and let them attempt activities independently	Leadership: delegate or talk together to come up with a plan

As mentioned, every person is at a different readiness level and the first step is to identify what level the follower is at. In the table, the leadership styles all have a component of task building and relationship building. It is not enough to focus only on the task at hand but also to motivate followers to higher achievement, encourage them to better performance and reward them for their willingness to get involved.

Practice your skills:

To reinforce your understanding of this concept, work through the following examples by first identifying the follower's readiness level and then making a checkmark choosing the most appropriate leadership style. I have provided a guideline at the end for clarification.

1.Your members are not responding lately to the friendly ways you have been asking them to help with organization’s activities. They are not getting their jobs done and things are disorganized. You:

• ___ Direct and closely supervise the completion of their tasks.
• ___ In a pleasant and friendly manner continue to encourage their helping with organization's activities.
• ___ Discuss the situation with them and then make sure they complete their tasks.
• ___ Do nothing; assume their behavior will improve.

2.You have a committee member that does very well at participating in discussions but does not complete the paperwork to implement the committee’s decisions, so someone ends up doing it for them. You:

• ___ Consider this a stage they are going through and don't do anything.
• ___ Act quickly and firmly to correct the problem.
• ___ Sit down and discuss the situation with them to find out what they think ought to be done; take no direct steps.
• ___ Listen to them and what they think about their behavior, but see that they get their job done showing consideration for their fellow committee members.

3.Your new volunteer has just arrived to help with a community event. She has very little experience but is very interested in learning. You:

• ___ Hand her a copy of the event checklist and tell her to get started.
• ___ Ask what aspect of the event she is familiar with and start her there.
• ___ Get her to follow you for the first couple of hours and show her where she will be working and tell her what her responsibilities are.
• ___ Assign a specific task to her, show her what to do and tell her who to ask if she needs additional help.

4.You are responsible for a major project and considering some modifications to one aspect of the project. Your committee leader for that aspect of the project, a conscientious and organized worker, is stopping by this afternoon as he mentioned he also had some ideas. You:

• ___ Discuss the ideas for change and support his efforts to implement them.
• ___ Decide what changes need to be made and then direct the implementation of those changes.
• ___ Allow your committee leader to decide what changes should be made and do what he wants.
• ___ Discuss your ideas regarding changes with the committee leader, but make the final decisions yourself.

5.You have just returned from the hospital where you had been recovering from an illness. During your absence, your organization has been running smoothly and making decisions and planning activities without you. You:

• ___ Stop worrying about not being involved and let them continue with their plans.
• ___ Decide what action to take and tell the members how you will be handling the situation.
• ___ Make your members feel involved and part of the organization's team.
• ___ Take steps to direct and supervise the situation.

Writer's Perspective:

1. Readiness level of the members is 1. They require structure, guidance and understanding of responsibilities. Check box #1.

2. Readiness level of the committee member is 3. They are possibly uncertain of the paperwork process and require someone to watch over their shoulder, initially. Check box #4.

3. Readiness level of the volunteer is 2. She is enthusiastic to develop her skills so will require someone to guide her to successfully completing the tasks. Check box #4.

4. Readiness level of the committee leader is 4. He is capable of making the decisions on his own but it is necessary to share thoughts together and then let him do his job. Check box #1.

5. Readiness level of organization members is 4. They are capable and enthusiastic about their roles, so the leader can stand back and let them do their job. Check box #1.

Summary:

Situational leadership, as we have outlined here, is simply a common sense way to look at leadership and decide logically how to approach your management decisions. Practice these skills of leadership flexibility on someone you know today.