Leadership Link June 2010

This month I want to continue talking about "Leading at a Higher Level." Over the past months I have talked about setting our sights on the right target and vision, serving our customers (our students, their families, and our donors), and treating our people right.

This month I want to wrap up this discussion with a brief discussion on having the right kind of leadership.

Organizations where leading at a higher level exists are organizations that:

1.   Set their sight on the right target and vision.
2.   Serve your customer. (In Teen Challenge the students, families and donors are the "customers.")
3.   Treat our people right (the staff).
4.   Have the right kind of leadership.

The four priorities above define what Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey call "Situational Leadership," in their book, Leading at a Higher Level.

In this book, the authors develop a second version of this concept which defines a powerful tool you can use in leading people effectively.

How people respond to directions and/or what is the emotional makeup of a person gives us some clues on how to best lead them. The Situational Leadership II Model suggests that there are 4 basic leadership styles. These define "the right kind of leadership."
1. Directing
2. Coaching
3. Supporting
4. Delegating

These correspond with the 4 basic development levels of your staff. Blanchard and Hersey suggest the following:
1. Enthusiastic beginner - low competence, high commitment
2. Disillusioned learner - low to some competence, low commitment
3. Capable but cautious performer - moderate to high competence, variable commitment.
4. Self-reliant achiever - high competence, high commitment.

If you are going to have the right kind of leadership, you must know what each individual staff needs, and provide the appropriate leadership.

As a leader you sometimes lead by giving high direction and low support (Directing). Other times you provide both high direction and high support (Coaching). Then as an employee/staff begins to mature in your organization, you lead with less direction and higher support (Supporting). Then finally you have staff who are self starters and can take on projects and work on their own. You lead with low direction and low support (Delegating).

In Ken Blanchard's book, Leading at a Higher Level, you can see these principles described in greater detail.

May God continue to help us as we endeavor to lead at a higher level.