Chapter 11
Self-Awareness and Leadership Style
Chapter Overview
Situational Leadership® requires managers to shift or change their leadership styles in
response to changes in follower readiness. This raises two important questions that are
the focus of this chapter:
1. Are most leaders able to be that flexible, or do they tend to be limited only to one
Chapter Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, each student should be able to:
1. Define and discuss style range, flexibility, and adaptability
2. Discuss the question: Is there one best style of leadership?
Key Terms and Concepts
LEAD Instrumentation
The LEAD instrument was designed to measure leader behavior in terms of style, style
range, and style flexibility and adaptability.
Leader Style
An individual’s leadership style is the behavior pattern the person exhibits when
attempting to influence the behavior of others. This style may be very different from the
individual’s self-perception. Because it can be very useful for an individual to compare
self-perception with the perception of others, two LEAD instruments have been
developed: LEAD Self and LEAD Other.
Style Range or Flexibility
Style range is the ability of an individual to vary their leadership style. Some leaders’
range is narrow and limited to one basic style, while others are able to modify their
Style Adaptability
Style adaptability is the extent to which a manager can vary the style that is appropriate to
the demands of a given situation. It is not enough to have a wide style range if a manager
Flexibility: A Question of Willingness
Most leaders are able to learn to use all four of the basic leadership styles. In fact, it is a
rare day when we don’t naturally use each of them. People tend to use their primary style
Is There Only One Appropriate Style?
In most situations, more than one leadership style can work. Situational Leadership®
Use of LEAD Instrumentation
When the Center for Leadership Studies diagnoses an organization using LEAD
Johari Window
The LEAD Self and LEAD Other are used to determine if there is any discrepancy
between self-perception and the perception of others. The Johari Window is a helpful
The Johari Window creates four areas to describe the known to self and others parameters
as well as the unknown to self and others: public arena, blind spot, façade, and the
unknown. The public arena is known to all (the leader and others); the blind spot is
unknown to self, but known to others; the façade is the area known to self, but unknown
to others; and the unknown is unknown to both self and others.
LEAD Profiles
Through extensive research with a large sample of middle managers, the Center for
Leadership Studies has developed in-depth information on a variety of common two-style
Style Profile S2–S3
These are leaders who do well working with people at average levels of readiness. These
leaders tend, however, not to be as effective at handling discipline problems or unready
work groups (R1), or in delegating to very competent people (R4). This is a very
common profile in the United States as well as in other countries with similarly high
levels of education and professional experience.
Implications for Growth and Development
Lower level managers tend to be most effective at using Style Profile S1–S2. At this
level, the emphasis is on task behavior or getting the job done. At higher levels of
management, Style Profile S3–S4 is most effective as followers at that level tend to have
a higher job readiness level.
Team Building
If a manager has a narrow range of behavior, they can expand their flexibility without
changing their own behavior by carefully choosing who they gather around them.
Adding the Contracting Process
The contracting process is a good addition to Management by Objectives (MBO), for
Using Performance Readiness Style Match
The Performance Readiness Style Match has been developed by the Center for
Leadership Studies to formalize the process of Contracting for Leadership Style. This
instrument is used to measure performance readiness using two dimensions, ability and
willingness.
data from Performance Readiness Style Match.
Suggested Teaching Approaches
The two questions cited in the chapter overview should elicit considerable discussion and
debate because there is evidence on both sides. Are there constraints on a leader’s ability
to change style? Do all leaders have the same flexibility? How can leaders increase their
flexibility?
Activities
1. Two LEAD Other Reports are provided to enhance the content regarding
interpreting feedback covered in this chapter. Students are asked to interpret the
Exam Questions
1. If you completed the LEAD Self instrument, would you be able to assess your
leader’s style? Why, or why not?
Answer:
No. The LEAD Self instrument does not measure leadership style, it measures
2. What is a wide style range? If you have a wide style range, are you necessarily a
good situational manager? Why, or why not?
Answer:
A wide style range simply means that a manager has the ability to engage in