1.5 - About University

W HEN TO USENondirective• when a person needs support• when developing skilled people• if there are many ways of doing somethingDirective• when a person doesn’t know how• when developing unskilled people• when there’s only one best way of doing somethingH OW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOLGive people a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach people how to fish and you helpthem to feed themselves. Teach people to sustain fish stocks and they feed many forever.Before his promotion to a leadership role, Tom’s favorite saying was, “Just tell me what to do,and I’ll get it done.” Shortly after his promotion, complaints started surfacing about Tom’sstyle: “Tom treats us all like children. We do have heads on our shoulders, you know!” Anotherleader, Mary, preferred to be led by participative leaders who “Don’t tell me what to do,” butrather acted as a sounding board to help her determine the best action. She treated others theway she preferred to be treated. Soon, team members began complaining, “I wish Mary wouldjust tell us what she wants. We spend far too much time trying to guess what is on her mind.”Both of these leaders were well-intentioned, but lacked role flexibility.Use this tool to assess your own leadership style and flexibility, or to coach others to dothe same. In addition, when people approach you with a concern, be aware of the role embeddedin their approach. In this way, you can make a conscious decision about how you wish torespond, as opposed to simply reacting and hoping for the best result. Use the questions in theworksheet to challenge and improve your versatility as a leader.WEB WORKSHEETLeadership Role AssessmentImprovement Actions1. In a typical month, which role(s) would you use:• most often?• least often?2. In which role(s) do you feel:• most comfortable?• least comfortable?3. Which role(s) seem to be the best way to lead specificpeople in your group?4. Which role(s) are others asking you to fill?(You may wish to list people in your group.)SECTION 9 TOOLS FOR LEADING AND INFLUENCING OTHERS 265