You now have all four leadership styles in your management toolkit: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. Each serves a specific employee development level and business situation.

The mark of an effective people manager is seamlessly choosing the right style for each direct report and business challenge.

Engagement Message

Which of the four styles do you think you'll use most often in your management role?

Type

Sort Into Boxes

Practice Question

Let's practice matching employee development levels to management styles. Sort these development stages into their corresponding leadership approach needs.

Labels

• First Box Label: Need High Direction
• Second Box Label: Need Low Direction

First Box Items

• Enthusiastic new hires
• Disillusioned performers

Second Box Items

• Capable but cautious
• Self-reliant achievers

Type

Multiple Choice

Practice Question

You're managing four employees: Sarah (excited recent graduate), Mike (struggling after 8 months), Lisa (skilled but seeks constant validation), and Tom (your star performer). Which management approach shows adaptive leadership?

A. Use directing for Sarah, coaching for Mike, supporting for Lisa, delegating for Tom B. Use coaching style with all employees for consistency C. Use supporting style since most employees need encouragement
D. Start with directing and gradually move everyone to delegating

Suggested Answers

• A - Correct
• B
• C
• D

Type