Day-to-Day Leadership that Gets Results

In this lecture, I'll establish the basic principle that we'll be working to throughout this course, and why it makes so much sense. For many people, this one insight alone is a game changer for their approach t leading people at work.

Test out your Day-to-Day Leadership skills with these four mini-case studies.

Read the four mini-case studies on page 5 of your workbook.

Assess which of the four options you think is the most appropriate leadership approach for each one, and record your answers on page 6.

The four case studies refer to:

• Abdul
• Barbara
• Chen-chi
• David

It's really important that you completed Exercise 2. I'll explain why.

This exercise will encourage you to think about your own experiences of Day-to-Day Leadership. What makes a good or bad day-to-day leader?

Think about the best and worst bosses you have had. 

• What did they do that made them either a good leader, or a bad one?
• What were the characteristics of your best bosses?
• What were the characteristics of your worst bosses?
• And what are the three biggest differences between them?

Record your answers on page 7 of your workbook.

There are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers. 

There is just your own personal experiences.

Robert Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt wrote one of (maybe the) most widely read articles for Harvard Business Review. The insights it contains are hugely valuable for day-to-day leaders. So. I'll summarize their main ideas for you.

In the last lecture, we looked at the seven styles of leadership that Tannenbaum & Schmidt suggested. Now, we can see the three factors that will let you decide which one to apply.

For most day-to-day leaders, the principle of the Tannenbaum & Schmidt model is great, but there is too much too keep in mind. So, we'll start the process of simplifying it, and set up the next section.

To understand our main approach to Day-to-Day Leadership, we need to remember the stages we go through, when we learn anything complicated. So, I'll remind you, and give labels to each stage, to help make the link to leadership in the next lecture.

Day-to-Day leadership is based on the learning stages your people are at.

This is the lecture where I introduce you to the framework for our four Day-to-Day Leadership styles. 

To be an effective Day-to-Day Leader, you'll need to practice and master five skills. I'll introduce you to the first two in this lecture.

You learned how to apply the first of these in the previous lecture, and you'll learn how to apply the second on in the next lecture.

Conveniently placed right at the middle of the course, this is the lecture where I set out our Day-to-Day Leadership model clearly and succinctly.

If you've watched all the lectures leading up to here, you are ready. if you haven't, then this may confuse you.

Now you understand the model, let's test out your understanding of Day-to-Day Leadership skills with these four more mini-case studies.

Read the four mini-case studies on page 13 of your workbook.

Use the situational leadership model to assess which of the four options you think is the most appropriate leadership approach for each one, and record your answers on page 14.

Step 1: Perception

Which of the four styles would best meet the needs of the person in each case study?

Step 2: Adaptability

Which of the four suggested leadership approaches best fits the style you have assessed?

The four case studies refer to:

• Ellie
• Frank
• Goran
• Hetal

I go through the best answers to each case study in the video in the next lecture, along with the reasoning process I use to get to them.

We'll review Exercise 4, giving you the 'ideal' solutions to each of the mini case studies.

Now you understand the model, and you've seen how I work out the best answers, go back to the first four people, from Assignment 2. Test out your understanding of Day-to-Day Leadership skills further with the original four more mini-case studies.

Read the four mini-case studies on page 5 of your workbook again.

Use the situational leadership model to assess which of the four options you think is the most appropriate leadership approach for each one. 

Step 1: Perception Which of the four styles would best meet the needs of the person in each case study?

Step 2: Adaptability Which of the four suggested leadership approaches best fits the style you have assessed?

Do you still agree with your original answers, on page 6?

If not, change your answers.

The four case studies refer to:

• Abdul
• Barbara
• Chen-chi
• David

I go through the best answers to each case study in the video in the next lecture, along with the reasoning process I use to get to them.

We'll review Exercise 5, giving you the 'ideal' solutions to each of the mini case studies.

Earlier in the course, I told you there are five skills you'll need to be an effective Day-to-Day Leader, and introduced you to the first two.

In this lecture, I'll remind you of the first two skills and introduce you to the other three.

Then, in the rest of this section, we'll learn about those three skills.

Here, you'll learn how to brief people and set effective task goals.

In this lecture, I'll demonstrate the importance of a partnership approach to Day-to-Day Leadership.

The final skill you'll need is to give effective feedback. I'll take you through the core skills, using a simple memory aid: BOOST.

The most common question I get about feedback is: 

'When should I give positive (supportive) feedback, and when should I give negative (critical) feedback?'

So, I made this extra lecture, to answer that question.

This is a chance to reflect on the five skills of a Day-to-Day Leader, where your strengths are, and where you want to develop your skills.

Assess your skill levels in the five skills of a situational Leader

What are your levels of Ability and Attitude (enthusiasm and confidence)?

• What are your experience levels? 
• How do you feel about the skill?

What are your needs for additional support, guidance, and learning?

Record your answers on page 18 of your workbook.

There are no 'right' and 'wrong' answers. 

The answers you gave will be right for you.

Having learned the skills of a Day-to-Day lLeader in the context of individual team members, how can you apply them to your team as a whole?

I'll address that question in this lecture.

When your team goes through a significant change, it transforms the team dynamics. If you continue to lead it in the same way, you may not succeed in getting he best from your team.

In this lecture, I address that challenge.

Our model of Day-to-Day Leadership is an excellent way of thinking about and applying good leadership tfor your team. 

But it isn't the only model. So, in tis lecture, I talk about another model, which is complementary to our main model. This means you can apply these extra ideas alongside what you have learned already.

Take the opportunity to consolidate your learning by reflecting on this course, and what you have learned.

Answer the three questions on page 24 of your workbook.

1. What have you learned in this course that has been most interesting and insightful to you?
2. What are the most practical and useful tips and tools you have learned?
3. What will you do differently now, as a result of having worked through this course?

There are no 'right' and 'wrong' answers. 

The answers you gave will be right for you

All good things come to an end. So, I'll wind up here.