Which pair represents the two dimensions of Situational Leadership?

Which pair represents the two dimensions of Situational Leadership?

• A. Directive and supportive.
• B. Directive and controlling.
• C. Visionary and transactional.
• D. Task-focused and relationship-focused.

Answer: (A)

In Situational Leadership, the two dimensions that define how a leader adjusts their style are directive behavior and supportive behavior. Directive behavior means giving clear instructions, defining tasks, procedures, and timelines, and closely guiding performance. Supportive behavior means listening, encouraging, asking for input, and helping develop the follower by providing needed support and resources. The combination of these two axes explains why this option is the best: it directly reflects how the theory frames leadership effectiveness as a balance between task direction and relational support, not as a mix of unrelated concepts. The other pairings pull in terms from different theories or describe general focus areas (like task-focused vs relationship-focused) that aren’t the two axes used in Situational Leadership. In practice, leaders adjust the level of directive versus supportive behavior based on follower readiness, moving from high directive/low supportive to low directive/high supportive, and so on, to match the follower’s competence and confidence.

In Situational Leadership, the two dimensions that define how a leader adjusts their style are directive behavior and supportive behavior. Directive behavior means giving clear instructions, defining tasks, procedures, and timelines, and closely guiding performance. Supportive behavior means listening, encouraging, asking for input, and helping develop the follower by providing needed support and resources. The combination of these two axes explains why this option is the best: it directly reflects how the theory frames leadership effectiveness as a balance between task direction and relational support, not as a mix of unrelated concepts. The other pairings pull in terms from different theories or describe general focus areas (like task-focused vs relationship-focused) that aren’t the two axes used in Situational Leadership. In practice, leaders adjust the level of directive versus supportive behavior based on follower readiness, moving from high directive/low supportive to low directive/high supportive, and so on, to match the follower’s competence and confidence.