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12,1 Life Areas 12,2 Job Phases 12,3 Situation Leadership
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Secret 12,3 · Values / Needs · Situation Leadership

Situation Leadership

Job and Situation Leadership. Attention, follow-up, recognition and coaching rise in proportion to the challenges people face; control, structure and supervision fall in proportion to their competence and skills. Between those two lines sits the Team Zone, divided into four colour areas — and each area is a different situation that asks for a different kind of leadership.

Here are your secrets as manager.

Diagram: The Team Zone med aksene Challenges og Skills
The Team Zone from Secret 2,1, with its two axes, Challenges and Skills. The square is divided into four areas with our four colour language, and each area calls for a different leadership style: Total Situation Leadership, TSL.

Before you start

Four steps

Bilde: fargespråket Step 1 Use the colour language Secret 1,1 — the four colours as a shared vocabulary.
Bilde: Flow-sonen Step 2 Learn the Flow-zone Secret 2,1 — challenges and skills in the same diagram.
Bilde: jobbfaser Step 3 Prove the obvious Lesson 12,2 — junior, senior, mentor, sponsor.
Bilde: Triple-T Test Step 4 Find the TTT level Secret 8,3 — the Triple-T Test and its score.

The model

Situation leadership

Figur: de fire boksene i TSL-modellen
The four boxes, each one a different situation.

Our experience from knowledge-based organisations is:

  • The need for attention, follow-up, recognition, and coaching increases in proportion to the level of real challenges employees face.
  • The need for control, structure, safeguards, and supervision decreases in proportion to people’s competence and skills.

Here is your secret as manager.

To illustrate this, we return to the Team Zone from Secret 2,1, where individuals place themselves in a matrix with two axes: Challenges and Skills, with markings for their status quo. The smaller the zone becomes, the greater the challenges are, and the more specialised the skills required. To clarify our practical experience, we divide the square into four areas with our four colour language as shown in the figure. Each area represents a different situation that calls for a different leadership style, named: TSL.

Total Situation Leadership / TSL

A dialogue

Foto: den første samtalen
The first round of conversations is where the model becomes real.

Imagine that you are a newly appointed leader. You are motivated, engaged, and ready for the task ahead. You have goals that inspire you, and a group of employees of different ages and backgrounds who each want to do their best. You begin with a team meeting where you introduce yourself following the example in Secret 1,3. You share a few facts about who you are, what gives you energy, and finally something essential that your life cannot be without. Then you present the bigger picture — the tasks ahead and the solutions you hope to create together. You end the meeting by inviting everyone to a one-to-one conversation with you during the coming week, so you can gain the best possible overview of the team.

Dialogues / one practical initiative

This creates an opening to discuss

  • Current work tasks and responsibilities
  • Challenges and stress factors
  • Well-being and motivation
  • Opportunities for growth and development

To carry out such a series of conversations, preparation is important. This is where some of the tools in SGL can be highly useful. We recommend starting by asking each person, according to the colour language, a little about factual background. Then ask about hobbies, interests, or leisure activities. After that, introduce Secret 2,1 and the Flow Diagram, and use the illustration as the starting point for the personal conversation.

At the same time, you begin to see where the employee might place themselves in the TSL model. The next step is to explore the employee’s self-image and “job” age. Do they feel like a Junior, a Sponsor, or a Mentor in relation to their work tasks? This gives valuable insight into how they see themselves and where they may fit in the colour zones of the TSL model. Towards the end it may be natural to ask about the working environment in the company and invite them to complete the Triple-T Test, for example by using the website: Secret 8,3. Finally, after around 90 minutes, you thank them for the conversation and assure them that your door is always open whenever they wish to talk again.

Intro film coming

The place for this secret’s intro film is reserved here. It fills in when the recording arrives.

The four boxes

Interpretation and results

Conversations like these naturally require time, but they are worth the investment. Later, you will remember every minute and appreciate every word. Together, these conversations provide a small goldmine of insight about your employees. Used wisely, this knowledge can help make you an excellent leader. So let us now interpret the results.

Box 1

Junior situation

Triple-T Test: normal and OK, about 25–30 points

In the lower-left area (Box 1), the team zone is broad and inclusive. According to age and experience, the challenges and required skills are ordinary. The appropriate leadership style will in this situation normally require:

  • Low use of personal “yellow” attention and confirmation.
  • High focus on “blue” training and quality assurance of tasks, responsibility, targets, and performance.
Box 2

Senior situation

Triple-T Test: normal and OK, about 30–35 points

In the upper-left area (Box 2), only a quarter of the box is within the team zone. The challenges are significant, while the expected skills are still ordinary, but above average. The appropriate leadership style will require:

  • High investment in “red” and relations-oriented team attention and coaching, to develop those who are uncertain and to improve those who are “too comfortable” in the team zone.
  • Strong focus on “red” team and project management as a supplement to normal skill levels.
Box 3

Mentor situation

Triple-T Test: normal and OK, about 36–43 points

In the upper-right area (Box 3), the team zone is narrow and includes the centre of the box. The challenges are great, and the expected skills are highly specialised. The appropriate leadership style will require:

  • High investment in personal values and competence. At this level, people need “purple” visions and delegated tasks, but also “yellow” coaching to prevent burnout among highly self-driven specialists.
  • Low need for direct “blue” control. At this level, people are motivated through independent work processes, high self-awareness, positive attention and direct feedback.
Box 4

“Burn out” situation

Triple-T Test: normal and worrying, about 20–26 points

In the lower-right area (Box 4), less than half the box is within the team zone. The challenges are small, while the expected skills are highly specialised. Traditional leadership often shows:

  • Low investment in personal yellow attention, competence development, and coaching.
  • Low focus on blue quality management and meaningful expectations.

Our view: this situation calls for personal and “yellow” performance appraisal, change and renewal — such as restructuring, job rotation, or new sponsorship responsibilities — as soon as possible. We recommend coaching as a leadership tool.

Visions and group growth: that is Secret 13 — Object visualisation and our hidden creativity.

Foto: notatbok, blyanter og lampe
The exercise wants a pen and paper, not a keyboard.
I have read lesson 12,3 Check this to save your progress

Homework 12,3

Be dynamic

  1. 1Decide to conduct such a series of dialogues.
  2. 2Prepare well.
  3. 3Conduct at least one trial interview.
  4. 4Evaluate your own efforts: satisfied / not satisfied.
SGL Secrets — For those who are in need, and those who want a lot!

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Secret 13 — The hidden creativity

Visions and group growth: that is Secret 13 — Object visualisation and our hidden creativity.

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