ILM Unit Understanding leadership Assignment Brief 2026

ASSIGNMENT: Understanding leadership (LEADERSHIP SKILLS DEVELOPMENT)

FEEDBACK PROViDER: s milne

LEARNER: v loiko

 MAXIMUM WORD COUNT: 5,000*

Guidance Reminder

This feedback is intended to support you in improving your assignment ahead of submission. It should be used as guidance to help you meet the assessment criteria but does not guarantee a pass. All final decisions are made independently by the ILM Assessor (ILMA).

Learning Outcome

section 1:  Understand leadership styles

section 2:  Understand leadership qualities and review your own leadership qualities and potential

Verb guide

* The maximum word count for this assignment is 5000 words. You can go up to 10% over this limit, but if you exceed it further, you may need to reduce your work. If your submission falls significantly below 5000 words, it may indicate a lack of detail, which could affect your chances of passing.

Leadership Skills Development

The maximum word count for this assignment is 5,000 words. You can go up to 10% over this limit, but if you exceed it further, you may need to reduce your work. If your submission falls significantly below 5,000 words, it may indicate a lack of detail, which could affect your chances of passing.

Section one: Understand Leadership Styles

AC 1.1 Describe the factors that will influence the choice of leadership styles or behaviours in workplace situations.

Ken Blanchard theory as described in his book “Leadership and the One Minute Manager”, states that the effective leadership style depends on the specific situation and the individual’s development level. This model suggests that leaders should adapt their leadership style to match the Competence and Commitment of their followers.

There are four major Leadership style:

Directing (when the Competence is low and the Commitment is high) – The leader gives explicit explanation how the task should be performed, explains Procedures and Protocols and monitoring performance of the task closely.

Mentoring (when the Competence is moderate and the Commitment is moderate) – The leader explains the team of what is required to achieve and seeking they opinions on how it can be done.

Supporting (when then Competence is moderate, and the Commitment is high) – The leader encourages and support team members and provide the advice on how the task can be done in most efficient way.

Enabling (when the Competence is high and the Commitment is high) – The leader explains the team the task and delegate it to them on how to complete it in the best way, monitoring the performance.

There are various factors that will influence Leadership style applied. One leadership style will work in one situation might not work in the other.

One of the factors is Experience and Commitment of the team members.

For example, in the situation of Economic crisis or Company undergoing automatization of processes and the organisation undergoing structural changes such as Redundancies, the Competence might be moderate or high, and the Commitment of the staff are low, the Mentoring style might be preferred over the others as Directing or Supporting style might disengage the leader and the team.

Other typical example as it happening in our company. In time of profit growth and company undergoing expansion when a lot of new staff recruited and the Competence of the staff is low, but Commitment is high, the Directing style are more appropriate toward the new starters and Enabling style are more appropriate toward the experienced members of staff (that helps to build they confidence and improve they commitment).

The other factor is the task complexity.

The different tasks require different approaches. If that a routine task and depends on employee competency and dedication the Supporting or Enabling styles can be used allowing leader to concentrate on other areas. On other hand if the task of non-routine matter employees will need the correct direction of how to accomplish the task and Directing or even sometimes Mentoring (when for example the task is unusual even for the leader but clear goal set) styles required.

Also, if the task completing under the strict deadline and certain target to be met the Directing style is most appropriate in most situations. But other leadership styles shouldn’t be neglected as always striking for target and directing people will disengage leadership and the team over the period resulting low commitment and even low morale of the employees.

1.2 Explain why these leadership styles or behaviours are likely to have a positive or negative effect on individual and group behaviour.

As Blanchard’s theory explains, there is four different leadership styles. Namely: Directing, Mentoring, Supporting and Enabling. If applied correctly and timely they will lead to the company success, uplift team spirit and enables constructive approach to task completion.

On other hand if used excessively or incorrect it made lead to low team morale, leadership and team disengagement and as a result missing the targets and deadlines.

Below are a few examples of positive or negative effect it could have on individual or the group.

Directing

The positive effect on individual is that when clear instructions given of how task should be performed and what results should be achieved it gives employee who has no or low experience more confidence and partially take off responsibility from his/her shoulder if something goes wrong. It also helps to improve individual competence as by achieving the target they learn the way how to perform similar tasks in future on they own as well as confidence that they can achieve it.

The downside or negative effect is that if used over excessively or on experienced team members it can demotivate individuals to make their own decisions, it is not promoting good interpersonal relationship and might result in individuals reluctant to complete the tasks as they not feeling trusted.

The positive effect on group is the partially the same as individual, clear instruction given and there is not much deviation that they can do. It helps in achieving targets and striking deadline as, for example in our company (Tilda ltd) the leader could coordinate the work of three or four various departments to work simultaneously and providing help to each other when required. Operative department fulfilling they tasks, engineering department diverted in right time to right place, technical department involved on time and when required. By achieving the targets or braking records all team feels motivated and encouraged, getting more committed and as a result higher target can be achieved.

The negative effect on the group that when overused it can cause team as the whole to start deviating from the leader, preventing innovating decisions (that can have positive effect on production). Resulting in team members losing commitment, increasing absenteeism and as the result goals are getting harder or impossible to achieve.

Mentoring

The mentoring is the combination of giving directions and supporting

The positive is that it helps individuals to develop the new skills, get more confident in the job they are doing and that they can achieve the target or resolve the issues on they own. That also has a positive effect on the group as whole, as confident individuals can support each other helping the others in the areas, they are not strong enough and learn from each other. That increase the team morale and help them to move to the next level. Also, they are filling that in case of failure or more complex situation they have the leader to rely on.

In our company (Tilda) often the leadership organise additional training to help group to develop they knowledge. Good example is a current ILM training that management organised for the leadership team.

The negative effect is that individuals can become overconfident and if under supervised starting loosing, they time and efforts in solving the issues they not ready to target yet. On the other hand, the negative effect is that group starting to rely on leadership support excessively. Drawing leader attention of the other tasks at hand and slowing production.

Supporting

Supporting approach is required for individuals or groups who are competent in completing they tasks but not willing or unconfident to do they work.

The positive effect is that supporting style involves strong bonding relationship between leader and the employees it helps team members to build they confidence and when they see the support from the leader, they can go one step forward and complete the task they not willing to do. In the group individuals starting to share they opinion and raising concerns and new ideas knowing they are supported by the leader.

The negative effect of the supporting style for both individuals and groups that it is very time consuming for the leaders, often distracting them from more urgent and important issues and tasks. As the result the deadlines might be missed or targets not met.

One clear example that at work I am often disturbed by my team members who seeks support or want to share some concerns when I am trying to complete my assignment.

Enabling

It is probably the most desirable style for the leaders. When you can describe the goal and the team can work under minor supervision, allowing leader to work on other projects that can increase safety and productivity of the team.

The positive effect on individuals that they feel trusted. That’s promotes self-awareness and creativity and motivates them self to move forward solving the issues independently a being proud of they own achievements. From the other hand individuals might feel unsupported if the task at hand is over, they competence and leads to avoidance of completing certain jobs.

For the group the positive effect is in that group members collaborate to each other, coming with new productive ideas which can enhance productivity and reduce the time and costs. But the negative is that team might start to divide in smaller groups that moving in various directions working on individual projects but missing original goal as a company.

Section two: Understand leadership qualities and review own leadership qualities and potential

2.1 Assess own leadership behaviours and potential in the context of a particular leadership model and own organisation’s working practice and culture using feedback from others.

To assess my leadership style the “Leadership survey” were given to 5 different team members. Which is included in Appendices.

The feedback provided shown that I try to implement all four leadership styles depending on individual, their training level and the task at hand.

But most of all I adhere to supportive style. The comments were made that “I am never give up and strive to achieve the best result. If the line that I am responsible off not running well that I will be the last person who leave it” and that “I need to relax a bit and leave my colleagues to do their job”.

That outcome is not surprising me, as working in tight controlled Food industry is hard to leave the things running on its own, at least in my supervisor role. The consistent control required to avoid potential food safety hazards for consumers.

Also, as one of the major Rice production brands in the UK there is very tight competition between the Rice manufacturing companies and Production targets and deadlines must be achieved to secure company place on the market.

That’s why I prefer Supporting and Directing style in my day-to-day work. Relaying on highly skilled operators. Despite that I never ignore our new starters and support them in gaining competency through advises or relaying on our competent shift trainers whose task is to educate new employees and bringing them to the standard when they can confidently complete the task and resolve most common issues on they own, by providing training reviews and setting the training targets.

I use Enabling style mostly in performing non-routine task, such as Non-conformance rework or various maintenance tasks that I assign to individual groups with the competent group leader in charge. That in turn also, provide leadership training skills and experience for them building they confidence in organising the work of the team and supporting colleagues.

Also, when lines breakdown I use Enabling style communicate issue to Engineering department and then follow up on the progress. The use of other styles might be counterproductive in that situation in my opinion.

The Directive approach is mostly used when the production line brake down could cause the potential food safety Hazard or loss of the production.

AC 2.2 Describe appropriate actions to enhance your own leadership behaviour in the context of the leadership model.

Based on the assessment of my leadership style in section 2.1 and provided feedbacks I concluded that my next objective should be to work on the Enabling leadership style when working with our experienced and motivated operators. While Supporting style that I prefer can be more beneficial in approach to less experienced colleagues, when applied to highly skilled employees it can demotivate them and slow down their own decision-making. By shifting more towards Enabling leadership with people who already have strong knowledge and confidence, I can give them more space to act independently, and this will also help them feel trusted and valued. At the same time, it will free up more of my time for long‑term improvements, Six Sigma projects, training development etc. instead of constantly being involved in every decision. Overall, I expect that using the Enabling style more consistently will help create smoother processes, reduce unnecessary delays, and support both team development and production output.

Section three: Bibliography and appendices (not included in word count)

3.1 Bibliography

“Leadership and the One Minute Manager” Ken Blanchard (1985)

3.2 Appendices

Shift Manager:

From the start of his career as Shift Supervisor Slav mostly used the Directing style.

But as he became more experienced leader, he manages to balance various approaches and styles depends on situation.

Engineer:

Slav sometimes can be the pain in the a..(back). But he always gives correct directions and can explain the problem clearly. And he always checking on job progress.

I am also seen him taking responsibility and coordinating the tasks especially when facing risk of production loss.

QA:

Slav always directing the employees on how to complete they job safely and with accordance with our Food safety policy. Effectively communicates with the QA department.

Shift trainer:

Slav is always willing to help. He leaves Shift trainers to educate new employees the way we are think most appropriate and providing feedback through the routine training reviews and setting up the training goals.

Experienced operator:

I have seen Slav using various leadership approach depending on Operator experience and the situation.

He never gives up and strives to achieve the best result. If the line that I am responsible off not running well, he will be the last person who leave it.

Slav you need to relax a bit and leave your colleagues to do their job.

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