2.2.2 Leader Behavior Analysis (LBA)
Purpose
The Leader Behavior Analysis (LBA) is designed to assess leadership styles and to highlight strengths and areas for development. LBA measures a leader’s style along four dimensions:
Directing: Providing clear instructions and guidance to followers
Coaching: Providing support and feedback to help followers develop their skills and knowledge
Supporting: Empowering followers to make decisions and take ownership of their work
Delegating: Assigning tasks and responsibilities to followers and giving them the authority to complete them
The LBA reveals if leaders orient toward tasks or people and whether they prioritize achieving results or fostering strong relationships within the team.
The test is typically taken by leaders, managers, supervisors, and individuals in leadership roles. Organizations may use the results to identify leadership strengths and gaps within their teams, inform leadership development programs, and improve overall leadership effectiveness and team performance.
Description
This self-assessment tool was developed by Ken Blanchard and Drea Zigarmi in 1988. It utilizes 36 scales and presents leaders with 20 different leadership situations. Leaders then choose responses that align with their likely actions in these scenarios, and their leadership style is determined based on the scoring of these responses.
The LBA demonstrated strong test-retest reliability (mean correlation of.83 over a 6-month period) and high internal consistency (alpha values ranging from .85 to.90) in research conducted by Blanchard and colleagues (1988). It has also been demonstrated that the LBA predicts leadership effectiveness. For instance, the LBA was shown to be a significant predictor of subordinate performance and satisfaction in a study conducted by Avolio and his colleagues (1991).
Access
The LBA is available online using this link: http://www.kenblanchard.com. It is also accessible via academic journals and research databases, including in the relevant articles listed in the references section. Prior to usage, permission from the authors or copyright holders may be necessary. Contact the authors directly or consult the articles for more information on the availability and permissions.
References
Avolio, B. J., Bass, B. M., & Jung, D. I. (1999). Full leadership development: Building the vital forces of organizations. Sage Publications.
Blanchard, K., Zigarmi, D., Forsyth, D., & Hambleton, R. (1988). Leader Behavior Analysis II (LBA II). Blanchard Training and Development.
Blanchard, K. H., Zigarmi, D., & Nelson, R. B. (1993). Situational Leadership® after 25 years: A retrospective. Journal of Leadership Studies, 1(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/107179199300100104
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.
