Moving a follower up the continuum is a two-step process repeated over time: first reduce structure slightly and give the chance to take some responsibility; then, if performance holds, reinforce with more socio-emotional support. Delegating or increasing support too fast invites being seen as a soft touch; low performers will not change overnight, so the leader rewards the slightest behaviour in the right direction as soon as possible (positive reinforcement of successive approximations) and keeps doing so as performance approaches the expectation. The cycle continues until the follower takes significant responsibility, when both structure and support can fall. Change from quadrant 1 to 4 is evolutionary, planned growth built on mutual trust and respect; the authors' classroom study moved a teacher's style from S1 to S4 over a course with better results than a control group.
The graph holds this control, the 0 it maps to, and the evidence behind each claim, over MCP and REST.