The Situational Leadership® model was created by Dr Paul Hersey, a professor and author of "The Situational Leader," and Ken Blanchard, author of the best-selling "The One-Minute Manager," among others.
Their theory states that instead of using just one style, successful leaders should change their leadership styles based on the ‘maturity’ of the people they're leading and the details of the task.
Leaders using this style should be able to place more or less emphasis on the task, and more or less emphasis on the relationships with the people they're leading, depending on what's needed to get the job done successfully.
The model can be depicted as follows:
-
Directing (S1): Leaders tell their people exactly what to do, and how to do it.
-
Coaching (S2): Leaders still provide information and direction, but there's more communication with followers. Leaders "sell" their message to get the team on board.
-
Supporting (S3): Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction. The leader works with the team, and shares decision-making responsibilities.
-
Delegating (S4): Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or group. The leader still monitors progress, but they're less involved in decisions.
Styles S1 and S2 are focused on getting the task done. Styles S3 and S4 are more concerned with developing an employee’s abilities to work independently.
Maturity levels
According to Hersey and Blanchard, knowing when to use each style is largely dependent on the maturity (competence and commitment) of the person or group you're leading. They break maturity down into four different levels:
-
D1: People at this level of maturity are at the bottom level of the scale. They lack the knowledge, skills, or confidence to work on their own, and often need to be pushed to take the task on.
-
D2: People at this level might be willing to work on the task, but they still don't have the skills to do it successfully.
-
D3: At this level followers are ready to help with the task. They have more skills than the D2 group, but they're not yet confident in their abilities.
D4: These followers are able to work on their own. They have high confidence and strong skills, and they're committed to the task.
Be flexible
The key issue for any leader is flexibility - effective leaders have the ability to adjust their approach depending upon the situation or the person they are faced with. Incorporating all four styles may be necessary, depending on what arises. How you approach a situation will depend on the following factors:
-
Team effectiveness: When your team is well established, you are more likely to apply supporting or delegation styles, because your employees are ready for this. For new teams, or when you take over an existing team, you will have to use the directing style initially as you establish yourself among the team and get them operating to a high level. Over time, as the team develops, you can shift towards supporting or delegation styles.
-
Individual performance: Different employees will perform at varying levels, so you must adjust your style for each. This change is subtle, but higher performing employees need less direction and control than poor performers. They will require supporting or delegation styles more frequently. Equally, a new team member who is still learning the ropes will require more direction than someone who has been doing the job for a long time and as such will need to be directed, as well as supported.
-
Situations: Different situations require different styles. When deadlines are tight you may have to use the directing style to ensure outcomes are met. However some tasks allow for greater involvement of your team in the decision-making process, making the delegating style more appropriate.
As we can see, flexibility is crucial to good leadership. Operating from within too narrow a structure in terms of leadership style can limit the potential of your employees. Adapting to their needs, and the needs of the tasks is the best way to achieve great results.