Situational Leadership is a model for leadership that suggests that the best way to lead people is to adapt the leadership style to the individual and the situation. The model suggests that there are four different leadership styles: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. The best way to lead people depends on the situation, the individual, and the task. For example, a leader might need to be more directive when giving instructions to a new employee, but more supportive when giving feedback to an employee who has made a mistake.
What's "The Triangles of Leadership"?
The Triangles of Leadership is an approach to leadership development that was created by Dr. John C. Maxwell. The approach is based on the idea that there are three essential components of leadership: relationship, task, and power. According to Maxwell, leaders must be able to balance these three components in order to be effective. The Triangles of Leadership approach can be used to help individuals develop their leadership skills by identifying their strengths and weaknesses in each of the three areas.
How do you use Situational Leadership in your organization?
Situational Leadership theory is a model that suggests that the most effective leadership style depends on the maturity of the followers and the situation. The model has four leadership styles: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. The theory suggests that the leader should use a different leadership style depending on the situation. For example, a leader might use a directing style when the followers are not very mature and need close supervision, and a coaching style when the followers are more mature and need more guidance.
The Hersey-Blanchard Model suggests no single leadership style is better than another. Instead of focusing on workplace factors, the model suggests leaders adjust their styles to those they lead and their abilities.
Under the model, successful leadership is both task-relevant and relationship-relevant. It is an adaptive, flexible style, whereby leaders are encouraged to consider their followers—individuals or a team—then consider the factors that impact the work environment before choosing how they will lead. This ensures they will meet their goals.
The Hersey-Blanchard Model is also referred to as the Situational Leadership Model or Theory.
- The Hersey-Blanchard Model suggests no leadership style is better than another.
- The model suggests managers adapt their leadership style to tasks and relationships in the workplace.
- The model's leadership styles are related directly to the different maturity categories of followers or employees.
The Hersey-Blanchard Model, or situational leadership style, was developed by author Paul Hersey and leadership expert Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager. The model is not a static leadership style. Instead, it is flexible, wherein the manager adapts their management style to various factors in the workplace, including their relationship with employees.
That means managers who live by the model must choose the leadership style as it relates to the maturity of followers. For example, if follower maturity is high, the model suggests the leader provide minimal guidance. By contrast, if follower maturity is low, the manager may need to provide explicit directions and supervise work closely in order to ensure the group has clarity on their goals and how they are expected to achieve them.
The maturity level of followers is divided into three categories: high, moderate and low. High maturity includes highly capable and confident individuals who are experienced and work well on their own. Moderate maturity is generally divided into two groups: the first are employees who are capable but lack enough confidence to take on the responsibility to do so, and the second group has the confidence but is not willing to do the task at hand. Low maturity employees are not skilled enough to do the task but are very enthusiastic.
Because the Hersey-Blanchard model depends on a leader's decision-making skills, it uses an individualistic rather than a group approach.
Hersey and Blanchard developed four types of leadership styles based on the task and relationships that leaders experience in the workplace. According to the model, the following are styles of leadership managers can use:
- Delegating style: A low-task, low-relationship style wherein the leader allows the group to take responsibility for task decisions. This is best used with high maturity followers.
- Participating style: A low-task, high-relationship style that emphasizes shared ideas and decisions. Managers can use this style with moderate followers who are experienced but may lack the confidence to do the tasks assigned.
- Selling style: A high-task, high-relationship style in which the leader attempts to sell their ideas to the group by explaining task directions in a persuasive manner. This, too, is used with moderate followers. Unlike the previous style, these followers have the ability but are unwilling to do the job.
- Telling style: A high-task, low-relationship style wherein the leader gives explicit directions and supervises work closely. This style is geared toward low maturity followers.
This leadership method lets executives, managers and other positions of authority take charge of their followers based on the acumen, understanding and context of the group. By taking into consideration how the strengths, weaknesses and awareness of the followers can affect performance and outcomes of a project, leaders can apply an appropriate structure and degree of control to achieve the desired result.
There are limitations to the model that may be beyond the leader’s control. The position and authority of the leader may be restricted by the operational chain-of-command or hierarchy for an organization, which could force them to adopt rigid styles rather than adapt to follower maturity. Furthermore, time constraints, a narrow field of options, and limits on available assets can also force managers to act based on the circumstances they face, eliminating the possibility of enacting strategies built around follower maturity.
Although this leadership model may be sound in theory, it may not necessarily apply in every situation. It comes with advantages and disadvantages.
One advantage of an adaptive leadership style is leaders can change their style at their own discretion at any time. Secondly, employees may find a leader who adapts to shifts in the workforce as a desirable trait. It is also a simple and easy-to-apply leadership style, meaning a manager can quickly evaluate a situation and make decisions as they see fit.
On the downside, situational leadership may put too much responsibility on the manager, whose decisions may be flawed. Also, the model may not apply to every work culture. The model may also prioritize relationships and tasks, as opposed to a company's long-term goals.
A delegating leadership style is a low task and relationship behavior approach to leadership where a leader empowers an individual to exercise autonomy. Employing this approach entails providing the individual with the big picture, then trusting them to deliver agreed-upon results.
A delegating leadership style is most effective with a person that is both confident and competent to perform. Even a moderate level of input from the leader here (e.g. offering suggestions) can be off-putting and, as such, interpreted as a lack of trust. This might result in regression of both their task-related ability and motivation.
What a delegating leadership style looks like:
The leader:
- Turns over control
- Provides the “big picture”
- Allows the individual to make task-related decisions
- Monitors activities
- Reinforces results
- Remains accessible
Key Indicators of when to use a delegating leadership style:
The individual:
- Consistently performs this task at a high standard
- Can operate autonomously
- Is committed to and enjoys performing the task
- Keeps key stakeholders informed of task progress
- Shares both good and bad news
- Is aware of their task-related competency and skill
Situational Leadership® and a delegating leadership style:
Situational Leadership® refers to delegation as S4 (or Style 4). At The Center for Leadership Studies, we believe that a leader needs to adapt their approach based on the current performance of the person they are trying to influence. Situational Leaders are routinely shifting between one of the four styles with each person they influence on a task-by-task basis.
Based on the above indicators for the individual, we would identify them as R4 (or Readiness Level 4). This means the individual is able and confident and willing to complete the task at a sustained and acceptable level. Once a Situational Leader has assessed an individual to be R4 for a specific task, the leader should take a step back to allow the individual to complete the task while remaining accessible in case a question arises (providing S4 leadership).
An example of using S4 or a delegating leadership style correctly:
A manager allows a tenured and high-performing employee to identify and execute a plan for the upcoming company picnic (a high-visibility event which this employee has successfully organized previously).
An example of using S4 or a delegating leadership style incorrectly:
A manager empowers a recently hired employee to organize the company picnic with no real sense for this employee’s experience or interest with this kind of endeavor.
Understanding the benefits of delegation is relatively straightforward. Knowing both how and when to delegate is significantly more difficult! In that context, the real job of any leader is to identify what style of leadership a follower needs for a given situation. Consider Situational Leadership® as a timing mechanism that helps leaders determine when … to do what in that regard!