Situational leadership is a theory of leadership that suggests that the best way to lead is to adapt your style to the specific situation. The theory was first proposed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in their book “Situational Leadership Theory”. In this blog, we will discuss what is situational leadership and what are the 4 styles of situational leadership.
What is Situational Leadership?
One of the ideas of leadership called contingency theories of leadership is situational leadership. According to contingency theories of leadership, a leader’s performance is typically correlated with their characteristics or behaviors regarding various situational conditions.
The situational leadership theory holds that a leader’s performance relies on his capacity to adjust his management style to match the complexity or degree of awareness of his employees. Situational leadership is modifying your management approach to fit the demands of the team or individual team members in each special circumstance or assignment.
4 Styles of Situational Leadership
The following are the 4 styles of situational leadership:
Directing
When a team or a teammate needs constant monitoring and direction, telling or directing is helpful. The team or team members are directed to their duties by the leader, who also takes choices. This can entail instructing less experienced team members or taking the lead in a crisis.
Coaching
Coaching or persuasion is helpful when a team or a team player has some competency or is uninspired. To increase the involvement of the team or team members, the leader is open to suggestions and cooperation. This kind of leadership can assist team members in learning new talents or honing existing ones. This approach may also help people buy into the bigger picture.
Supporting
Supporting or sharing is advantageous when a team or teammate possesses the skills necessary to take part in management and decision-making. As they allow their staff to make decisions in their areas of competence, leaders embrace a more democratic leadership style. They then take on a task and work with other team members on the bigger project.
Delegating
When a group or a teammate has strong expertise and motivation, delegation can be helpful. Leaders who use this approach will:
- Create a goal.
- List the desired effects
- Give precise authority.
They will then adopt a more accommodating style, stepping aside and letting their team handle the situation.
Epilogue
Managers that use situational leadership can more easily adjust to the people they lead as well as their working settings. Every prospective leader should gain the opportunity to alter their leadership style as part of their development process.
Approach takes into account the amount of employee engagement and competency. These can change depending on the performance areas and obstacles. It also takes into account the difficulty of the assignment and the amount of guidance and support needed from the leader.
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