The Situational Leadership Model

The Situational Leadership Model

Situational leadership is interplay between the amounts of direction

that a leader allows in: 1) the amount of directive (task) behavior

and 2) the amount of relationship behavior (supportive behavior). What

this means is that when an individual first begins a new task they

require a lot of direction and managerial guidance. As they learn more

about the task, the amount of direction decreases until they can make

many of the decisions with the manager providing little input. The

situational leadership model developed and refined by Paul Hersey and

Ken Blanchard divides the model into four quadrants. An explanation of

the four segments is below.

Envision starting a new job with many assigned tasks. Fear of the

unknown takes hold and feelings of self-doubt rise. How am I going to

learn all of this? The situational leadership model, if followed by

your new manager, can provide him/her direction to ensure positive

reinforced learning.

The model is described as a four-block diagram with text inside with

an X-axis (bottom) and Y-axis (left) and more text. Below the X-axis

is a rectangular object with arrows pointing to the left with more

text. Does not mean much yet, but wait for a clearer explanation.

The situational leadership model consists of four leadership styles:

1) S1, directing; 2) S2, coaching; 3) S3, supporting; and 4) S4,

delegating. An X-axis and Y-axis provide direction on the type of

behavior used. The X-axis and Y-axis represent directive or supportive

behavior, respectively. The D1, D2, D3, and D4 in the lower

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...e/she was the dishes after every meal. Motivation

was high and began to decrease.

This is the shift to the supporting quadrant, where the follower is

able to perform but the motivation (willingness) is falling off.

Through the support, encouragement, and praise from the leader

motivation returns upon crossing into the delegating stage. Here we

have the follower fully motivated and able to perform.

In summary, the situational leadership model provides a leader a

shifting process for teaching a follower through their varying

learning phases. As the follower learns a skill and gains the

confidence to perform it alone, the leader reduces the amount of

direction and support provide. Both the leader and the follower

undergo changes during the learning but the adaptability of each will

determine the degree of success.