Situational Leadership
Adaptation of your leadership style to each unique situation or task to meet the needs of the team or team members.
Understanding Situational Leadership
Situational Leadership is a way of leading that changes based on the needs of your team. Instead of using the same style all the time, you change how you lead depending on how skilled and confident your team members are.
Dr. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard created this idea in the late 1960s. They wanted to help leaders become better by understanding and reacting to what their team members need. This leadership style came about because older methods were too rigid and didn’t work well for everyone. Hersey and Blanchard's model provided a more adaptable and responsive approach.
Concepts and Principles
Situational Leadership is based on the idea that leaders should change their style based on how ready their team members are to do their jobs. This involves knowing their skills and how motivated they are.
Principles:
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Know Your Team: Leaders should know how good and motivated their team members are.
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Change Your Style: Based on this, leaders should use one of four styles: telling, teaching, helping, or trusting.
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Talk and Help: Good leaders talk clearly and help their team do well.
Leadership Styles
Situational Leadership includes four main styles, remember to try and reflect on which one suits you the best:
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Directing (Telling): High direction, low support. Use this when team members are new or inexperienced and need clear instructions.
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Coaching (Selling): High direction, high support. Use this when team members have some skills but still need guidance and encouragement.
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Supporting (Participating): Low direction, high support. Use this when team members are skilled but need confidence or motivation. The leader helps and supports them.
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Delegating: Low direction, low support. Use this when team members are highly skilled and motivated. The leader trusts them to work independently.
Practical Application
- Assessing Your Team
To use Situational Leadership, start by looking at each team member's skills and motivation for specific tasks. This helps you decide which style to use.
- Changing Your Style
After assessing your team, change your leadership style to match their needs. For example, if someone is new, use Directing to give clear instructions. As they get better, you can move to Coaching or Supporting.
- Real Examples
Imagine you’re leading a project. One person is great at data analysis but nervous about presenting. You might use Supporting, encouraging them and giving practice opportunities. Another person is new to the tools used in the project. Here, Directing is best, giving them step-by-step guidance.
- Overcoming Challenges
Using Situational Leadership can be tough. It means you have to pay attention, be flexible, and respond to your team's needs. Regular feedback and open communication help you understand your team and change your leadership style effectively.
Conclusion
The main factor is to understand the context and to be able to adapt. And not only do you have to adapt, but your team must be open to change also. By understanding the basic ideas, looking at your team’s readiness, and using the right leadership style, you can lead in a way that gets better results and creates a happier, more motivated team.