Leadership

Leadership
Chapter 5 - Situational Approach

Overview
 Situational Approach Perspective

 Leadership Styles
 Developmental Levels
 How Does the Situational Approach Work?
Situational Approach Description
(Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)
“Leaders match their style to the competence and

commitment of subordinates”
Perspective
Focuses on leadership in situations
Emphasizes adapting style - different
situations demand different kinds of
leadership
Used extensively in organizational leadership
training and development
Situational Approach Description,
cont’d (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)
Definition
Comprised of both a Directive
dimension & Supportive
dimension:
◦ Each dimension must be applied
appropriately in a given situation
◦ Leaders evaluate employees to assess
their competence and commitment to
perform a given task
Leadership Styles
Definition
Leadership style - the behavior

pattern of an individual who
attempts to influence others
It includes both:
◦ Directive (task) behaviors
◦ Supportive (relationship)
behaviors
Leadership Styles, cont’d.
Dimension Definitions
Directive behaviors - Help group
members in goal achievement
via one-way communication
through:
◦ Giving directions
◦ Establishing goals & how to achieve
them
◦ Methods of evaluation & time lines
◦ Defining roles
Leadership Styles, cont’d.
Dimension Definitions
Supportive behaviors - Assist

group members via two-way
communication in feeling
comfortable with themselves,
co-workers, and situation
◦ Asking for input
◦ Problem solving
◦ Praising; listening
S1 - Directing Style
Leader focuses
S1 communication on
Directing goal achievement
Spends LESS time
High Directive
Low Supportive
using supportive
behaviors
S2 - Coaching Style
 Leader focuses
communication on
S2 BOTH goal achievement
Coaching and supporting
subordinates’
High Directive socioemotional needs
High Supportive  Requires leader
involvement through
encouragement and
soliciting subordinate
input
S3 - Supporting Style
 Leader does NOT focus

solely on goals; rather
S3 the leader uses
Suppor ting
Supporting supportive behaviors to
bring out employee skills
High Supportive in accomplishing the
Low Directive task
 Leader delegates day-to-
day decision-making
control, but is available
to facilitate problem
solving
S4 - Delegating Style
 Leader offers LESS task
input and social support;
S4 facilitates subordinates’
confidence and
Delegating motivation in relation to
the task
Low Supportive  Leader lessens
Low Directive involvement in planning,
control of details, and
goal clarification
 Gives subordinates
control and refrains from
intervention and
unneeded social support
Development Levels
Definition Dimension Definitions
 Thedegree to Low Competence
D1
which subordinates High Commitment
have the Some Competence
competence and D2
Low Commitment
commitment
necessary to Mod-High Competence
D3
accomplish a given Low Commitment
task or activity High Competence
D4
High Commitment
High Moderate Low
D4 D3 D2 D1
Developed Developing
Developmental Level Of Followers
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational
Theory of Leadership
Follower Appropriate Leader
Characteristics Style
Low readiness level Directing(high task-low relationship)
Moderate readiness level Coaching (high task-high relationship)
High readiness level Supporting (low task-high rel.)
Very high readiness level Delegating (low task-low relationship)
13
How Does the
Situational Approach
Work?
 Focus of Situational Approach

 Strengths
 Criticisms
 Application
Situational Approach
Focus
 Centered on the idea
subordinates fluctuate along “The
the developmental continuum
of competence and Situational
commitment approach
 Leader effectiveness requires
depends on -
◦ assessing subordinate’s leaders to
developmental position, and
◦ adapting his/her leadership
demonstrate a
style to match subordinate strong degree
developmental level of flexibility.”
How Does The Situational Approach Work?
Using the SLII model –
• In any given situation the Leader has 2 tasks:
1st Task 2nd Task

Diagnose the Situation Adapt their Style
 Identify the developmental  To prescribed Leadership
level of employee style in the SLII model
• Ask questions like: • Leadership style must
-What is the task correspond to the
subordinates are being employees
asked to perform? development level
- How complicated is it?

-What is their skill set?
- Do they have the desire
to complete the job?
How Does The Situational Approach Work?
Employees Leaders
Developmental level Leadership style
D1 Low Competence S1 – Directing

High Commitment High Directive-Low Supportive
S2 – Coaching
D2 Some Competence
High Directive-High Supportive
Low Commitment
D3 Mod-High Competence S3 – Supporting

Low Commitment High Supportive-Low Directive
D4 High Competence S4 – Delegating

High Commitment Low Supportive-Low Directive
Strengths
Marketplace approval. Situational
leadership is perceived as providing a credible
model for training employees to become
effective leaders.
Practicality. Situational leadership is a
straightforward approach that is easily
understood and applied in a variety of
settings.
Prescriptive value. Situational leadership
clearly outlines what you should and should
not do in various settings.
Strengths, cont’d.
Leader flexibility. Situational leadership

stresses that effective leaders are those
who can change their style based on task
requirements and subordinate needs.
Differential treatment. Situational
leadership is based on the premise that
leaders need to treat each subordinate
according to his/her unique needs.
Criticisms
Lack of an empirical foundation raises
theoretical considerations regarding the
validity of the approach
Furtherresearch is required to determine
how commitment and competence are
conceptualized for each developmental level
Conceptualization of commitment itself is
very unclear
Replicationstudies fail to support basic
prescriptions of situational leadership
model
Criticisms, cont’d.
Does not account for how particular
demographics influence the leader-
subordinate prescriptions of the model
Failsto adequately address the issue of
one-to-one versus group leadership in
an organizational setting
Questionnaires are biased in favor of
situational leadership
Application
Oftenused in consulting because it’s easy to
conceptualize and apply
Straightforwardnature makes it practical for

managers to apply
Breadth of situational approach facilitates its

applicability in virtually all types of
organizations and levels of management in
organizations

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Leadership

Chapter 5 - Situational Approach

 Situational Approach Perspective

“Leaders match their style to the competence and

Leadership style - the behavior

Supportive behaviors - Assist

 Leader does NOT focus

Moderate readiness level Coaching (high task-high relationship)

High readiness level Supporting (low task-high rel.)

Very high readiness level Delegating (low task-low relationship)

 Focus of Situational Approach

1st Task 2nd Task

- How complicated is it?

D1 Low Competence S1 – Directing

D3 Mod-High Competence S3 – Supporting

D4 High Competence S4 – Delegating

Leader flexibility. Situational leadership

Straightforwardnature makes it practical for

Breadth of situational approach facilitates its

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