How to Tailor Your Leadership Approach to Optimize Outcomes

“People don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers.” 

Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard created a leadership model called “Situational Leadership” (SL) back in the 1970s. When Hersey and Blanchard went their separate ways, they trademarked two separate versions of the model. 

Hersey’s is called Situational Leadership and Blanchard’s SLII. I was fortunate enough to be trained in the SLII model years ago by my employer at the time (thanks for investing me in guys!). Since I am more familiar with Blanchard’s terminology, I will use it in this article. 

SL is not a miracle cream for turnover and engagement, but it is a very useful model to use as a jumping-off point in discussions with managers and the people they lead. Training in something like SL creates a common framework and language for your teams to when they encounter difficulties. 

The two most cited problems with management are:

• Over or micro-managing
• Under-management / not enough direction

SL seeks to remedy these two problems by teaching managers to adjust their leadership style based on the person (psychological readiness/commitment) being led and the situation (task readiness/competence) they are being led through. 

Based on the task, followers will belong in one of four categories. 

• D1 – Low Competence (task readiness) / High Commitment (psychological readiness)
• D2 – Low to Some Competence / Low Commitment
• D3 – Moderate to High Competence / Variable Commitment
• D4 – High Competence / High Commitment

Leaders use SL to help them strike the right balance between Directive and Supportive behavior for the situation at hand.  There are 4 leadership style zones. 

• S1 –Directing/Telling – Best for D1 followers (Enthusiastic Beginners) who need detailed instructions and tight boundaries, but are already motivated. 
• S2 – Coaching/Selling – Best for D2 followers (Disillusioned Learners) who still need detailed direction but also some motivational coaching. The leader needs to teach the how and encourage the individual that they can do the task. 
• S3 – Supporting/Participating – Best for D3 followers (Capable but Cautious) who have higher competence, but variable levels of commitment.  The leader listens and praises the follower. Less direction is given but check-ins are still frequent to see if help is needed. 
• S4 – Delegating – Best for D4 followers (Self-reliant Achievers). These folks are motivated and skilled at the task. They need to be given the task with clear outcomes and then left alone.  

Next time you are ready to hand a task off to a team member. Do a quick assessment. For this person and this project are they a D1, D2, D3, or D4? Then, choose the appropriate leadership style. Share the SL model with your team member and you can have a great discussion about where they are at and how you can best lead them. 

Over time you can bring the individual to a D4. They will have enjoyed the growth and you will appreciate the additional time leading a D4 creates for you.

Are you ready to invest in your business to create long-term, sustainable growth? Head over to our Resource Page to find great tools to get you started.