Overview
Situational Leadership incorporates two dimensions of leader behavior in its concept of leadership: directive and supportive. The model asserts that leaders assess the competence and commitment of their followers and adjust their style along these dimensions to best meet the changing needs of followers. The graphic above shows the connection between follower competence and commitment and the four leadership styles prescribed in this theory. For example a D1 follower (red) has low competence but high commitment to the task. According to Hersey and Blanchard this follower will be most successful with "directing" leadership (S1, also red). Using the X and Y-Axis on the table shows that directing leadership has highly directive behavior, but has lower supportive behavior.
Key concepts
- Directive behaviors assist followers in accomplishing the task by providing direction, articulating clear goals and means to evaluate progress, clarifying roles and demonstrating how the goal can be achieved.
- Supportive behaviors help followers feel comfortable about themselves, others, and the situation. They include open communication, praising others’ work, listening to others’ ideas, and creating an open environment.
- Follower developmental levels (D1-D4) indicate the level of competence and commitment a follower has to carrying out a task.
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