Situational Leadership Model

In this Blanchard-Hersey model of situational leadership,  a leader can adopt one of four stances depending on the competence and commitment levels of the follower(s).

Followers with high competencies need a leader who either Supports or Delegates.

On the other hand, those that need to develop their competencies will thrive with a leader who either Directs or Coaches depending on the commitment level of the follower.

The four leadership styles are:

S1 – Directing

• For low competence and high commitment teams.

• Offers step-by-step instructions, clear explanation of the consequences of non-performance and close supervision.

S2 – Coaching

• For low competence and low commitment teams.

• Focused increasing the confidence and skills of followers so that they can ultimately take on more responsibility for their actions.

S3 – Supporting

• For high competence and low commitment teams.

• Listening, praise and a high level of interaction between leader and follower. Leader puts a high level of trust in the follower to achieve the day-to-day tasks as the follower’s competence has also grown over time.

S4 – Delegating

• For high competence and high commitment teams.

• The leader encourages autonomy, while keeping an eye on not overloading the follower with responsibility and not withdrawing completely from the follower’s proximity.