Situational Leadership Theorysituational Leadership Model Developed by Dr. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard
The situational leadership theory is that successful leaders don’t depend on any one leadership style to see them through every situation. Instead, they change their tactics depending on the maturity of their employees and the given details of a particular task. In their The Situational Leader  introduction to situational leadership theory, Hersey and Blanchard suggest that most leadership styles can be broken down into four main types or situational leadership models: Telling (Style 1 or S1): This leader tells his or her employees exactly what to do and exactly how to do it. Selling (S2): These leaders still provide instruction and direction, but there is a higher level of communication. The leader “sells” his or her message to the team to get them to “buy” into the process. Participating (S3): The focus of the relationship between leader and worker shifts away from direction. The leader begins working with the team, and starts sharing problem-solving and decision-making responsibilities. Delegating (S4): Leaders pass a majority of the responsibilities down to their employees. The leader monitors projects, but tends to step in only when needed. Hersey and Blanchard theorized that the style a leader chooses to employ should be dependent upon the maturity level of the person or group that they are leading. Ken Blanchard went on to write the best-selling Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Self Leadership.  Again, the maturity levels are broken down into four main categories: M1 (Maturity Level 1): This is the bottom of the scale. Workers at this level lack the knowledge, skills, and/or confidence to work independently, and often need to be pushed in order to take on tasks. M2: Employees at this level are willing to take on tasks, but still lack the knowledge or skills to complete them successfully. M3: Group members at level three are not only willing to take on the tasks, they are most likely able to well, but they lack confidence to be self-starters. M4: Followers at this level are confident in their position and highly skilled. They understand the task at hand and how best to execute it with little or no interaction from their supervisors. The Situational Leadership Theory then matches each maturity level to the corresponding leadership style: Maturity Level/ Leadership Style
According to Hersey and Blanchard, the best leaders must be flexible and able to adapt themselves and their leadership style to any situation. Situational Leadership Theory requires a manager to know his or her employees, be able to accurately gauge their confidence and skill levels, and then translate that understanding and knowledge into the appropriate course of action within the situational leadership model. Books and Ebooks By Our Company Founder, Dr. Robert Terry:
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