6 BECOME AN EXCEPTIONAL LEADER: The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory

(EXTRACTION FROM LEADERSHIP SKILLS at http://www.mindtools.com)

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP STYLE

The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey, a professor and author of "The Situational Leader," and Ken Blanchard, author of the best selling "The One-Minute Manager," among others.

The theory states that instead of using just one style, successful leaders should change their leadership styles based on the maturity of the people they're leading and the details of the task.

HERSEY-BLANCHARD SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY
Leadership Styles
Telling (S1)	Leaders tell their people exactly what to do, and how to do it.
Selling (S2)	Leaders still provide information and direction, but there's more communication with followers.  Leaders "sell" their message to get the team on board.
Participating (S3)	Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction. The leader works with the team, and shares decision-making responsibilities.
Delegating (S4)	Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or group. The leaders still monitor progress, but they're less involved in decisions.
Maturity Levels
M1	People at this level of maturity are at the bottom level of the scale. They lack the knowledge, skills, or confidence to work on their own, and they often need to be pushed to take the task on.
M2	At this level, followers might be willing to work on the task, but they still don't have the skills to do it successfully.
M3	Here, followers are ready and willing to help with the task. They have more skills than the M2 group, but they're still not confident in their abilities.
M4	These followers are able to work on their own. They have high confidence and strong skills, and they're committed to the task.

 

THE HERSEY-BLANCHARD LEADERSHIP STYLE MAP
MATURITY LEVEL	MOST APPROPRIATE LEADERSHIP STYLE
M1 Low maturity	S1 Telling/directing
M2 Medium maturity, limited skills	S2 Selling/coaching
M3 Medium maturity, higher skills but lacking confidence	S3 Participating/supporting
M4 High maturity	S4 Delegating