Overview of Situational Leadership® and Situational Leadership II®
The basic tenet of Situational Leadership is that there is no one best way to lead.
Rather, what constitutes effective leadership varies with the "developmental level
of the follower(s)" in a group.
Four leadership styles are identified-- Directing, Coaching, Supporting,
Delegating -- for leading four types of groups, which range on
a continuum of high-to-low membership maturity.
The leadership styles differ in the demonstration of behaviors associated with two
theoretically orthogonal dimensions:
- Dimension on supportive behavior.
- Dimension on directive behavior.
How Situational Leadership II Relates to SYMLOG Field Theory
Plot in SYMLOG Space of
Situational Leadership II® (Hersey & Blanchard) Curve
(Click image to enlarge)
The two dimensions of Situational Leadership (SL II) correspond to Bales'
Positive and Forward dimensions. SL
II does not treat the second pole of either dimension, nor explicitly address Bales's
third dimension of Dominance-Submissiveness (Upward-Downward) in the four styles
of Situational Leadership. The four styles only express behaviors associated with
the PF quadrant of the PN-FB plane.
The table below shows the four Situational Leadership styles and corresponding SYMLOG
vectors. Thus, SL II's "prescriptive" curve can be heuristically positioned in the
SYMLOG field diagram as shown in the figure.
Table: Situational Leadership Styles and Corresponding SYMLOG Vectors
Situational Leadership II
|
SYMLOG
|
|
Developmental Level of Followers
|
Leadership Style
|
Behavioral Characteristics
|
Vectoral Type where,
P = Friendly behavior
F = Task-oriented, instrumental, authority-oriented behavior
U = Dominant behavior
|
|
D1:
|
low (developing = immature)
|
S1:
|
Directing (Telling)
|
high directive (task) & low supportive (relationship)
|
PF-F, or U-PF-F (with moderate U)
|
|
D2:
|
low-to-moderate
|
S2:
|
Coaching (Selling)
|
high directive (task) & high supportive (relationship)
|
PF, or U-PF (with moderate U)
|
|
D3:
|
moderate-to-high
|
S3:
|
Supporting (Participating)
|
high supportive (relationship) & low directive (task)
|
P-PF, or U-P-PF (with moderate U)
|
|
D4:
|
high (developed = mature
|
S4:
|
Delegating
|
low supportive (relationship) & low directive (task)
|
PF, or U-PF (with high U)
|
Selected References
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. (1977). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing
human resources. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Hersey, P., & Keilty, J. W. (1980). Interaction influence analysis. Escondido,
CA: Center for Leadership Studies.