Principles of Situational Leadership TheoryBy Casey Reader, eHow Contributor , last updated August 30, 2014Situational leadership theory was created by the authors and management experts Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the early 1980s. According to their theory, what is effective management will depend on both the task involved and the maturity level of the people that the individual is managing. Hersey and Blanchard define maturity in a variety of ways, such as the ability to take responsibility for a task. They emphasize there is no single best management style..Other People Are ReadingDefinition of Situational LeadershipThe Concept of Situational Leadership1. Leadership Styleo Blanchard and Hersey distinguish several styles of leadership that are effective depending on the context in which they are used. "Telling" involves one-way communication, in which a leader simply provides commands. "Selling" involves giving commands, but also engaging in conversation justifying decisions. "Participating" involves actual conversation between managers and employees on what course to take. "Delegating" involves allowing certain people other than the manager to actually make their own decisions based on judgments.Maturity Levelso Hersey and Blanchard have four basic maturity levels in their model, going from M1 to M4. M1 describes employees without any of the basic skills to do a job and lacking the ability to take responsibility. M2 describes employees with some of the basic abilities but lacking the ability to take full responsibility. M3 describes employees with ability and experience, but lacking the self-confidence for full responsibility. M4 describes employees able to take full responsibility.o Sponsored LinksProperty Mgmt SoftwareSoftware requiring no installation. Save time and boost profitability!Motivation Cycleo Blanchard and Hersey describe a basic motivation cycle with four steps, which an effective leader is able to negotiate and take their employees through. D1 involves workers with low competence and low motivation. D2 involves workers with low competence but high motivation. D3 involves workers with high competence but low motivation. D4 involves workers with high competence and high motivation. Different groups of workers will be at different points in this basic cycle.Motivationo Blanchard and Hersey place a great importance on motivation as a part of the management process. The best managers are not those who repeat themselves according to a standard formula, but those who find ways to appeal to the unique psychology of the particular employees they're dealing with. Different employees will have different needs and will require different styles to motivate them. Situational leadership theory is meant to be a more organic approach to management.Sponsored LinksRead more : principles-situational-leadership-theory.htmlDefinition of Situational Leadership5Found This HelpfulBy Kenneth V. Oster, eHow Contributor、％Definition of Situational LeadershipThose who serve in leadership positions develop an individual philosophy on how to lead their organization. Personal approaches to leadership are constantly challenged by unforeseen situations and issues that arise each business day. Situational leadership is the change in approach that a manager must take in response to the day-to-day challenges of business.Other People Are Reading• ' --'Examples of Situational Leadership诚. - ■,%-『.Situational Leadership Pro & Cons1. Adaptive Leadershipo Situational leadership is the art of adjusting your leadership style to effectively respond to any change in your work environment. Changes that you may need to respond to include technological advances, unforeseen business setbacks or emergency situations that develop on short notice. Since employees do not always respond positively to rapid, unforeseen change, situational leaders must develop good communication skills. The basis for leading an organization to accept rapid change is the ability to communicate and promote the value of the change that must be made.Considerationso Situational leadership involves examining a situation to determine the best course of action. Successful examination of an issue requires that leaders employ higher level critical thinking skills. Determining the best leadership style for a particular situation requires that you dig a little deeper into the problem to understand all sides of the issue. After a decision on how to approach a problem has been made, the next step is to evaluate the results and make any further adjustments as necessary.o Sponsored LinksProperty Mgmt SoftwareSoftware requiring no installation. Save time and boost profitability!Coaching Skillso The art of situational leadership involves being able to coach and encourage subordinates to follow a specified course of action. The main 。