Team presentation for a course illustrating situational leadership.

1. Situational Leadership
Theory
Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard
"Different situations demand different kinds of leadership"
"To be an effective leader requires that a person adapt his or
her style to the demands of different situations"
(Northhouse, 2013, p. 99)

2. Leadership has a supportive and
directive dimension
Evaluation of worker and the
situation is used to determine
leadership style

3. Directing
Typically used in situations where you are leading
someone who knows little about the company or task at
hand.
They will require more involvement and directions from
the leader.
The follower needs the task or job spelled out with clear
direction

4. Focuses communication on both
achieving goals and meeting
subordinates' socioemotional needs
Leader involves himself or herself by
COACHING giving encouragement and soliciting
subordinate input
Still requires that the leader make
the final decision on the "what" and
"how" of goal accomplishment

5. PARTICIPATING
uses supportive behaviors that bring out the employees'
skills around the task to be accomplished
Includes listening, praising, asking for input, and giving
feedback
Quick to give recognition and social support to
subordinates
Gives subordinates control of day-to-day decisions but
remains available to facilitate problem solving

6. DELEGATING
leader takes a step back and offers less input
workers are given more responsibility for task
completion
workers are able and willing to take on delegated
tasks
leader takes on role as motivator and builds
confidence in workers by handing over decision making

7. DEVELOPMENTAL
LEVELS
What are development levels?
Development levels indicates subordinates' degrees of competence and
commitment that are necessary to accomplish a given task or activity.
●
D1 - Employees who are given a new assignment and who are not sure
how to do it, but who are excited for a new challenge.
D2 - Employees who have started to learn a new job, but who have
lost their initial motivation about the job.
D3 - Employees who have learned the skills for the job, but who are
not sure if they can accomplish the job on their own.
D4 - Employees with the highest competence and commitment for a job.
They can efficiently accomplish the job on their own.

8. HOW DOES IT WORK?
Identify level of worker
development
Adapt leadership style
Be flexible as development
levels and situations change

9. STRENGTHS OF SITUATIONAL
LEADERSHIP
Well known, used in training of effective leaders in
successful corporations
Practical - Situational leadership is easily
understood and can be used in various settings.

10. CRITICISMS OF SITUATIONAL
LEADERSHIP
Limited published research
questions if it is a valid approach in training effective
leaders
Ambiguity of development levels. It is
unclear how competence and commitment can
define a distinct level of development.
Does not take into consideration gender,
age, culture, etc.

11. REFERENCES
Marion, Russ (2005). Leadership in
education: Organizational theory for the
practitioner. Long Grove, Ill: Waveland
Press, Inc.
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership theory
and practice. (6th edition). Thousand
Oaks,CA: Sage.

12. INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS
Visit this URL (http://z.
umn.edu/sitlead) and answer
all 4 multiple choice
questions!

13. GOld gROUP MEMBERS
Ashley Gillingham
Jessica McLain
Elodie Steffen
Kyle Sweeney
Alfonso Sintjago
Created for OLPD 5048