Framework

Situational leadership (Hersey–Blanchard)

The question it answers

When assigning a task to each team member, how much should a team leader direct and how much support, given that person's competence and readiness for the task?

Origin
Hersey & Blanchard, 1969; Thompson & Vecchio, 2009; Graeff, 1997
Diagram type
2×2 matrix
Level of analysis
Team
Topics
Strategy & leadershipChange management
Chess knight on a glass compass, icon for strategy and leadership

Diagram

Situational leadership (Hersey–Blanchard)

LowDirective behaviourHigh
Directing

High direction, low support: for followers who lack competence.

Coaching

High direction and high support.

Delegating

Low direction, low support: for competent, confident followers.

Supporting

Low direction, high support: competent but not yet confident followers.

LowSupportive behaviourHigh

Pitfalls

Pitfall

Using it as if validated. Tests (Thompson and Vecchio, 2009; Graeff, 1997) give mixed support, so use it only as a critical comparator.

Sources

References

Listed A–Z by author surname, Harvard style. A source with a DOI links to https://doi.org/…; one without links to its page or says plainly that it has no DOI.

  1. Graeff, C.L. (1997) ‘Evolution of situational leadership theory: a critical review’, The Leadership Quarterly, 8(2), pp. 153–170.doi:10.1016/s1048-9843(97)90014-xSource page
  2. Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K.H. (1969) Management of organizational behavior: utilizing human resources. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.No DOISource page
  3. Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K.H. (1988) Management of Organizational Behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.No DOISource page
  4. Thompson, G. and Vecchio, R.P. (2009) ‘Situational leadership theory: a test of three versions’, The Leadership Quarterly, 20(5), pp. 837–848.doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.06.014Source page