1. Situational Leadership
This is a leadership model that describes 4 styles of leadership which you use depending on the situation. Hence, it’s called situational leadership. These styles are based on two leadership behaviours.
One is directional, so how directional you are and the other is how supportive you are, which is a combination of encouraging and challenging.

2. Situational Leadership
High Directive
&
High Supportive
Behaviour S2
COACHING
High Supportive
&
Low Directive
Behaviour S3
SUPPORTING
Supportive Behaviour
Low Supportive
&
Low Directive
Behaviour S4
DELEGATING
High Directive
&
Low Supportive
Behaviour S1
DIRECTING
Directional is telling someone how to do something in a very detailed specific way eg making a cup of tea. I’d like the large blue mug, make sure the water is boiling, leave the tea bag in for 5 mins, add lots of milk – strong and milky.
Supportive is telling someone how to do something and supporting them in it. EG John Clark running.
(Low) Directive Behaviour (High)

3. Four Basic Leadership Styles
Style 1 - Directing
Leader provides specific instructions and closely supervises task accomplishment
Style 2 - Coaching
Leader continues to direct and closely supervise task accomplishment, but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions, and supports progress
Now I’d like to illustrate this with a recent work example. As part of the company Environmental Management System, I wanted to give one of my colleagues in the office the responsibility for recycling.
First of all the team agreed that we needed 2 categories for the recycling. One for recycling and one for shredding of confidential material.
Directing - So I told her how to categorise the financial and workshop materials. Eg anything that had a client or company name or address on, bank statements, financial details etc needed shredding, anything anonymous could be recycled, if in doubt shred it.
Coaching – This seemed to be going well, but then I realised there was an extra box that different staff used differently and this meant she had to go through that material again and it was wasting time. When I pointed this out, she said that box had been there before she had arrived and one member of staff used it to put card in it when she was in a hurry, others put any paper in it. I explained that I didn’t think we needed the extra box and those bits of card could go straight into the recycling box. I explained that I would find it helpful if she labeled the boxes, one for recycling and one for shredding, so that it was clear which box was for shredding and recycling. I thanked her for putting labels on the boxes.

4. Four Basic Leadership Styles (continued)
Style 3 - Supporting
Leader facilitates and supports subordinates’ efforts toward task accomplishment and shares responsibility for decision making with them
Supporting – now I need to support her to encourage everyone in the office to put the paper in the correct boxes and also when the Directors visit the office they do this as well. Praise, listen and facilitate.
Delegating – she is already taking responsibility for how to get rid of recycling and reduced the cost by decreasing the number of times a month the skip we have is emptied.
Style 4 - Delegating
Leader turns over responsibility for decision making and problem solving to them

5. Development Levels and Leadership Styles
Low Competence 
High Commitment S1
DIRECTING
Structure, control & supervise D2
Some Competence 
Low Commitment S2
COACHING
Direct & support
D1 -Initially she had low competence and high commitment, she wanted to do a good job but didn’t know how, in terms of what needed to be shredded.
D2 – Secondly she showed competence in the task but wasn’t bothered that she was going through the third box twice, she said she didn’t mind.
D3 – She showed competence in the task and labeled the boxes and got rid of the third box. She finds it hard to get others to use the system – needs more support. Need to facilitate before next Board meeting.
D4 – Then move on to delegate completely. D3
High Competence 
Variable Commitment S3
SUPPORTING
Praise, listen & facilitate S4
DELEGATING
Turn over responsibility for implementation & decisions D4
High Competence 
High Commitment

6. Situational Leadership
High Directive
&
High Supportive
Behaviour S2
COACHING
High Supportive
&
Low Directive
Behaviour S3
SUPPORTING
Supportive Behaviour
Low Supportive
&
Low Directive
Behaviour S4
DELEGATING
High Directive
&
Low Supportive
Behaviour S1
DIRECTING
(Low) Directive Behaviour (High)