Situational Leadership

Paul Hersey (1931–2012), founder of the Center for Leadership Studies, and Ken Blanchard (b. 1939), later of One Minute Manager fame, created situational leadership at Ohio University in the late 1960s. Their model — flex style to follower readiness — became arguably the most widely delivered leadership training in corporate history.

Hersey and Blanchard's situational approach told leaders to diagnose follower readiness and flex between directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. Arguably the most widely trained leadership model ever.

The era: Situation & Contingency — Situational variables are considered; behavior is moderated by obstacles along the path between subordinates and goals.

Adapt style — directing, coaching, supporting, delegating — to follower readiness.

This theory sits in the Situation & Contingency era of the map: Situational variables are considered; behavior is moderated by obstacles along the path between subordinates and goals.

• Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources. Prentice-Hall. Google Scholar ↗
• Blanchard, K., Zigarmi, P., & Zigarmi, D. (1985). Leadership and the One Minute Manager. William Morrow. Google Scholar ↗