Situational Leadership

One of the first leadership books I came across as a junior manager was The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard. At the time, I was relatively new to management and, like many first-time managers, I was trying to work out what being a “good manager” actually meant.

I studied the theory when I was at catering college doing hotel management, yet when I started working, none of the managers I reported to seemed to be following what I had learned! I worked for people who were either micro managers or who just left me to get on with it without any direction at all.

One thing that really stood out was how often managers did not recognise my level of capability. They continued to tell me exactly what to do, checked my work constantly and wanted to be involved in every decision; even when I had shown that I could work independently. This was incredibly demotivating.

I also experienced the opposite. I remember starting a new job at one company and my manager wasn’t even there on my first day! I was just expected to learn the ropes all on my own while the rest of the team moaned about the management. When I started managing people myself I did things differently though as a middle manager I was still restricted as the big picture vision and strategy for the business often seemed to be a well kept secret.

When I first came across Ken Blanchard I was struck by the simplicity of the ideas in the book and also realised that my leadership approach was not that different to what he talked about; but this book gave me the structure and confidence that I was doing a lot right already.

The main principle behind Situational Leadership is that there isn't one leadership style that works for every person, every situation or every stage of someone's development. That sounds obvious. Yet in my experience, it is something many leaders struggle to put into practice.

There isn't One Right Way to Lead

As leaders, we often develop a style that feels natural to us. Perhaps you're naturally decisive and like to give clear direction or you're collaborative and prefer to involve people in every decision. Maybe you are someone who gives people considerable autonomy because you believe strongly in empowering your team. None of these approaches is inherently wrong.

The problem comes when we use the same approach with everyone, regardless of what they actually need from us. Someone who is new to a role may need very different leadership from someone who has been doing it successfully for five years. Someone who is highly capable but lacking confidence may need something different again and someone who has both the competence and confidence to deliver probably doesn't need you involved at all.

This is where the four basic Situational Leadership styles are so useful.

Directing. Coaching. Supporting. Delegating.

The skill of the leader is knowing which one to use and when to change it.

1. Directing: “Let me show you how”

When someone is new to a role, task or responsibility, they may have enthusiasm and potential but lack the experience to know what good looks like. This is where directing is appropriate. You provide clarity about what needs to be done, how it should be done and what success looks like.

There is nothing wrong with being directive when someone genuinely needs direction. In fact, failing to provide it can be frustrating for everyone.

I've seen leaders confuse empowerment with simply leaving people to work things out for themselves. That's not empowerment. If someone doesn't yet have the knowledge or experience they need, stepping back too early can actually set them up to fail.

Good leadership starts with giving people the support they need to become capable.

2. Coaching – “Let's work through this together”

As someone's competence grows, simply giving instructions becomes less useful. They may know how to do the task but still need help developing their judgement, confidence and problem-solving ability. This is where coaching becomes important.

Instead of simply providing the answer, you start asking questions.

• What do you think?

• What options have you considered?

• What would you do if I wasn't here?

• What do you think the risks are?

The role of the leader starts to shift from telling to developing. For me, this is one of the most important transitions a manager can make. Your job isn't to create people who always come to you for answers. It's to develop people who can increasingly find the answers themselves.

3. Supporting – “I trust you; I'm here if you need me”

There comes a point when someone has the skills and experience to do the job, but they may still benefit from encouragement, reassurance or a sounding board. This is where supporting becomes valuable. You don't need to tell them what to do. you don't need to solve the problem for them but you remain available.

You listen. you ask questions and you provide perspective. You help them build confidence in their own judgement. This style is particularly important because capability and confidence don't always develop at the same pace.

I've worked with people who were far more capable than they believed themselves to be. Sometimes the most valuable thing a leader can do is create enough space for someone to recognise that for themselves.

4. Delegating – “You've got this”

Eventually, the goal should be to reach a point where someone can take genuine ownership. That's delegating. You agree the outcome, establish the boundaries and then step back. This can be difficult for founders and experienced managers.

When you've built something yourself, it can feel safer to stay involved. You know how things should be done. you know the history and you know the mistakes that have already been made. But if you continue to hold onto everything, you become the bottleneck.

Delegation isn't about getting rid of work; It's about transferring ownership and that requires trust. The leadership challenge is knowing when to change.

The Real Value of Situational Leadership

Frameworks are just that, they are for guidance. As I know all to well, reality does not always fit into convenient boxes because people may need all four styles at different times.

• Someone might be highly competent in one area but inexperienced in another.

• They might be confident one month and struggling with a new challenge the next.

• They might be capable of working independently but need more support during a period of change.

And as founders, our businesses are constantly changing which means our people are constantly changing too. The leadership approach that worked when you had three employees may not work when you have ten or twenty.

The person who needed close direction when they joined your business may now be ready to take ownership of an entire function and if you don't adapt your leadership, you can unintentionally hold people back.

Leadership isn't about Having all the Answers

Looking back at myself as a junior manager, I think one of the most valuable lessons I learned was that leadership isn't about finding a single style and becoming really good at it iIt's about learning to read the situation.

Ask yourself "What does this person need from me right now?"

• Do they need clarity?

• Do they need development?

• Do they need encouragement?

• Or do they simply need me to get out of the way?

That last one can be surprisingly difficult but sometimes the best leadership decision you can make is to step back. For founders in particular, this is an important part of scaling. As your business grows, your role has to change. You can't remain the person who directs every decision, solves every problem and provides every answer.

Your success increasingly depends on your ability to develop people who can lead, make decisions and take ownership without you; and that means becoming a more adaptable leader yourself. Good leadership isn't about leading everyone the same way; it's about giving people what they need to succeed and knowing when to change your approach.

About the Author

Sarah is a business founder, MBA graduate and coach who has built and scaled businesses to over £8 million in revenue with teams of up to 25.. She now helps ambitious founders gain clarity, build motivated teams and create businesses that support the life they want to lead.

Register to receive her weekly email; The Thoughtful Founder where she'll be sharing honest reflections, lessons learned, and practical strategies from her own journey: co-founding and scaling an £8 million business… while navigating motherhood, financial challenges and self-doubt.

And if you are ready to take the next step, you will find her FREE Webinar will help you

☑️Recruit the right people first time so they fit with your core business values.

☑️Motivate your team and communicate effectively so they consistently deliver beyond expectations

☑️Step back from the day job and replace yourself with your team.