cl&e        Situational Leadership Theory                                                cl&e       Situational Leadership Theory
     campus life and engagement                                                               campus life and engagement
                                                                                                    
       The situational leadership theory was developed in the 1970s                             The situational leadership theory was developed in the 1970s 
       by Paul Hersey, professor and author of the book Situational                             by Paul Hersey, professor and author of the book Situational 
       Leader, and Ken Blanchard, leadership guru and author of The                             Leader, and Ken Blanchard, leadership guru and author of The 
       One Minute Manager.                                                                      One Minute Manager.
       Effective leadership varies, not only with the person or group that                      Effective leadership varies, not only with the person or group that 
       is being influenced, but it also depends on the task, job or                             is being influenced, but it also depends on the task, job or 
       function that needs to be accomplished.                                                  function that needs to be accomplished.
                                                                                                 
       Leadership styles are divided into behavior types:                                       Leadership styles are divided into behavior types:
             1. Telling - is characterized by one-way communication in                               1. Telling - is characterized by one-way communication in 
             which the leader defines the roles of the individual or group                           which the leader defines the roles of the individual or group 
             and                                                                                     and 
             provides the what, how, why, when and where to do the task.                             provides the what, how, why, when and where to do the task.
             2. Selling - while the leader is still providing the direction, he                      2. Selling - while the leader is still providing the direction, he 
             or she is now using two-way communication and providing                                 or she is now using two-way communication and providing 
             the socio-emotional support that will allow the individual or                           the socio-emotional support that will allow the individual or 
             group being influenced to buy into the process.                                         group being influenced to buy into the process.
             3. Participating - this is how shared decision-making about                             3. Participating - this is how shared decision-making about 
             aspects of how the task is accomplished and the leader is                               aspects of how the task is accomplished and the leader is 
             providing less task behaviours while maintaining high                                   providing less task behaviours while maintaining high 
             relationship behavior.                                                                  relationship behavior.
             4. Delegating - the leader is still involved in decisions;                              4. Delegating - the leader is still involved in decisions; 
             however, the process and responsibility has been passed to                              however, the process and responsibility has been passed to 
             the individual or group. The leader stays involved to monitor                           the individual or group. The leader stays involved to monitor 
             progress.                                                                               progress.
       Of these, no one style is considered optimal for all leaders to use                      Of these, no one style is considered optimal for all leaders to use 
       all the time. Effective leaders need to be flexible, and must adapt                      all the time. Effective leaders need to be flexible, and must adapt 
       themselves according to the situation.                                                   themselves according to the situation.