什么是情境领导？ 释义

Kenneth Blanchard和Paul Hersey提出的情境领导（Situational Leadership）认为，领导者应该根据具体情境运用相应的领导方式。 此理论要求领导者对所处情境进行准确分析，进而选取适当的领导方式。 领导者应该根据员工在工作中表现出来的能力和信心，采取因人而异的领导方式。 即便对待同一名员工，不同时期、不同场合下的领导方法亦要有所不同。

Blanchard和Hersey制作了领导风格矩阵图（见右），用以帮助领导者对下属实施有针对性的、明确的领导。

领导方式

• S1 – 督促式（Directing）：高任务、低关系。领导者为下属制定角色、安排任务，并给以具体指示和严格监督。 所有决定由领导者做出，沟通是单方面的。 这种领导方式适用于缺乏能力但工作热情高、有自信的员工， 在工作中，他们需要指导和监督。
• S2 – 指导式（Coaching）：高任务，高关系。仍然由领导者为下属制定角色、安排任务，但允许讨论，并听取下属的意见和建议。 最终决策仍由领导做出，但增加了双向沟通。 这种领导方式适用于有一定的工作能力，但却缺乏自信的员工， 因为他们仍然是相对缺少经验的，所以他们仍然需要指导和监督。 同时，因为员工的自尊需要，领导者还应该给以他们鼓励和表扬，并将他们融入决策过程。
• S3 – 参与式（Supporting）： 低任务， 高关系。领导者将例行的决策权力如工作安排、流程部署交予下属。 领导者协调促进下属展开决策讨论，并协助其自行决策。 这种领导方式适用于有工作能力，但缺少自信的员工， 由于他们的个人能力，他们不需要过多的工作督促或指导，但是给与适当的支持、增强他们的信心则是必要的。
• S4 – 授权式（Delegating）：低任务，低关系。领导者仍然参与下属的讨论，但控制权由下属掌握。 由下属决定在何时、何种情况下领导者需要参与决策讨论。 这种领导方式适合于既有很强的能力又有工作意愿的员工， 他们乐于独挡一面执行任何工作任务，而不需要太多的督导或支持。

高效能领导者能够根据不同的情境，在这四种模式之间适时变幻，选择最佳的领导方式。因为，没有哪一种领导方式是永远正确的。 然而，可以具有倾向性的选择，联系到情境领导，管理人员应该心中有数，哪一种领导方式比较适合自己。

同样，也可以根据员工的能力和意愿，将其所处状态分为四个类型。

员工状态

• D4 – 能力高，且信心十足。富有工作经验，具有独立完成工作任务的能力。 甚至有可能比领导者具有更高的技能。
• D3 – 能力高，但信心不足。富有工作经验和能力，但缺少独立完成工作任务的信心。
• D2 – 能力一般，且没有信心。具有一定的相关技能，但是，不能够在没有帮助的情况下，独立完成工作任务。 他们可能对于所从事的工作任务或者所处的工作情境还比较陌生。
• D1 – 能力低下，但信心十足。缺乏工作所需的技能，但充满自信能够应对难关和挑战。

与领导风格一样，员工状态也是相对的，要结合具体情境进行分析和判断。 同一名员工可能在某项工作上，具有高超的技能，表现出十足的信心，但很可能在另外一项工作上，就完全相反了。

Blanchard和Hersey认为，领导者要能够根据员工所处的状态阶段（D1-D4），调整和运用自己的领导方式（S1-S4）。 领导者通过采取与员工状态相适应的领导方式，最终的结果是：工作任务顺利完成，良好的人际关系在组织内构建起来，尤为重要的是，员工的状态也会随之向D4阶段发展，真正实现共赢的局面。

情境领导的步骤。 流程

1. 对每一名员工的工作任务进行识别；
2. 确定员工针对具体工作所处的状态（D1-D4）；
3. 针对每一项工作任务，选择适合的领导（管理）方式（S1-S4）；
4. 与员工就每一个具体情境进行讨论；
5. 制定联合计划；
6. 后续工作、检验、修正。

情境领导的优势。 优点

• 容易理解。
• 便于操作。

情境领导的局限。 缺点

• 该模型缺少领导与管理的区别。 这里所称的领导风格方式上更恰当的描述应该是管理方式。 也比较： Leadership Pipeline[领导补给线]
• 领导力也不仅仅局限于制定决策，还包括激励员工、影响员工的工作方向。
• 领导者可能确实需要针对不同的员工，采取不同的激励方式。 但这种激励应该发生在员工自身已经做出变革决定之后。 因此，也不能将领导方式狭隘地理解为决策方式。
• 对于工作责任、工作内容的关注过于琐碎。
• 尽管领导者或者管理者在不同的情境下确实应该有不同的作为， 但是过分关注细节，容易忽略管理和领导的实质和根本。

情境领导的假定。 条件

• 领导者应该调整自己的管理方式，以适应员工的“成熟度”，即员工完成工作任务所具有的能力和信心。
• 恰好存在四种领导方式与四种员工状态错落相配。
• 这四种领导方式建议领导者应该把领导重心放在具体的任务上（多管还是少管）以及和员工的关系上（亲还是疏）。
• 领导力主要表现在制定决策上。

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What is Situational Leadership? Description

The Situational Leadership method from Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey holds that managers must use different leadership styles depending on the situation. The model allows you to analyze the needs of the situation you’re in, and then use the most appropriate leadership style. Depending on employees’ competences in their task areas and commitment to their tasks, your leadership style should vary from one person to another. You may even lead the same person one way sometimes, and another way at other times.

Blanchard and Hersey characterized leadership style in terms of the amount of direction and of support that the leader gives to his or her followers, and so created a simple matrix (figure).

Leadership Behavior of the Leader

• S1 – Telling / Directing – High task focus, low relationship focus – leaders define the roles and tasks of the ‘follower’, and supervise them closely. Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely one-way. For people who lack competence but are enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get them started.
• S2 – Selling / Coaching – High task focus, high relationship focus – leaders still define roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the follower. Decisions remain the leader’s prerogative, but communication is much more two-way. For people who have some competence but lack commitment. They need direction and supervision because they are still relatively inexperienced. They also need support and praise to build their self-esteem, and involvement in decision-making to restore their commitment.
• S3 – Participating / Supporting – Low task focus, high relationship focus – leaders pass day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower. The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the follower. For people who have competence, but lack confidence or motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster their confidence and motivation.
• S4 – Delegating – Low task focus, low relationship focus – leaders are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved. For people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work on a project by themselves with little supervision or support.

Effective leaders are versatile in being able to move around the matrix according to the situation, so there is no style that is always right. However, we tend to have a preferred style, and in applying Situational Leadership you need to know which one that is for you.

Likewise, the competence and commitment of the follower can also be distinguished in 4 quadrants.

Development Level of the Follower

• D4 – High Competence, High Commitment – Experienced at the job, and comfortable with their own ability to do it well. May even be more skilled than the leader.
• D3 – High Competence, Variable Commitment – Experienced and capable, but may lack the confidence to go it alone, or the motivation to do it well / quickly.
• D2 – Some Competence, Low Commitment – May have some relevant skills, but won’t be able to do the job without help. The task or the situation may be new to them.
• D1 – Low Competence, High Commitment – Generally lacking the specific skills required for the job in hand, but has the confidence and / or motivation to tackle it.

Similar to the leadership styles, the development levels are also situational. A person could be skilled, confident and motivated for one part of his his job, but could be less competent for another part of the job.

Blanchard and Hersey said that the Leadership Style (S1 – S4) of the leader must correspond to the Development level (D1 – D4) of the follower – and it’s the leader who adapts. By adopting the right style to suit the follower’s development level, work gets done, relationships are built up, and most importantly, the follower’s development level will rise to D4, to everyone’s benefit.

Steps in Situational Leadership. Process

1. Make an overview per employee of his/her tasks
2. Assess the employee on each task (D1…D4)
3. Decide on the leadership (management) style per task (S1…S4)
4. Discuss the situation with the employee
5. Make a joint plan
6. Follow-up, check and correct

Strengths of the Situational Leadership model. Benefits

• Easy to understand
• Easy to use

Limitations of the Situational Leadership model. Disadvantages

• Model fails to distinguish between leadership and management. What is called leadership style is really management style. Compare also: Leadership Pipeline
• Leadership is not primarily about making decisions anyway – it is about inspiring people to change direction.
• Leaders may indeed vary the way they inspire people to change. But this is when they have already decided on the need to change. Hence leadership style does not reduce to decision making style.
• Focuses too exclusively on what the person in charge does.
• Of course both leaders and managers have to behave differently in different situations. But that is just a trivial fact of life, rather than anything profound in terms of our basic understanding of what it means to lead or manage.

Assumptions of Situational Leadership. Conditions

• Leaders should adapt their style to follower ‘maturity’, based on how ready and willing the follower is to perform required tasks (that is, their competence and motivation).
• There are four leadership styles that match the four combinations of high/low readiness and willingness.
• The four styles suggest that leaders should put greater or less focus on the task in question and/or the relationship between the leader and the follower.
• Presumes that leadership is about how the boss makes decisions.

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