Do you treat your experienced senior developer the same way as the junior who started last week?
Then you're making at least one of them unhappy.
Situational Leadership means: Adapting your leadership style to the person and situation – not expecting everyone to adapt to your style.
The Hersey and Blanchard Model
Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed the Situational Leadership Model. The core idea:
There is no "best" leadership style. The best style depends on the employee's development level.
The Two Dimensions
1. TASK-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR (Directing)
- Give clear instructions
- Provide structure
- Define What, How, When, Where
- Control and give feedback
2. RELATIONSHIP-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR (Supporting)
- Listen and encourage
- Include in decisions
- Offer support
- Give recognition
The Four Leadership Styles
SUPPORTING (Relationship)
High
│
S3 │ S2
PARTICIPATING │ COACHING
│
"Let's decide │ "I'll explain this
together" │ and we'll do it
│ together"
│
──────────────────────┼──────────────────────
│
S4 │ S1
DELEGATING │ DIRECTING
│
"You handle this, │ "Do it exactly
reach out if │ like this"
there are issues" │
│
Low
Low ────────────────── High
DIRECTING (Task)
The Four Development Levels
The leadership style is based on the employee's development level – a combination of competence and commitment.
D1: Enthusiastic Beginner
COMPETENCE: Low
COMMITMENT: High
TYPICAL:
- New employee
- New task/role
- High motivation, little experience
- "I don't know how, but I want to!"
EXAMPLE:
Junior developer on day one.
Motivated, but needs clear guidance.
D2: Disillusioned Learner
COMPETENCE: Low to Medium
COMMITMENT: Low
TYPICAL:
- Reality has caught up with euphoria
- Experienced first failures
- Overwhelmed by complexity
- "This is harder than I thought..."
EXAMPLE:
Junior after 3 months.
Sees how much they still don't know.
Frustration and self-doubt.
D3: Capable but Cautious
COMPETENCE: Medium to High
COMMITMENT: Variable
TYPICAL:
- Can do the task
- But: Unsure if they should
- Needs confirmation
- "I could, but is that right?"
EXAMPLE:
Mid-level developer should lead feature.
Has the skills, doubts themselves.
D4: Self-Reliant Achiever
COMPETENCE: High
COMMITMENT: High
TYPICAL:
- Can do it and wants to
- Needs little guidance
- Independent and motivated
- "I've got this, I'll reach out if I have questions"
EXAMPLE:
Senior developer with clear ownership.
Wants autonomy, delivers reliably.
The Matching Matrix
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL → LEADERSHIP STYLE
D1: Enthusiastic Beginner → S1: DIRECTING
(Low Competence, - Clear instructions
High Commitment) - Provide structure
- Step by step
- Little discussion
D2: Disillusioned Learner → S2: COACHING
(Some Competence, - Explain and show
Low Commitment) - Motivate
- Emphasize progress
- Room for questions
D3: Capable but Cautious → S3: PARTICIPATING
(High Competence, - Decide together
Variable Commitment) - Listen and confirm
- Build confidence
- As partners
D4: Self-Reliant Achiever → S4: DELEGATING
(High Competence, - Give autonomy
High Commitment) - Define outcomes
- Get out of the way
- Be there when needed
The Styles in Detail
S1: Directing (Telling)
When: D1 – Enthusiastic Beginner
YOU GIVE:
- Clear instructions
- Defined steps
- Close monitoring
- Frequent feedback
YOU ASK LITTLE:
- No "What do you think?"
- Little discussion about the How
- You make decisions
EXAMPLE:
"For this feature you will:
1. First write the tests
2. Then the implementation
3. Sync with me daily briefly
4. On Friday we'll review together
Questions about the task?"
NOT:
"How would you approach this?"
(Overwhelming for D1)
S2: Coaching (Selling)
When: D2 – Disillusioned Learner
YOU GIVE:
- Guidance AND explanation
- The Why behind the What
- Encouragement
- Room for questions
YOU BALANCE:
- Give structure, but explain
- Make decisions, but involve
- Lead, but encourage
EXAMPLE:
"This feature is complex. Let me explain
why we're choosing this approach: [Explanation].
I know testing is frustrating right now.
That's normal at this stage. What helps:
[concrete tip]. What questions do you have?"
NOT:
"Just do it" (ignores frustration)
"You got this" (without substance)
S3: Participating (Supporting)
When: D3 – Capable but Cautious
YOU GIVE:
- Confirmation
- Room for input
- Joint decisions
- Less instruction, more exchange
YOU ASK MORE:
- "What do you think?"
- "How would you solve this?"
- "What do you need from me?"
EXAMPLE:
"You know the system best.
How would you approach this?
[Listen]
That sounds good. What's your gut feeling
on Option A vs B?
I trust your judgment."
NOT:
Give detailed instructions
(undermines competence)
S4: Delegating
When: D4 – Self-Reliant Achiever
YOU GIVE:
- Clear goals/outcomes
- Autonomy
- Trust
- Resources when needed
YOU HOLD BACK:
- Don't control
- Don't interfere
- Result matters, not the path
EXAMPLE:
"This project is yours.
Goal is [clearly defined] by [date].
I'm here if you need me,
but I trust you.
How do you want to keep me updated?"
NOT:
Constantly asking
Micromanaging
Prescribing the path
Situational Leadership in Daily Tech Work
Same Person, Different Situations
IMPORTANT:
The development level is not fixed.
It varies by TASK.
EXAMPLE – SENIOR DEVELOPER MARIA:
Backend development: D4
→ S4 (Delegating)
→ She's done this for years, full autonomy
New frontend framework: D1
→ S1 (Directing)
→ Never done it, needs guidance
Presentation to stakeholders: D3
→ S3 (Participating)
→ Can do it, but nervous
→ THREE DIFFERENT STYLES FOR ONE PERSON
Assessing Development Level
QUESTIONS FOR ASSESSMENT:
COMPETENCE:
- Has the person done this before?
- What relevant skills do they have?
- What's their track record on similar tasks?
COMMITMENT:
- How motivated do they seem?
- Do they show initiative?
- How do they handle setbacks?
OBSERVE:
- How do they react to new tasks?
- Do they ask many or few questions?
- Do they need much or little confirmation?
Common Mistakes
MISTAKE 1: ONE STYLE FOR ALL
"I'm just a delegating type"
→ Junior devs drown
→ Seniors feel underutilized
MISTAKE 2: NOT ADAPTING STYLE
Someone develops from D1 to D4
→ You still give detailed instructions
→ Frustration, turnover
MISTAKE 3: DELEGATING TOO QUICKLY
"They've been here 3 months already"
→ But for THIS task they're still D1
→ Overwhelm, mistakes
MISTAKE 4: NOT DELEGATING ENOUGH
Treating senior developer like junior
→ "Doesn't trust me"
→ Demotivation, departure
Fostering Development
The Goal: Develop Everyone to D4
D1 → D2 → D3 → D4
YOUR TASK:
Develop people through the stages.
Not: Keep them at one stage forever.
HOW:
- Build competence (training, experience)
- Foster commitment (motivation, purpose)
- Gradually transfer responsibility
- Enable successes
The Development Conversations
FOR D1 → D2:
"You're learning fast. Next week
you'll take on [slightly larger task].
I'll show you how."
FOR D2 → D3:
"I see your progress.
The frustration is normal.
Let's look at what you already can do:
[list successes]"
FOR D3 → D4:
"You're ready for more ownership.
From now on you decide on [area].
I'm here if you need me."
FOR D4:
"You're doing great.
What do you need to grow further?
What challenge are you looking for?"
Situational Leadership and Other Concepts
Combined with Servant Leadership
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP:
What does this person need now?
[SERVANT LEADERSHIP](/en/blog/servant-leadership-guide):
How can I serve this person?
TOGETHER:
"How can I best serve this person,
based on their current development level?"
→ D1: I serve through clear structure
→ D2: I serve through coaching and encouragement
→ D3: I serve through trust and participation
→ D4: I serve through autonomy
Combined with Feedback
ADAPT FEEDBACK:
D1: Frequent, specific, directive
"That was right. Next time pay attention to X."
D2: Encouraging, learning-oriented
"That was a good try. What did you learn?"
D3: Confirming, questioning
"How do you find the result? I think it's good."
D4: Outcome-focused, peer-level
"Result is strong. Ideas for even better?"
Self-Reflection
Your Default Style
ASK YOURSELF:
- What's my natural leadership style?
- Where am I strong?
- What's difficult for me?
TYPICAL PATTERNS:
The Controller:
Default S1/S2, even with D4 employees
→ Learn: Let go, trust
The Buddy:
Default S3, even with D1 employees
→ Learn: Give structure, decide
The Delegator:
Default S4, even with D1 employees
→ Learn: Invest in guidance
The Coach:
Default S2, even with D4 employees
→ Learn: Allow autonomy
Training Flexibility
EXERCISE:
1. Identify 3 team members
2. Assess their development level (for a specific task)
3. Ask yourself: Am I using the right style?
4. Adjust if needed
GET FEEDBACK:
"Do you have enough/too little guidance from me?"
"Do you feel supported?"
"What do you need more/less from me?"
Conclusion: Flexibility as a Leadership Skill
A good leader doesn't have one style – but the ability to switch between styles.
The Core Principles:
- Assess development level: Competence + Commitment
- Adapt style: S1-S4 as needed
- Task-specific: Same person, different styles
- Develop: Goal is D4 for everyone
- Stay flexible: Reassess regularly
Your Challenge:
Think of one person on your team. What's their development level for their current main task? Does your leadership style match?
If not: What do you change starting tomorrow?
Want to dive deeper into modern leadership? Our guide on Servant Leadership shows how servant leadership and situational leadership work together.
