Level 5 Leaders Use Situational Leadership Theory Too!

Situational Leadership Theory was developed by Hersey & Blanchard in 1969 and asserts that one leadership style does not work for every situation. Instead, leaders need to be adaptable to different situations. Their model shows that first, we need to look at the person and the environment, and then we apply the leadership style most fitting. Similarly, in the novel “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, a Level 5 leader first looks at whom they have and observes the entire situation before deciding the “best path to greatness”. Level 4 leaders on the other hand would put the “what” first and then consider “who”. To go from “good to great” and be a Level 5 leader, you need to be able to observe all of the factors before making a decision. This is what will allow you to completely solve a problem at its core instead of just putting a band-aid on it to temporarily solve the problem; Level 5 leaders set up their successors for greatness. Level 5 Leaders and Situational Leadership Theory both agree that successful leaders look at themselves as the leader, their followers, the environment and the situation as a whole and then can accurately match the leadership style to the situation. Both call for the ability to adapt.

As I discussed in my previous blog, I am already applying Situational Leadership Theory to my every day life. Because of this, I think I have already started down the path to become a level 5 leader and I will continue to strive towards that goal in my future leadership experiences.