“There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals”. This Aristotle’s quote is a core message of two researchers Paul Hersey’s and Ken H. Blanchard’s classic work Leadership and the One Minute Manager, where they teach leaders the world-renowned Situational Leadership method (SLII®) of developing self-reliance in those they manage.
Situational leadership is a flexible approach that emphasizes adapting leadership style to the individual and the situation.
The essence: leaders adjust their behavior based on the readiness level of their team members, ranging from directing to delegating. There’s no one-size-fits-all leadership style, and effective leaders can assess and respond to their team members’ varying needs and abilities.
So Blanchard and Hersey defined four types of development levels for employees:
D1 Low Competence + High Commitment. Enthusiastic Beginner! Generally lacking the specific skills required for the job in hand + lacks any confidence and / or motivation to tackle it.
D2 Some Competence + Low Commitment. Disillusioned Learner! 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.
D3 High Competence + Variable Commitment. Capable but Cautious Performer! Experienced and capable, but may lack the confidence to go it alone, or the motivation to do it well / quickly.
D4 High Competence + High Commitment. Self-Reliant Achiever! Experienced at the job, and comfortable with their own ability to do it well. May even be more skilled than the leader.
Development levels are situational. Someone might be generally skilled, confident and motivated in his / her job, but would still drop into Level D1 when faced, say, with a task requiring skills he / she doesn’t possess.
Accordingly, the situational leadership theory includes four leadership styles (direct, coach, support, delegate) that are adaptive to the employee’s range of developmental behavior:
S1 Directing. This style is featured by one-way communication. Generally, the team or the individuals do not have enough skill/knowledge at this level. Hence, they require detailed directions. The leader defines the role of subordinates by providing them with how, what, where, when, and why to accomplish a task. This style is a top-down approach where the employees just follow the directions of their leader.
S2 Coaching. This two-way communication process provides socio-emotional support, while the leader still furnishes the individual or team with directions that influence them to come on track. Even though the leadership style is moderately autocratic, it still requires some directions from the leader; nevertheless, some employee input is considered before implementing the decision.
S3 Supporting. At this level of development there exists participative decision making regarding the accomplishment of tasks, while the leader exhibits low task behavior and maintains a high relationship behavior. This style mostly reflects on democratic behavior passing more responsibility onto the employees. The leader authorizes the individual or the team to create their goals while he works along with them. The main focus here is to further develop the individual or team to take action and to think autonomously; slowly releasing the leash and fabricating scope for self-leadership.
S4 Delegating. The leader believes that the individual or team is now competent. This is a hands-off approach with the teams exhibiting high development levels. In this phase, the involvement of the leader with his employees is very minimal and the goal creation and decision-making responsibilities are delegated to the group or the individual. The leader is generally kept abreast through regular updates and is mainly involved to monitor progress.
Clearly the right leadership style will depend very much on the person being led – the team member, and the leader’s style should be driven by the competence and commitment of the team member.
However, the most important thing to remember is that true leadership isn’t about exerting control or authority over others. It’s a collaborative journey where leaders and their teams work together towards shared goals. It involves active listening, empathy, and involving team members in decision-making. By fostering a sense of partnership and inclusivity, leaders create an environment where everyone’s strengths and perspectives are valued.
The best leaders don’t just lead from the front; they walk alongside their team, inspiring, supporting, and achieving together.
After all, “leadership is not something you do to people but something you do with people.” 
Source and inspiration: K. H. Blanchard, P. Hersey. Leadership and the One Minute Manager
More: www.blanchard.com