We’ve all seen them: leaders who’ve ended up in a leadership position based on pure technical skill alone, with little or no leadership skills. The good thing is that great leaders aren’t born; they’re made, and you can make a great leader out of less people-focused middle managers.
The best leaders are situational leaders, who adapt their style to the people they lead.
Introduce your middle managers to the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory.
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory offers a flexible approach to leadership, advocating for a customised style rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Here’s how your middle managers can use this model effectively:
- Adaptability is Key: Instead of sticking to a rigid leadership style, encourage your managers to tailor their approach to the individuals they lead and their circumstances. This flexibility increases the chances of success in achieving goals.
- Assess Team Maturity: Urge your managers to assess the maturity level of their teams. Depending on the maturity level, they can adjust their leadership style accordingly:
- High Maturity: Teams are confident and experienced, capable of working independently.
- Moderate-High Maturity: Teams are capable but may need some guidance due to a lack of confidence.
- Moderate Low Maturity: Teams are confident but unwilling to take on tasks.
- Low Maturity: Teams may lack skills but show enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.
By understanding the maturity level of their teams, managers can provide the appropriate level of support and guidance to foster growth and success. With this adaptable approach, your managers can effectively lead their teams to achieve optimal results.
Hersey and Blanchard’s theory has yielded four distinct leadership styles, each tailored to address the dynamic interplay between task demands and interpersonal relationships within the workplace:
- Telling: This style involves a high task and low relationship for less willing or able staff. When team members lack the skills or confidence to complete a task, a telling approach may be necessary to provide clear instructions and guidance.
- Selling: This style focuses on high tasks and relationships, which works well for willing but not fully able staff. Managers using this approach aim to persuade and motivate team members by explaining the importance of tasks and offering support as needed.
- Participating: When team members demonstrate competence and confidence, a participating style with low tasks and high relationships may be appropriate. This approach empowers employees to contribute ideas and make decisions, fostering a sense of ownership and engagement.
- Delegating: As trust and competence grow within the team, control shifts to the staff, and the leader steps back, adopting a delegating style. This allows team members to take responsibility for tasks and decisions, promoting autonomy and development.
Mastering all four leadership styles may take time, but technical leaders can progress significantly by mastering one style at a time. This approach brings them closer to evolving into trusted people leaders. However, it’s essential to begin manager leadership training by grasping the three fundamental skills required to become a leader in the workplace. Dive in and explore these essential skills! Not everyone can master all four of these styles immediately, but if your technical leaders can master one at a time, then you’re one step closer to developing them into a people leader you can trust.
How do you prepare your technical leaders for people leadership? There are two biggest hurdles Introverts run into when they developing their leadership skills, read here. If you would like a free assessment of skills against the ENGAGE model, click here.