Jianfa Tsai’s Input
ELI5: The Hersey-Blanchard model; how to practically apply it? Krogerus, M., & Tschappeler, R. (2023). The decision book: Fifty models for strategic thinking (New ed.). Profile Books.
What is the Hersey-Blanchard Model? (ELI5)
Imagine you are teaching a friend how to ride a bike. If they have never done it before and are scared, you need to hold the handlebars and tell them exactly what to do. But if they already know how to pedal and just feel a little nervous, you don’t need to hold the handlebars; you just need to cheer them on from the sidewalk. The Hersey-Blanchard model is a tool that tells leaders to change their style—from being a bossy instructor to a cheering coach—depending on how much skills and confidence their team members have for a specific task.
Most Important Point
Effective leadership requires matching your management style (directing, coaching, supporting, or delegating) to the specific maturity and competence level of the person you are leading.
Understanding the Model
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership model posits that there is no single “best” style of leadership (Krogerus & Tschäppeler, 2023). Instead, successful leadership is conditional upon matching the leader’s behavior (task-directed or relationship-directed) to the readiness and maturity level of the follower (Krogerus & Tschäppeler, 2023).
Follower readiness is divided into four stages, moving from low competence and commitment to high competence and commitment (Krogerus & Tschäppeler, 2023). Leaders must diagnose this level to apply one of four corresponding styles: Directing (telling), Coaching (selling), Supporting (participating), or Delegating (Krogerus & Tschäppeler, 2023).
Practical Action Steps
- For Your Work Life (Diagnose and Adapt): Before assigning a project, evaluate your team member’s specific experience with that exact task rather than their overall tenure. If they are new to the task, provide clear, step-by-step instructions (Directing style); if they are highly experienced and capable, step back entirely and give them full autonomy over the outcome (Delegating style).
- For Your Academic Life (Peer Group Projects): When working on university group assignments, do not treat all group members the same way. Identify who is anxious but capable versus who is enthusiastic but lacking technical skills, and offer targeted emotional support or technical guidance based on those individual needs to maximize group efficiency.
- For Your Personal Life (Mentoring and Relationships): Apply this model when helping friends or family members learn new life skills, such as cooking or budgeting. Avoid micromanaging them if they already possess the skills but merely lack confidence, shifting your approach instead to active listening and encouragement (Supporting style).
Date
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 7:25 PM AEST
Authors
Jianfa Tsai (https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1809-1686) in collaboration with Gemini AI Pro.
References
Krogerus, M., & Tschäppeler, R. (2023). The decision book: Fifty models for strategic thinking (New ed.). Profile Books.