Learning objectives :

• Understanding the four styles of situational leadership and identifying which one comes most naturally to you
• Choose the right approach based on each employee’s skill level and motivation
• Adapting your approach even in complex cases where the right approach isn't obvious
  ‍

Course :

Session 1: Navigating Different Leadership Styles
A good manager doesn’t have just one style: they know how to adapt their approach depending on the situation and the person. But everyone has a “natural” style that they default to, even when it’s not the most appropriate. This session introduces the four styles and helps participants identify their dominant style and its limitations.

Example of a tool : The Practical Guide to Situational Leadership (Direct: provide close supervision and clear instructions, suitable for an employee with little experience in the task / Coach: guide while maintaining a strong connection, suitable for an employee who is developing their skills and needs encouragement / Support: allow more autonomy while remaining available, suitable for a competent employee who occasionally lacks confidence or motivation / Delegate: entrust full responsibility, suitable for a competent and committed employee who can take charge of the task without close supervision).

Case Study : Identify your natural leadership style, the situations where it is appropriate and those where it creates friction, and then practice formulating an approach in a style that is less natural to you using a specific example.

Section 2: Choosing the Right Approach
Knowing the four styles is one thing. Knowing which one to apply to which employee on which assignment—that’s where situational leadership comes into play. The Competence x Motivation Matrix is the key tool that enables this decision-making process.

Example of a tool : The Competence x Motivation Matrix (assessing an employee’s level of competence for a given task: do they possess the required skills? / and their level of motivation: are they committed to this task? / the combination of the two places the employee in one of four quadrants and determines the most appropriate management style).

Case Study : Apply the matrix to several actual employees working on current projects, determine whether the current management style is suitable for each individual, and decide what adjustments to make in the most challenging situations.

Session 3: Adapting Your Approach in Complex Situations
In real life, the right approach isn’t always clear: a competent team member on a project, but within an organizational context where autonomy is risky. A context that calls for delegation, but where external factors force the manager to take back control. This session trains participants to navigate these ambiguous situations.

Example of a tool : Analyzing complex cases using the frameworks from the previous sections (e.g., a project that requires a high degree of employee autonomy but takes place within a complex organizational context with significant constraints and critical interdependencies: what level of manager involvement is needed? When should tasks be delegated, and when should the manager step in?).

Case Study : When faced with a situation where the right leadership style isn’t immediately clear, decide between coaching and making a decision, between supporting and delegating, justifying your choice using the tools discussed, and discussing disagreements with other participants to refine your judgment.