Situational Leadership Theory and Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning

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Introduction
This report seeks to explain the learning and skills development theories and how to apply these
theories at the place of work and the existing alternatives to businesses in respect to training and
development of groups of workers and individuals. Also, this report will look at the Situational
leadership theory by Kenneth Blanchard and Hersey Paul, along with Kolb's theory of learning
and its applications at the place of work.
Situational leadership
Leadership consists of both leaders and followers paying attention to a mutual goal. Situational
leadership is a leadership technique developed by Paul Hersey and Blanchard Kenneth. This
leadership style proposes that there is no universal answer for one to be a leader. The leaders
may have to change their leadership style to allow them to meet the wants of their employees.
This leadership style requires managers to change their technique of leadership to suit workers
since it is not an obligation of the workers to adjust to the manager's style (Meier, 2016)
Blanchard Kenneth and Paul Hersey say that leaders need to emphasize on directive (behavior
task) and supportive (relationship) task. Behavior task is the detail level that a leader goes into
concerning telling a worker what to do, where to do it, and how to perform it. While the
supportive (relationship) behavior, includes how far a leader is prepared to go where he or she
participates in one way or two-way communication with the workers (Thompson & Glasø 2015).
The task behavior and the supportive behavior also include facilitating, listening and supporting
the workers as illustrated in the table below

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The x-axis shows the directive behavior that the manager must show-single- way
communication from the manager to the worker. Y-axis shows the supportive behavior level, it is
the multi-way communication from the manager to the worker. The bar beneath the chart shows
the willingness of the worker in being more capable at work. Whereas the lowest level of
competence starts from the right, and increases as you move towards the left (McCleskey, 2014).
The colors of the matrixes match with each development level, as seen above.
Leadership behavior techniques
Situational Leadership Theory mentions four leadership techniques that managers use when they
are training their staff, these are:
Directive style
The Directive style is where the leader provides clear instructions on what is required. It needs
keen supervision from the leader as workers have no or little information on how to finish the job