One Leadership Style Doesn’t Fit All. And That’s the Point.
Ever feel like your go-to leadership approach just… stops working?
You’re saying the same things. Giving the same direction. But this time, it’s not landing. One person tunes you out. Another pushes back. You find yourself wondering: Is it me?
You’re not broken. You’re just bumping into something no one really talks about.
Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s not supposed to be.
The moment you lead different people the same way, something slips. Trust, motivation, communication—it all gets harder.
That’s where two tools we use come in. Situational Leadership helps you adjust based on what your team needs in the moment. Everything DiSC® Management helps you understand your own style, so you can stop leading on autopilot and start leading with intention.
Used together, they create clarity. For you. For your team. For everyone trying to do good work in real-world conditions.
What Is Situational Leadership?
Situational Leadership is a practical model created by Hersey and Blanchard. It’s based on something we all know instinctively: different people need different things.
You don’t coach a brand-new employee the same way you support a ten-year veteran. One might need step-by-step guidance. The other just wants the goal and the green light.
Situational Leadership gives you four styles:
- Directing: Clear instructions. Firm structure.
- Coaching: Direction with encouragement and support.
- Supporting: Shared decision-making. Less instruction, more collaboration.
- Delegating: High trust. Low touch. You’re out of the way, but available if needed.
It works. But it only works if you know how to choose the right style. And that’s where leaders get stuck.
Here’s the Catch: Most Leaders Default Without Realizing It
You probably have a “go-to” leadership style. Most of us do.
You might be decisive and fast-moving, so you tend to direct.
Or maybe you’re relational and supportive, so you default to coaching or encouraging.
That style probably works great with some people. And completely backfires with others.
Everything DiSC® Management fills in that gap. It shows you how you naturally lead, how others receive your style, and how to flex in a way that doesn’t feel fake or forced.
What Everything DiSC Brings to the Table
Where Situational Leadership focuses on what your team member needs, DiSC shows you how you’re showing up.
You learn:
- Whether you tend to over-direct or under-support
- Why some people respond well to your style and others get defensive
- How to flex your language, pace, and tone without overthinking it
It’s not a personality test. It’s a leadership mirror. And when you pair that mirror with the lens of Situational Leadership, something clicks.
You’re not just reacting. You’re responding with purpose.
How We Use Both in Our Programs
We start with a DiSC assessment to give leaders a clear, personalized snapshot of their style. No jargon. No judgment. Just patterns you didn’t know had names.
Then we layer in Situational Leadership. We explore how to adapt based on the task, the person, and the moment. We role-play. We coach. We create real muscle memory.
It’s not about following a script. It’s about building leadership range.
And that’s what today’s teams need. Leaders who can flex, adapt, and stay human while doing it.
If You Want to Lead with More Clarity and Less Guesswork
Here’s where to start:
- Take the Everything DiSC® Management assessment and book a one-on-one debrief
- Join our leadership development program to practice these tools with real-life feedback
- Download our Coaching Cheat Sheet if you want a quick way to shift your style in the moment
And if you’re not sure what fits yet? Let’s talk. We’ll help you find the right entry point based on where you are and what your team needs.
Further Reading:
How to Build a Leadership Development Plan [Coming Soon]
Why We Use Everything DiSC Management to Build Better Leaders
