Application of Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory to Radiology Training

Purpose: The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory (HB) argues that there is no single most effective style of leadership and the best leadership framework effectively adapts to group tasks and the aptitude of the followers. The theory endorses four leadership styles: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. There are likewise four developmental levels of followers which describe the motivation/engagement and ability of the follower to perform a task. This presentation reviews the situational leadership theory and applies it to residency training.

Methods/Materials: HB divides followers into four follower groups. The first group (D1) includes individuals who are high in enthusiasm but low in ability. The D2 follower is also somewhat of a beginner but has increased ability to perform tasks with some autonomy. When a follower progresses to D3, his or her ability to perform tasks has now advanced closer to autonomy. At D4, the follower is at the peak of ability.

Results: Leadership styles are designated S1 through S4 and correspond to the appropriate situation for each follower. The S1 style, directing, requires that the leader designates tasks for the follower and provides close supervision. The D2 follower responds best to the S2 leadership style, coaching, while the D3 follower benefits greatest from the S3 style, supporting. This continuum also describes the decreased need for supervision which is at the minimum for D4 followers. The associated appropriate leadership style, delegating (S4), should be applied to the D4 constituent.

Conclusions: Though these principles have been employed in businesses for decades since the original publication of Hersey and Blanchard's "Management of Organizational Behavior," physicians-in-training are often faced with a “one size fits all” training mentality in which faculty fail to tailor their leadership practices to individual followers. As the millennial generation filters into our practices, it will be incumbent upon us to adapt to styles of interaction and management to improve communication and maximize performance. The key to exploiting our full potential moving forward is to learn how to adapt in our roles as leaders to best fit the trainees we work with.