Reasons Why Flexing Your Leadership Style Builds Trust

  • 30 May 2025
  • Yogesh Sood

Most Managers Are One-Trick Ponies—Here’s How to Break the Habit

Did you know that many managers rely on a single leadership style? In fact, 54% of managers use only one leadership style comfortably, according to our research. This means that more than half of managers approach every situation the same way, whether it’s effective or not. It’s a classic example of the saying, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

Over-relying on one leadership style often results in over-supervising (micromanaging) or under-supervising (abandoning) their teams. Both approaches can lead to missed goals, duplicated efforts, frustration, and declining morale. Perhaps the most significant consequence is the erosion of trust between the leader and their team. People don’t appreciate being treated like nails when they need a different approach.

The Solution: Learn to Lead Situationally

To build trust and achieve better outcomes, leaders must adapt their leadership style to match the needs of the situation. That’s where SLII®, our approach to situational leadership, comes into play. SLII® teaches that there is no single best way to lead—the best leadership style is the one that aligns with the specific needs of each team member.

Here’s how it works:

The Three Skills of SLII®

SLII® leaders use three essential skills to lead situationally:

  1. Setting Goals:
     Every successful leadership relationship begins with clear SMART goals—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Without clarity on goals, measuring performance becomes impossible. SMART goals create alignment and a shared understanding between leaders and team members.

  2. Diagnosing Development Levels:
     Once goals are established, leaders diagnose their team members' development levels for each task or goal. Development levels are based on two factors:

    • Competence: The individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience related to the task.

    • Commitment: Their motivation and confidence regarding the task.


  1. There are four development levels (D1–D4):

    • D1: Enthusiastic beginner (high commitment, low competence).

    • D2: Disillusioned learner (low competence, low commitment).

    • D3: Capable but cautious performer (high competence, variable commitment).

    • D4: Self-reliant achiever (high competence, high commitment).


  1. Matching Leadership Styles:
     After diagnosing development levels, leaders adapt their style to meet their team member’s needs. Leadership styles vary based on two key behaviors:

    • Directive behavior: Giving clear instructions and frequent feedback.

    • Supportive behavior: Encouraging, listening, facilitating problem-solving, and involving team members in decisions.


  1. The four leadership styles (S1–S4) combine these behaviors:

    • S1 (Directing): High direction, low support—for D1 individuals.

    • S2 (Coaching): High direction, high support—for D2 individuals.

    • S3 (Supporting): Low direction, high support—for D3 individuals.

    • S4 (Delegating): Low direction, low support—for D4 individuals.

By aligning leadership style with the team member’s development level, leaders create a powerful partnership that drives trust and results.

Building Trust Through Situational Leadership

In Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust, Ken Blanchard and I emphasize that leadership begins with trust. While some leaders rush to set goals and strategies, the most successful ones prioritize building trust first. Situational leadership plays a pivotal role in trust-building by ensuring team members get what they need when they need it. Here’s why this approach works:

  1. Clarity:
    Aligning on goals, development levels, and leadership styles prevents miscommunication and misunderstandings. Clear roles and expectations accelerate performance and build trust.

  2. Competence:
    Leaders must demonstrate not only technical expertise but also competence in leadership. Using the three SLII® skills—goal setting, diagnosing, and matching—shows a leader’s capability and inspires confidence.

  3. Connection:
    SLII® is a team-focused approach that prioritizes the needs of the individual over the leader’s personal preferences. This focus on helping team members grow toward self-reliance fosters loyalty and trust.

  4. Consistency:
    Flexing leadership styles might sound inconsistent, but the opposite is true. Team members trust leaders who reliably adapt their approach to fit the situation. Consistency in aligning style with need builds a dependable and trustworthy leadership relationship.

Trust: The Foundation of Leadership

Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Without it, teams lose creativity, innovation slows, and risk-taking disappears. With trust, however, organizations thrive—fueled by progress, productivity, and engagement. But trust doesn’t happen by chance. It’s built through intentional effort, flexibility, and alignment with team members’ needs.

When leaders flex their approach and lead situationally, they earn trust—and with trust, everything becomes possible.

Yogesh

For more details, visit our website: https://byldgroup.com/

Or call at: 1800-102-1345