Ask anyone who works in leadership development, and they will all tell you: Development should never be a one-size-fits-all approach. Helping someone learn, stretch and step up requires you to meet them where they are. A leader who is new to a role needs something very different from one who is capable but lacking confidence. Treating them the same way rarely gets you the result you’re looking for.
In simple terms, a situational approach means adjusting the level of direction, support and challenge you give your leaders based on their levels of competence (what someone knows and can do in a particular area) and confidence (how much they back themselves to do it). I am sure you know better than anyone that if you treat all your leaders the same way, it rarely works out well. Below are four approaches that reflect how you might lead at different moments, depending on your leader’s level of competence and confidence. They help you decide how much direction, support and space to provide and when to expand, enable or back capability without taking over.
1. Directive
A directive approach is most useful when a leader is new to a role, task or situation—when both their competence and confidence are still forming. At this point, they don’t yet know what ‘good’ looks like, what matters most, or how to approach the work or the new situation they are in. Leaving them to work it out on their own isn’t empowering—it’s overwhelming. This is where you step in more clearly. You set direction, provide structure and make expectations explicit. You show them how things are done, explain why, and stay close enough to guide their early steps.
Used well, a directive approach isn’t about control or micromanagement. It’s about giving your leaders enough clarity and certainty to get started, build skill and gain confidence, without having to guess or hesitate. This approach creates the foundation for growth so, over time, you can step back, give more space, and shift how you expand, enable and build their capability.
2. Attentive
An attentive approach is most effective when a leader has started to build some competence but is still finding their feet in applying it. They have enough understanding to contribute, but not yet the confidence or experience to fully trust their judgement in every situation. At this point, they no longer need you to be as directive, but they still need you to stay close. They’re thinking things through, testing ideas and beginning to make sense of what matters most, but gaps and uncertainty still show up. Your role here is to pay close attention. To listen carefully to how they’re thinking, notice where they’re clear and where they’re not, and step in to guide their thinking rather than take it over. You might clarify priorities, ask them to walk you through their approach, or help them slow down and consider options.
Being attentive means adjusting in the moment—knowing when to offer input and when to hold back. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about helping your leaders connect what they know with how they apply it. This approach grows capability by strengthening judgement and decision-making, so over time you can ease back further and create more space for them to lead with confidence.
3. Supportive
A supportive approach is often needed when a leader is capable, but their confidence or momentum is inconsistent. They know what to do, but may be second-guessing themselves, hesitating in certain situations, or feeling unsure about priorities or expectations. At this stage, the focus isn’t on building skill; it’s on strengthening belief and ownership. Your leader doesn’t need you to lead their thinking or talk things through in detail. They need reassurance, perspective and space to work things out themselves. Your role here is to reinforce what your leader already knows and does well. To listen, encourage, and step in only when it adds value. To help your leader regain clarity or confidence without stepping in for them.
Being supportive means backing your leader to make decisions, involving them in discussions that matter, and reminding them of the strengths and capabilities they already have. This approach grows capability by allowing confidence to catch up with competence so, over time, your leader is ready for even greater independence.
4. Empowering
An empowering approach is appropriate when your leader is both capable and confident. They have the experience, judgement and self-belief to handle what’s in front of them— whether that’s ongoing responsibilities or a new situation that sits within their scope. At this point, your leader doesn’t need guidance, reassurance or close involvement. They understand what’s required and trust their ability to navigate the decisions, conversations or challenges that come with it. What they need most from you is trust, space, and a clear signal that the responsibility genuinely sits with them.
Your role here is to step back. To stay available but not involved. To resist the urge to hover, check in unnecessarily, or offer input that isn’t needed. This isn’t absence, it’s intentional restraint. Being empowering means giving your leader the room to lead in their own way, learn through experience, and fully own the outcomes of the situations and responsibilities they are managing.
This approach grows capability by reinforcing confidence, accountability and independence—allowing your leader to operate at the level their work and role requires, with you firmly in the background.
These four approaches aren’t steps to follow or labels to apply. They’re ways of responding, and adjusting how much direction, support and space you provide based on where your leader is at in that moment. Growing capability isn’t about choosing one approach and sticking with it. It’s about knowing when to expand, when to enable and when to back your leaders—and having the discipline to shift your approach as their competence and confidence change over time. Your leaders won’t engage well, and they certainly won’t take ownership, if they feel unsure, unsupported, undermined and constantly checked up on. But when they are supported to build capability, and trusted and believed in, they will step up, stay committed and grow into what’s being asked of them.
