Situational Leadership Theory
Since there is no special or one precise type of leader, numerous leadership styles and theories have surfaced. This is because a different situations require different type of leadership styles. In many occasions, leadership theories help to predict the best leadership style to employ in a particular situation. This essay seeks explain why situational leadership theory is useful and relevant in developing an effective leadership culture. It is this writers hope that it can be used as a how to guide to enable managers to be more successful.
Basics
The basics of situational leader ship theory is that there is no one best style of leadership. One should choose the best leader ship style according to different factors. Leadership is task relevant but the best leaders are those that adapt their style to the job or task. Also the abilities of their employees. Their education, experience, their ability to take responsibility for the job.
Fiedler’s contingency model
There are different situational leadership theories. One such theory known as Fiedler’s Contingency Model. Allen, Plunkett and Attner (2013) stated that fielder believes that the manager’s situation should determine the leadership style that should be used. Fiedler believed that there are three situational variables that should determine the task or employee focus. These are leader employee relationship, task structure and leader position power.
Leader employee relationship
The leader employee relationship is based on how the leader feels that he is accepted. This is measured by mutual confidences, trust and respect that the leader holds. The best relationships will lead to a manager’s success at inspiring or influencing his staff. While the ...
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...t it will help managers to think about which one they can use to become more successful.
References
Allen, A., Plunkett, W., & Attner, R. (2013) The Evolution of Management Thinking. Management An Approach to Customer Expectations 10th edition. Publisher Erin Joyner.
Fairholm, M. R., &Fairholm, G. W. (2009).Understanding leadership perspectives: Theoretical and practical approaches. New York: Springer.
Palestini, R. H. (2009). From leadership theory to practice: A game plan for success as a leader. Lanham: Rowman& Littlefield Education. .
Strube, M. J., & Garcia, J. E. (1981). A meta-analytic investigation of Fiedler's contingency model of leadership effectiveness. Psychological Bulletin, 90(2), 307-321. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.90.2.307
Van, W. M. (2005).Dynamics of leadership in public service: Theory and practice. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe
Hoy, W. K., & Tarter, C. J. (2010). A Theory of Leadership: A Situational Approach. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://www.waynekhoy.com/pdfs/theory_of_leadership.pdf
The paramount between all the leadership philosophers to deliberate regarding the situational variables, in accordance with Fred Fiedler, the competence of the leadership technique is contingent on the circumstances. Accordingly, he in consort with his colleagues characterized the situational variables and scrutinized their connection with the appropriateness of leadership approaches. (Business Jargons, n.d.)
Working at a large healthcare organization, it is important that managers are aware of the different management styles. This will help in becoming effective leaders. The theory I have identified in my organizations Situational Theory. Situational leadership
Pierce, Jon L. and John W. Newstrom (2011) 6th edition. Leaders and the Leadership Process.
Situational theory tends to look at the situation in isolation from the leader and the followers. Just as the trait approach views personality traits in isolation, so too, the situational approach fails to give adequate attention to the total process that results in leadership. Once again, we need to emphasize the idea of leadership as an interaction influence system involving a leader, follower, and situational variables.
8. (a) Situational Leadership is a model of leadership that selects from four different leadership styles that adapted their ability to be more effective for the employee’s task behavior and relationship behavior. (b)The stages of situational leadership are telling, selling, delegating, participating. Telling is the leader 's concern highly on task and don’t have any relationship
Situational leadership is a theory which was designed in 1969 by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard. The “contingency theories of leadership” states that a leader’s effectiveness is dependent on their behaviours in relation to different situational factors. Thus, situational leadership theory, relates to how a leader 's effectiveness is depend on their ability to adjust their leadership behaviour to the required level of the “followers” capability or if the situation is modified.
The third type of leadership style is described as situational leadership. Situational leaders assess the environment and the readiness of the employee before assigning a task (Giltinane, 2013, Grimm, 2010). Situational leaders provide direction and support based on the need at the time. Thus if an employee needs more direction than others, situational leader is able to identify the employees need and provide support accordingly. According to Giltinane (2013) situational leaders relationship with their subordinates and provide guidance and direction as needed.
Situational leadership is easy to understand and gives you multiple tools and styles to be able to train and work with all types of employees. As a military member we are taught leadership traits once you become a noncommissioned officer. The situational leadership style is always brought up, because it can be widely used over all groups of people and personalities. The situational leadership styles easily covert over to the political framework, and give a manager more tools to become more effective for both the employees and the
The situational leadership theory states that leaders use different styles and strategies depending on the situation. There are two models that support this theory. The Fiedler’s Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness states that an “effective leadership occurs only when there is an ideal match between the leader’s style and the group’s work situation” (pg
According to the Skog et al (2012), situational leadership is the model where leader adapt himself according to the ability of the follower. Situational leadership is the most accurate and flexible approach foe the leaders who work in the diversity of population. It is the best model in terms of assessing the performance of the team in relation of acuity changes. The best thing is that situational leadership consider organisational context into account. Leaders work in different
The contemporary era is the time with constant changes and new demands. In view of this point, we can't put unitary leadership into real work. Accordingly, the term of "contingency leadership theory" (also namely "situational leadership") is given rise to by those situational factors. This theory notes that managers can vary their styles to suit different circumstances.
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) asserts that a leader’s effectiveness is dependent upon the readiness, or ability and willingness, of the leader’s followers to complete a task. This leadership style is an amalgamation of task-oriented and relationship-oriented characteristics that are employed depending upon the situation and the followers involved. According to the SLT, as followers increase in readiness the leader’s style is to adapt accordingly (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).
Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
The Situational Theories of leadership explain how leadership style must be tailored to the demands of the task and the qualities of subordinates.