Definition:
Situational Leadership is a form of leadership developed in the 1960s by Dr. Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard and predicated on the belief that there is no one “best” style of leadership (Can-Indian, 2017). Leaders who choose a situational leadership style will have employees with various character profiles who are working at various levels of experience and competence. (Amanchukwu, Stanley, Ololube. 2015). In situational leadership managers, or leaders, choose a leadership style for each employee and their readiness in the workplace. This creates a Framework that helps leaders operate in a more deliberate and intentional manner. These leadership styles could include: Directing or Autocratic style, Coaching or Democratic style, Supporting, Delegating or laissez-faire style (Can-Indian, 2017). Then as the employee develops competence and confidence the Manager’s Leadership style will change to continuously support the employee’s needs. Expert Program Management (EPM, 2018) explains that in the Situational model there are four main levels of Employee development:
Enthusiastic beginner – low competence, but high commitment
Disillusioned learner – some competence, but low commitment
Capable but cautious performer – high competence, but variable commitment
Self-reliant achiever – high competence, high commitment
Benefits:
This style of leadership has the benefit of flexibility for leaders, and allows leaders to choose the best style depending on the situation and on the employee variables. Fred Feidler made a checklist to help leaders measure what kind of leadership is needed using the LPC Leadership Scale (Least Prefered Coworker) (EPM, 2018).
Limitations:
No two employees or situations are alike, so what worked once may not work for the next (Can-Indian, 2017 ). To use the model you must be able to accurately assess the current situation. This is subjective and so could easily be assessed incorrectly. It may come across as hypocritical or favouritism to a staff if a manager applies one leadership style for one and another for another.
Theory in Action:
One example of Situation theory in action for me is this past year with my role in 4 schools as a mentor. By taking on a situational leadership mindset, I was able to quickly adapt to the needs of each school as well as the preferences of the administration. In on school setting, I took on a bureaucratic leadership style by working behind the scenes for the administration ensuring students were receiving all the necessary supports from outside the school by navigating all the paperwork channels. At another school, I worked mostly within classrooms mentor best practices, and for this I chose to take on a charismatic leadership style to envoke trust and cooperation with those I chose to work alongside.
References:
Amanchukwu, R., Stanley, G., & Ololube, N. (2015). A Review of Leadership Theories,
Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management. Scientific & Academic Publishing, 5(1), 6-14.
BC Education. (2018). BC Education Policy Guide. Retrieved from:
Can-Indian Channel. (2017, Nov 13). MBA 101 Leadership, Situational Leadership Contingency
Model [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1SiGs-SVdA
Can-Indian Channel, (2017, Nov 24). MBA 101 Leadership, Fiedlers Contingency Theory
[Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVJpHqqGEww
Expert Program Management. [EMP]. (2018, Nov 21). Situational Leadership Model Explained
[Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pykuvuA-QFU
Bình luận