Situational Leadership - Application

Situational Leadership - Application

Situational Leadership Theories are well known and frequently used for training leaders within organizations. Practical application is how to choose the right leadership approach for the situation. The theory emphasizes leader flexibility and advises leaders to flex their style based on the followers' needs. Leaders must adapt their leadership style to fit the prescribed task, understanding given situation/maturity of followers.

How does this Approach Works?

The situational approach is constructed around the idea that different employees are at different level of development or maturity stages which represents the relative competence and commitment of subordinates for a given task. For leaders to be effective in such situations, it is essential that they determine where subordinates are on the maturity levels and adapt their leadership styles so that their style matches with the style of the development level and the followers can be benefited by the time and energy spent by the leader on it. In a way this approach is mutually beneficial to both follower and the leader as leader can also save his time and energy by understanding the maturity levels of the follower.

It is designed to increase the frequency and quality of conversations about performance and development between managers and the people they work with so that competence is developed, commitment is gained, and talented individuals are retained. Highlighted below are the key learning objectives from this theory:

  • Develop an understanding of Interaction Styles and how this model can assist in gaining a greater understanding of yourself and others
  • Understand how your preferences can influence you and others
  • Understand the importance of adapting own interaction style to increase effectiveness
  • Be able to diagnose others’ development levels and choose the appropriate leadership style
  • Know why there is no best leadership or coaching style
  • Learn to use a common language for coaching and developing others
  • Understand the negative impact of over supervision and under supervision on others’ performance and morale

Steps to Apply Situational Leadership Model:

1. Determine the nature of the situation.

2. Understand the nature and complexity of the task at hand

3. Evaluate the skills and the desire of the subordinates to do the task being asked to perform.

4. Identify correctly the specific developmental level at which their subordinates are functioning.

5. Adapt his or her style to the prescribed leadership style represented in the table given in the previous article.

Practical Applications of the Situational Approach:

  • This theory is well known and frequently used for training leaders within organizations.
  • Perceived by organizations as an effective model for training people to become effective leaders and use the skills in workplace to solve common workplace conflicts.
  • Highly practical, easy to understand, sensible theory that can be applied in a variety of settings and situations.
  • Provide leaders with a valuable set of guidelines that can facilitate and enhance leadership.
  • Emphasizes leader flexibility and recognizes that employees act differently with different tasks and leaders need to flex their style based on the situational or followers need.
  • It is an encompassing model with a wide range of applications.
Situational Leadership - Application

Related Links

You May Also Like

  • Psychodynamic Approach

    Psychodynamic Approach

    The Psychodynamic Approach to leadership focuses on leaders building an understanding of their personality characteristics to know why they act or react in certain ways. Psychodynamics theory aims to explain the dynamics of human behavior in which lies the essence of leadership, by analyzing various motives that govern a person's behavior. This information can be used to develop leaders and followers by understanding their responses based on their personalities.

  • Generating Ideas using Brainstorming

    Generating Ideas using Brainstorming

    The brainstorming technique was developed by Alex F. Osborn in 1957 and brainstorming means where a team of members generates a large amount of alternative fruitful ideas on a specific problem without any criticism and then evaluates each idea in terms of their pros and cons. Brainstorming techniques fall into four broad categories: visioning, exploring, modifying, and experimenting.

  • Open Systems Model

    Open Systems Model

    The open systems model of leadership acknowledges the influence of the environment on organizations. An open system regularly exchanges feedback with its external environment. The environment also provides key resources that are necessary to sustain and lead to change and survival. Leadership in an open system should focus on influence, open communication, and patterns to control expanding the number of variables created by external dynamics.

  • Burns Transformational Leadership Theory

    Burns Transformational Leadership Theory

    Transformational leadership theory has been defined by James MacGregor Burns as a process where both leaders and followers mutually raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation. The concept of transforming leader works with teams to garner trust, respect, and admiration while reaching to higher moral positions. The transformational theory of leadership was developed while studying political leaders and how they use charismatic methods to attract people to the values.

  • Principles of Communication

    Principles of Communication

    Certain generally accepted truths or principles of communication are important to consider when communicating with others. These principles hold true for all people in every culture. By understanding these principles, you will experience greater communication effectiveness. An effective communication system is one that achieved its objectives. Communication is effective where there are no barriers to communication.

  • Continuum of leadership

    Continuum of leadership

    Continuum of leadership is a leadership theory based on the relationship between the level of freedom given to the team and the level of authority used by the manager. The chosen leadership style will depend on multiple factors, including the leader's personality.

  • Kolb Learning Cycle & Change

    Kolb Learning Cycle & Change

    David Kolb produced this popular model for learning in 1984. The model suggests four stages of learning which most learners go through in order to learn effectively. Leaming is itself a process of change. Something is added to our perception and prepared us for the next impression, which will change our understanding yet more, however minutely. The Kolb contribution is a significant one because it practically equates change and learning.

  • Theory Z of Management

    Theory Z of Management

    Theory Z also called the "Japanese Management" style is a leadership theory of human motivation focused on organizational behavior, communication, and development. It assumes that employees want to enter into long term partnerships with their employers and peers. Offering stable jobs with an associated focus on the well-being of employees results in increased employee loyalty to the company.

  • Fiedler Model of Leadership

    Fiedler Model of Leadership

    The Fiedler Model of leadership is a contingency theory and states that a leader's effectiveness is based on the situation. There is no one best style of leadership and the effectiveness of a leader in an organization depends on matching the leader to the situation. Leaders should determine the natural leadership style and assess the situation to flex the style.

  • Functional leadership theory

    Functional leadership theory

    Functional leadership theory addresses specific leader behaviors that are expected to contribute most to the organizational effectiveness by focusing on how the leadership process occurs. The leader should ensure that all needs of the group get addressed.

Explore Our Free Training Articles or
Sign Up to Start With Our eLearning Courses

Subscribe to Our Newsletter


© 2023 TechnoFunc, All Rights Reserved