All about Situational Leadership
A leader can implement several leadership styles to be more successful in the workplace. One of these styles is situational leadership.
The situational theory of leadership is based on the assumption that the most effective style of leadership varies from one situation to the other. It says that a leader needs to be able to adapt their approach and style to various circumstances to be successful and effective.
For instance, certain employees work better under a more directive and autocratic leader. Conversely, other employees will be more successful if the leader can take a step back and trust their team members to make decisions without their direct involvement.
In this article, we look closely at situational leadership, what it encompasses, why this style of leadership is effective, and a lot more.
Here is everything you need to know.
The Premise: What Is Situational Leadership?
The situational leadership style might also be referred to as the "Situational Leadership Model" or "Situational Leadership Theory." It was originated by Dr. Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard during the development of their book, Management of Organizational Behavior.
The situational leadership theory states that no particular style of leadership is the best. Instead, it is contingent on which leadership style and strategy is most appropriate for the task. The theory states that the best leaders are those who can change their style according to the task at hand and identify signals, including the experience of the group members, the type of work, and other things that may be important for finishing the job.
What Are the Styles of Situational Leadership?
Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership matrix delineates four styles of leadership behaviors. These include telling, selling, participating, and delegating. Leaders might use all of these styles depending on the situation.
1. Telling (S1)
The telling style is where the organization's leader makes the decisions and informs others about them. This style of leadership might also be known as micro-management, as the leader closely supervises and is extremely involved with the individuals who are working.
The telling/directing style of leadership uses a top-down approach, and the employees do what they're told. This style is most commonly used when the same results are needed repeatedly or when a team is at the beginner's level.
2. Selling (S2)
The selling style entails two-way conversation between group members and leaders. Leaders basically "sell" their messages and ideas to followers in order to gain cooperation.
With this situational leadership style, group members or employees are still supervised. However, it's in more of a coaching manner instead of a management manner. The selling style generally works well with those who don't have sufficient experience and are still learning. It entails direct feedback and praise to boost their self-esteem, confidence, and motivation.
3. Participating (S3)
The participating style of leadership is where the leader provides minimal direction and enables group members to use a more involved and active part in making decisions and generating ideas.
Even though the leader still offers some direction, the final decisions lie with the followers. The leader is available to offer feedback and increase their motivation and confidence through feedback and praise.
People who work well under the situational leadership style have the required skills but don't possess the motivation or confidence to achieve their goals or finish their tasks.
4. Delegating (S4)
The delegating style of leadership uses a hands-off and less involved approach to leadership.
The employees are in charge of selecting the tasks and the directions they will take. Even though the leader might still be involved for feedback or direction purposes, it's on a much lower level than with other styles of situational leadership. With this leadership style, employees have complete knowledge regarding their role and carry it out with minimal supervision.
Delegating is useful when a team member or team is self-motivated and has a high level of competence.
Level of Maturity
The relevant leadership style depends mainly on the level of maturity (the degree of competence, knowledge, and ability) of the group or individuals. Blanchard and Hersey's theory highlights four maturity levels. These include M1, M2, M3, and M4.
M1
Individuals or team members do not have the skills, willingness, and knowledge to finish the task at hand.
M2
Individuals or team members are motivated, enthusiastic, and willing. However, they do not have the ability to complete a task.
M3
Individuals or team members possess the capability and skills to finish a task. Nevertheless, they are not willing to take charge or responsibility.
M4
Individuals or team members are extremely motivated and skilled to complete a task.
Matching Maturity Levels with Leadership Styles
Situational leadership styles can correspond with maturity levels. According to the Hersey and Blanchard model, the following styles of leadership are the most relevant for the following maturity levels:
Telling (S1) – Low Maturity (M1)
Selling (S2) – Moderate Maturity (M2)
Participating (S3) – Moderate Maturity (M3)
Delegating (S4) – High Maturity (M4)
What Do Situational Leaders Do?
A leader implementing a situational style of leadership will assess a team or organization and adapt their way of leading to meet the specific requirements of the organization or team. A situational leader implements flexibility and adaptability into their leadership and frequently evaluates the situation to make sure they are leading in the most successful and appropriate manner.
Common characteristics that a situational leader demonstrates or is capable of demonstrating in the organization include:
1. Flexibility
As a situational leader is continuously adapting their leadership style to match the situation at hand, they need to be flexible. They should also have the ability to adapt regularly to bring out the best in group members and allow for successful results.
2. Direction
Certain organizations or teams require plenty of direction to achieve success. An effective situational leader is skilled at providing direction and offering continuous supervision.
3. Facilitate Participation
A situational leader engages in behaviors that lead to psychological safety. They offer opportunities for group members to share and voice their input, thoughts, and experiences.
4. Delegation
An effective situational leader needs to have the ability to delegate tasks to those members who can work independently. This is particularly true as the leader's team becomes more mature under their supervision and guidance.
5. Coaching
To be highly successful, situational leaders have to polish their ability to coach at a vast range of levels. This enables them to help team members get where they need to be.
6. Honesty
Situational leaders need to be honest about a situation and change their style of leadership to match it instead of leading in a manner that's most beneficial to them.
An effective and successful situational leader can evaluate their team and execute several leadership styles to meet the team's requirements in every situation. Such leaders provide support where needed and facilitate independence and growth among their team members to promote increased success and productivity.
You can check out this TED Talk by Roselinde Torres on what it takes to be a great leader.
What Key Factors Do Leaders Need to Consider?
According to experts, there are four factors that every leader needs to be familiar with when assessing a situation. These factors include the relationship between the leaders and group members, the task at hand, the level of authority the leader has, and the maturity of each individual member.
Let's look at these four factors in greater detail.
1. Relationship
Situational leaders have to factor in the relationship between group members and the leaders. Interpersonal and social factors can play a part in deciding which approach works best.
For instance, a team that is not productive and efficient can benefit from a leadership style that focuses on rules, well-defined roles, and order. Conversely, a group of skilled employees can benefit from a democratic leadership style that enables individuals to work and make decisions independently and offer their opinions on work-related decisions.
2. Task
Situational leaders have to look at the task at hand. These tasks can span from basic to advanced. However, the leader should have a fair idea of what the job involves to ascertain if it has been competently and successfully completed.
3. Degree of Power and Authority
Another thing that situational leaders have to take into account is the degree of power and authority they have over team members. Certain leaders possess power and authority conferred by their job position. For instance, they have the power to reward, reprimand, fire, or hire employees. Other leaders get power through employee relationships, often by providing support to them, getting respect from them, and involving them in the process of decision-making.
4. Maturity Level
According to the Hersey and Blanchard model, leaders have to look at the maturity level of every individual team member. This is an indicator of a group member's ability and willingness to finish a task. Delegating a task to a team member who's willing but doesn't have the ability or skill is a formula for disaster.
Goleman's Situational Leadership Model
Daniel Goleman has also developed a theory of situational leadership. His theory includes his development of the idea of emotional intelligence. He develops that concept into six categories of situational leadership, explaining the style of leadership and recommending when a particular style is most relevant and likely to be effective.
Authoritative Leader
This leader offers a direction and objective for the team and expects team members to follow their command. The finer details are generally left up to the group members. This kind of leader works when clear directions are needed. However, it can be a problem if the group members are knowledgeable and highly experienced and might be unwilling to take command.
Pacesetting Leader
This leader sets aggressive standards and goals and encourages subordinates to achieve them. A pacesetting leader is good for highly competent and motivated employees. However, this can result in burnout because of the high-stress levels and energy demands.
Affiliative Leader
A morale-boosting and positive reinforcement style. An affiliative leader encourages and praises the employees, abstaining from reprimand or criticism. The objective is to facilitate connectedness and team bonding, along with a feeling of belonging. This kind of approach is most useful in periods of trauma and stress. It's unlikely to be enough as an exclusive or long-term strategy.
Coercive Leader
The coercive leader acts as the ultimate authority and demands complete compliance with directions. This can work in times of disaster or crisis, but it's not recommended in everyday situations.
Democratic Leader
The democratic leader makes a conscious attempt to involve team members in the decision-making process by asking for everyone's opinion. This style of leadership is quite relevant well when the leader needs guidance and/or the employees are well-equipped to contribute.
Coaching Leader
The coaching leader tries to help individual employees develop their skills and enhance their talents. This kind of approach works best when employees are open to guidance and willing to learn about their weak points and how they can improve.
Wrapping Up
The primary advantage of situational leadership is that the model is easy to use and implement. When leaders successfully adjust their style of leadership to their team members' needs, work gets done quickly, and relationships become more robust.
Situational leadership has become one of the most popular and widely used leadership models in the world as it boosts employee commitment and increases retention.
