Situational Leadership Analysis Essay Example

most suitable leadership style for the given situation, as stated by Blanchard (1985). Neil Kokemuller (2011) adds that other significant elements include subordinates' effort, employees' understanding of their roles, an organized work environment, workplace unity, availability of resources and necessary support. Additionally essential is coordination and collaboration with other work groups. Only when all these variables are present does Situational Leadership prove effective.

In situations where employees lack skills and motivation, the leader should employ the Directing Approach. This approach involves providing a detailed explanation of the task and employee roles. Communication is unilateral, with the leader making decisions, closely overseeing employees, and maintaining an authoritative position to ensure efficient and effective completion of the task.

The Coaching Approach, which is another style of leadership in The Situational Leadership Model, is suitable when the followers lack the necessary skills for a task but have a strong desire to learn and succeed. Similar to the Directing Approach, the leader in this approach provides detailed definitions of roles and tasks. However, the employees are allowed to contribute suggestions and ideas. The leader maintains control and ultimately makes decisions while also communicating with the followers, providing support, and acknowledging their efforts to boost morale. This approach enables the leader to train the followers and help them acquire the skills required to independently complete the task in the future (Fernandez & Vecchio, 1997; Yukl, 1998).

When employees are skilled but lack commitment to a project, the Supporting Approach is the best choice. In this approach, the leader must persuade employees to buy in and commit to the goal. This is achieved by praising employees and fostering

a sense of belonging when they show dedication to the task's success.

The Delegating Approach is the most suitable technique in Situational Leadership. In this method, the leader entrusts highly skilled and motivated workers who can function autonomously. The leader has faith in their capabilities and anticipates them to accomplish tasks effectively. Although the leader engages in decision-making, the worker is granted authority to execute the task and is responsible for keeping the leader informed.

The widely utilized approach of Situational Leadership in organizational leadership is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of leaders. Over 400 Fortune 500 companies have incorporated this approach into their training programs, demonstrating its lasting significance in the business field.

The convenience and versatility of situational leadership make it advantageous in diverse settings. It offers a straightforward and easily comprehensible method that can be swiftly grasped. The principles advocated by this approach are applicable in work, school, or family contexts.

The situational approach has several advantages, including providing guidelines for appropriate actions in specific situations. For instance, if subordinates are motivated but lack necessary skills, this approach suggests using a coaching style to encourage their input. On the other hand, if subordinates are both skilled and willing, the delegating style is recommended to allow them to take charge with minimal leader intervention.

The significance of Situational Leadership is emphasized by the need for leaders to be adaptable and adjust their leadership styles according to subordinates' needs (Graef, 1983; Yukl, 1989). Effective leaders can modify their approach based on project requirements at different stages. Hence, it is essential for leaders to be willing to modify

their methods in order to effectively handle each distinct situation.

The text highlights the significance of using Situational Leadership, which promotes treating each subordinate differently based on the task and actively seeking chances to assist subordinates in learning new skills and gaining confidence in their work. This method enables leaders to tailor strategies and solutions according to the individual strengths and weaknesses of their subordinates. However, despite its widespread use in leadership training and development, Situational Leadership has limitations because there is a lack of research studies that validate its assumptions.

The theoretical basis of the situational leadership approach is questioned due to the lack of extensive research (Fernandez & Vecchio, 1997; Graeff, 1997; Vecchio & Boatwright, 2002; Vecchio, Bullis, & Brazil, 2006). Furthermore, the model's conceptualization of subordinates' development is vague, as the authors do not specify how commitment and competence are combined to form distinct development levels (Graeff, 1997; Yukl, 1989). Additionally, criticism arises regarding how the model aligns leader style with subordinate development levels, known as the model's prescriptions. Vecchio (1987) conducted a study involving 300 high school teachers and principals to assess the validity of the suggested prescriptions by Hersey and Blanchard.

Vecchio and his colleagues have conducted multiple studies to test the situational leadership model. In 1997, they replicated the study using university employees (Fernandez ; Vecchio, 1997). They conducted another study in 2006, this time focusing on over 800 U.S. Military Academy cadets (Vecchio et al., 2006). Both studies did not find strong evidence to support the basic prescriptions proposed in the situational leadership model. Furthermore, the model fails to consider how demographic characteristics like education, age, experience,

and gender impact the leader-subordinate prescriptions of the model (Fernandez ; Vecchio, 1997; Vecchio et al., 2006). Another weakness of situational leadership lies in the leadership questionnaires that accompany it. Graeff (1983) and Yukl (1989) argue that the predetermined answers available to respondents are biased towards situational leadership.

In conclusion,

The Situational Leadership approach enables leaders to evaluate the situation, as well as the subordinates' ability and willingness to complete the task, prior to implementing a specific leadership style. This approach offers leaders the chance to understand their subordinates' requirements and tailor their leadership style accordingly. Consequently, this approach enhances the relationship between leaders and subordinates, benefiting both parties as well as the organization.