Leadership Theories/ Approaches (Situational and Transformational Leadership)

Situational leadership has very little in common with the other models mentioned herein. This model revolves around the leader changing leadership behaviors to meet the needs in relationship to the follower (Kouzes, 2003, p. 111). The difference between situational leadership and charismatic, servant, and transformational leadership is the lack of an organizational vision and the empowerment of the followers. Situational leadership uses followers based on their readiness level that relate to their ability and willingness to complete the task (Wren, 1995, p. 208). This aspect coupled with the leader’s task and relationship behavior is used in relation to the

This paper will address why situational leadership theory is useful and relevant in developing an effective leadership culture. In addition, it will also discuss the three theories of situational leadership and what is considered to be the strengths and weaknesses of each theory when leading staff in the organizational environment.

Effective leadership, commonly regarded as both a learned skill and innate ability, is an essential characteristic of successful organizations (Northouse, 2016). Great leaders are said to define purpose, create a vision for the future, set high ethical standards, and guide their organizations through many circumstances and into new directions (Morrill, 2007; Parris & Peachey, 2012). Leadership is also described as complex – it can mean different things to different people. Given there is no standard approach to leadership, scholars focus on the process of leadership as opposed to the definition (Northouse, 2016). As a process, leadership is not simply

Leadership, eluded to by Daft (2011) as one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth, is an evolving discipline that is an influence relationship among subordinates and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purpose (pp. 4-5). But with the study of leadership comes along the different aspects and theories as to which is more appropriate for an organization. Initial traditional theories recognized that leaders are born with

Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (1977) is a theory that is based around the

As a Senior Human Resources Officer and a Leader in the United States Army, I found this class not only to be very informative, but very useful for future practice and application. Through the myriad of different leadership theories and approaches, I have developed a better understanding of the historical, political, social, cultural, psychological, and organizational contexts in which leadership occurs. I am knowledgeable on several ways to identify personnel who may be make for better leaders using the Trait Approach, Skills Approach, and Style Approach. I am also able to better match leaders with subordinates by using the Situational Approach, Contingency Theory, and Path-Goal Theory. Finally, and probably most importantly, I have

If I were the new director of an art gallery in New York City, I would utilize a mixture of transformational leadership and situational leadership styles. Transformational leadership is "based on mutually beneficial relationships between leaders and followers whereby the leader is seeking to promote growth and real charge" (Shriberg & Shriberg, 2011, p. 78). Since the twenty employees have opinions of the former leader and how the gallery should be run and the stockholders also have input about what art to display and events to hold, the past managerial style did not sufficiently unify all stakeholders in the business. Utilizing the transformational style of leadership, I would strive to get everyone invested in a shared vision of what the gallery could be. I would listen to everyone 's input because ideas can come from unlikely places and everyone needs to feel that they are a valued part of the whole company. Studies conducted on transformational leadership show organizations led by transformational leaders perform at higher levels and have a higher satisfaction rating, by workers, than organizations led by other types of leaders (Riggio, 2009, March 24). There are four aspects of transformational leadership. They provide intellectual stimulation by encouraging employees to think outside of the box. They give individualized consideration by acknowledging each employee as an individual. They offer inspirational motivation to help employees have a passion for the shared

The main premise of the Situational Leadership approach is that there is no one size fits all to leadership style and that different types of situations will require different kinds of leadership. In order to be effective, leaders must be flexible in their leading style when moving from one situation to another and to adapt their leadership style to different situations. The flexibility that is inherent in this leadership style means that leaders

Situational leadership does not adopt the “one size fits all” approach to leadership; instead it depends on the situation and states that varying levels of leadership and management are necessary (Blanchard, 1996). There are three different things we must identify when using this leadership style; we must identify the most important task or priority, consider the readiness level of followers by analyzing their willingness and ability, and finally decide the matching leadership style. The leadership styles are as follows, Directing, Coaching, Supporting, and Delegating (Blanchard, 1996).

During the course of research, various theories appeared in literature on situational leadership. In some instances, situational leadership is part of a broader theory and vice versa. Related theories include transformational and transactional leadership, contingency theory, path-goal theory, and personality theories. Life Cycle Theory was not included since situational leadership originated from Life Cycle Theory.

At some point in life, someone is required to become a leader; many organisations and specific situations require a leader (Northouse, 2014). No matter the profile of the individual, there are demands placed on the individual which require them to deal with many responsibilities and duties which can be both challenging and rewarding at the same time but this depends on how well the individual handles themselves in these situations. The important question is; “what is leadership?”. Many people question what this term means as it is a fundamental skill which is required in the workforce (Avery, 2004). Leadership definitions have been approached in various ways with many authors relating to the nature of leadership rather than distinctively

What is Leadership? Why are there so many types of Leadership? Which one is the right one? These are all important questions people who are trying to lead ask. John Maxwell a well-known author on leadership stated simply “Leadership is influence”. There are numerous types of leadership styles, they all have their strong points about them, and depending who you are the circumstances can dictate which type of person with what type of leadership style will be successful. In this paper I will discuss one of the many types of leadership style which is situational leadership. I will discuss how situation leadership can be effective on the culture of an organization. Also I briefly describe the three situational leadership theories and go over some strengths and weaknesses.

Dissatisfaction with behavioral theory of leadership led researchers to search for another solution. This led to the recognition of situational factors as important factors for the success of leadership. The recognition that effective leadership involves matching leadership behaviors and strategies to particular situational contexts was the most important advance in leadership research (Chemers, 1997).

The term “leadership” has no specific definition; people have tried to understand and defined its’ concept, but there are no correct answers that could be implemented. According to (Benis, 2014) “the most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born—that there is a genetic factor to the leadership”. The author (John F. Kennedy) observed that Leadership learning is indispensable to each other, leader learning how to become leaders and they are continuing to learn in their own role as leaders. In fact, there are several theoretical approaches that have been conducted to determine the impact of leadership. In this essay the impact of these approaches and understanding of their main tasks will be discussed. In the end of this essay Leadership Questionnaire (by Donald Clark) will be presented.

Situational leadership approach suggests that leaders should adapt their behavior to particular situations. Leadership effectiveness depends on properly diagnosing the employee development level, evaluating the situation and demonstrating the suitable leadership style in a particular situation. "Effective leaders are those, who can recognize what employees need and then adapt their owe style to meet those needs." (Northouse, 2013).