...Situational Leadership John Barry Organizational Leadership Situational Leadership The purpose of this paper is to identify the applications and effectiveness of the Situational Approach in Leadership. Leadership is a method by which one individual impacts others toward the achievement of group or organizational goals ("Leadership is a process," 2013, para. 1). A leader’s capability to affect others based on a diversity of factors other than his or her proper authority or position. Paul Hersey, a professor, developed situational Leadership in 1977 and Ken Blanchard, a leadership specialist who wrote "The One Minute Manager" focuses on more than the leader. Instead, a leader's actions depend on the condition and the subordinates. The model, which is considerably flexible to every condition or culture, provides a structure that leaders can use to evaluate an individual’s Performance Readiness Level to execute a specific task. The understanding behaviors are behaviors “to which a leader is likely to maintain personal relationships between himself and the members of his group by opening up channels of communication, delegating responsibility and giving subordinates an opportunity to use their potential” (Hersey & Blanchard, 1981, p. 35). In this approach, the leader should determine the circumstances and get used to his or her leadership approach to suit the specified task, accepting that the method may not essentially function in a dissimilar situation. Hersey...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
..."A leader needs to be connected to the ultimate goal, as well as to those seeking the goal, and situational leadership validates that connection (Hersey & Blanchard, 1993). Situational leadership is all about meeting and individual at their level. Situational leadership requires an individual to have the ability to: direct, coach, support and delegate task (s) to the intended party. I see this as a fair and equal balance between management and leadership. “Leadership implies change, and Situational Leadership is based on adaptation to the change”, (Costanzo, p. 2). I believe this adaptation and change can be achieved by employing the “eight discernible characteristics of people who are principle- centered leaders” (Covey, p. 33). The characteristics consist of having the ability to continually learn, be service oriented, radiate positive energy, believe in other people, lead balance lives, see life as an adventure, be synergistic and exercise self-renewal (Covey, p. 33-39). For me, this is the solid foundation to an effective situational leader. Discovering the leadership lens that best suites one's true identity is a process that involves internal and external review of personal and professional accolades; which align to a particular area. Recently, I seem to have aligned my leadership style with a situational leader! This leadership style is a continually process of growth for me! My ability to lead has always been in my nature. Key words:empathy, compassion and action ...
Words: 426 - Pages: 2
... 2. Situational Leadership 3.1 Purpose of the Model 3.2 Leadership Style 3.3 Followers Maturity levels 3.4 Leadership Support 3.5 Regression 3. Situational Leadership and Power 4.6 Types of Power 4.7 Powers Bases 4.8 Uses of Power 4. Advantages of the Situational Leadership Model 5. Conclusions and Recommendations 6. Acknowledgments | Pg 1Pg 1Pg 2Pg 2Pg 2Pg 3Pg 4Pg 4Pg 4Pg 4Pg 5Pg 5Pg 6Pg 7 | 1. INTRODUCTION The name of my organization is Victory Tabernacle Church. I am one of the two associate Pastors to the Bishop who is the CEO of the church. Victory Tabernacle has a membership of around 250 people excluding Children. Our goal is to have a membership of 500 by the end of 2015. The membership addition method used by Victory Tabernacle is each one reach one. However each member falls into a category or group that matches either their age or marital status. Each of these social groups have leaders who help run with the agenda of the organization. In the past there has not really been a specific method, or model of leadership applied to how we select leaders, how the leadership function nor how they perform their tasks not even how they in turn choose their followers. The leaders were simply selected and given leadership positions based on the assumption that they will be able to function in there given area. In this assignment I will be writing a report to my CEO explaining the Situational Leadership model...
Words: 2803 - Pages: 12
...Assignment Week 2 – Assignment No. 8 “Effectiveness of leaders depends on how their leadership style inter-relates with the situation in which they operate”. Elucidate this statement by drawing from your practical experience. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The situational leadership theory is based on three main factors, which point to the type of adaptive and situational behaviour required from a leader of a successful team. Situational Leadership Theory is based on the interplay of the following three factors: 1. Task Behaviour – The amount of direction a leader must provide (explaining what, where, when & how tasks are to be completed); 2. Relationship Behaviour – the amount of socio-emotional support a leader must provide (two-way communication, psychological strokes and facilitating behaviours); 3. Level of Maturity – adapting the first 2 points according to the motivation, willingness, ability and education or experience of an individual in a team. This is best represented by the following grid The Situational Leadership Theory proposes that as employees’ progresses along the “maturity” or the developmental continuum, in terms of accomplishing a particular task, the appropriate style of leadership moves accordingly along the curvilinear function. In short, what the Situational Leadership Theory proposes is that for effective leadership, the leader must apply the appropriate inputs (in terms of task direction and relationship)...
Words: 523 - Pages: 3
...Situational Leadership Research on leadership is a subject that has been approached in many different ways. Theories on leadership can be classified according to the type of variable that is emphasized the most. Three types of variables relevant to these theories include (1) characteristics of leaders, (2) characteristics of followers, and (3) characteristics of the situation (Yuri, G., 2010). In the textbook Leadership in Organizations, Yuri, G. classifies these theories into the following five approaches: (1) the trait approach, (2) the behavior approach, (3) the power-influence approach, (4) the situational approach, and (5) the integrative approach. This paper briefly discusses the situational approach of studying leadership. Method Description Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) evolved from the Life Cycle of Leadership Theory developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1969). Hersey and Blanchard’s theory has four major situational variables: (1) task behavior, (2) relationship behavior, (3) follower (or subordinate) maturity, and (4) effectiveness (Johansen, B. P., 1990). Task behavior refers to the extent leaders are likely to organize and explain what activities each of the subordinates is to perform and when, where, and how tasks are to be accomplished (Johansen, B. P., 1990). Relationship behavior is defined as the extent to which leaders are likely to maintain personal relationships between themselves and members of their team and provide socio-emotional support...
Words: 804 - Pages: 4
...Jordan Greathouse MSBA 5110 3/28/14 The Situational Leader Ken Blanchard, the author of Leadership and the One Minute Manager, states that to be an effective manager one must be a situational leader employing, “Different strokes for different folks” (Blanchard, 1985). Situational leadership suggests that there is no “best” style of leadership, but rather there is an appropriate leadership style for a particular individual, situation, or task. Blanchard proposes that successful managers are responsive, and able to adapt their leadership style to the maturity or development level of the individual or group. Development level speaks to the level of competence which is, “a function of knowledge and skills, which can be gained from education, training, and/or experience” (Blanchard, 1985), and commitment, “a combination of confidence and motivation” (Blanchard, 1985). As well as adapting to the individual it is important to choose a style fitting to both the individual and the task that needs to be accomplished. Blanchard stresses that it is the managers responsibility to properly diagnose the development level of the individual and the task or situation to decide which leadership style would be most effective for that person, task, or situation as well as to communicate with employees clearly to contract a mutual expectation and understanding of leadership styles and why I work with them differently than others or differently in different situations. “For a long time people...
Words: 712 - Pages: 3
...SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP STUDENT NAME PROFESSOR NAME NAME OF CLASS COURSE NUMBER DATE Introduction This paper examines Applied Research Technologies, Inc., an emerging world leader in the field of technology, as the company considers the development of a new product in its Filtration Unit. Specifically, it will 1) determine the leadership style that Peter Vyas exhibited as he considered the group’s proposal and his behavior toward the same, 2) determine the leadership style exhibited by Vyas’ boss, Cynthia Jackson, as she considered the proposal, 3) typify this writers’ leadership style and the communication method that would be utilized to inform team members of thoughts on the proposal, and 4) describe a former boss who exhibited the same types of behaviors as Cynthia Jackson explaining how effective that leadership style fit the project(s). Situational Leadership According to James Lewis (2003), Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard formulated a model for leaders to follow in 1981 called “Situational Leadership”, which essentially asserts that there are two extents to a leader’s behavior; task and relationship. From the research of these two dimensions, four combinations of leadership styles were developed into four quadrants. The opposites of each other are generally employed according to the situation. These four leadership styles are descriptively termed directive, participative, delegative, and consultative. Each is equally thought of as a way or means of dealing...
Words: 1206 - Pages: 5
...The Situational Leadership Model Applied to the “Jeanne Lewis” Case The Situational Leadership Model is composed of three primary elements: 1. The amount of guidance and direction (task behavior) a leader gives 2. The amount of socio-emotional support (relationship behavior) a leader provides 3. The readiness level that followers exhibit in performing a specific task, function, or objective (Paul Hersey, 2001, p. 172). Follower readiness can be defined as the combined level of ability and willingness of a follower to accomplish a certain task (Paul Hersey, 2001, p. 175). Readiness is not dependent on personal characteristics such as age, values or traits. It is rather related to specific tasks or situations that the leader is looking to accomplish. People can be more or less ready to perform a specific task. Therefore, the leader has to change his leadership style in order to have the maximum effectiveness in leadership based on the level of readiness exhibited by the followers, in other words, the follower readiness determines the appropriate leader behavior. There are 4 levels of follower readiness: 1. Readiness level 1 (R1) where the follower is unable and unwilling or unable and insecure (lacks confidence). Followers at this level exhibit lateness in completing tasks, frustration, confusion and fear of failure. 2. Readiness level 2 (R2) where the follower is unable but willing or unable but confident. Followers at this level lack...
Words: 799 - Pages: 4
...Situational Leadership Approach in Organizations Trina J. Hill LDR 531 - Week 2 January 22, 2013 Dr. Devona Smith-Fink Situational Leadership Approach in Organizations Management theorists Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed the situational leadership approach. This methodology supports the notion that there is not one leadership style more important or ideal than another. Rather, the leader must apply an adaptive manner by judging the impact of contextual information along the path of leadership processes. Military organizations have recognized the importance of the contextual factors involved in the situational leadership approach. The Situational Life Cycle Theory of Leadership The theory requires the leader to examine the maturity level of their subordinates and fuse the task-oriented and relations-oriented behavior. Leadership style is also emphasized; and a delicate balance with maturity and style materializes to successfully lead based on the situation. Hersey and Blanchard modeled four leadership styles: telling, selling, participating and delegating with four maturity levels: low, medium (low skills), medium (high skills), and high maturity. “Four degrees of maturity (quadrants M1-M4) are distinguished… segments of a continuum ranging from immature to mature” (Yukl, 2010 p 233). The cycle is progressive as relationships and behaviors are directed, coached, delegated and supported from leader to subordinate, as exhibited in the figure. A high-maturity...
Words: 720 - Pages: 3
...Situational leadership created by Dr. Paul Hersey and author Ken Blanchard in 1969 by, “…combining a range of managerial styles to cater to different people within the same organization” (May, 2011). This style of leadership allows a company to use different types of leadership approaches while adjusting to the needs of employee working styles throughout the company. Types of Situational Leadership Styles According to Gupta (2009) there are four types of situational leadership styles: Directing, Coaching, Participating, and Delegating. • Directing – This style is very task driven where the employee is under constant supervision. This style is like, “…a parent dealing with a toddler child” (Gupta, 2009). • Coaching – In this style the employee is given tasks to complete along with details and decisions are made by the supervisor, but the supervisor wants to hear feedback and receive input from the employee. This style is like, “…a teacher for the followers” (Gupta, 2009) • Participating – In this style the employee taking on the decisions on how the task is to be completed with the leader helping with the higher level issues. The employee is not making the final decisions the leader is there to help and mentor the employee. This style is like, “…the leader acts as a sincere friend for the followers” (Gupta, 2009) • Delegating – Once the employee is given the details of the task the employee has complete control on how to complete the task. This style is like...
Words: 724 - Pages: 3
...Situational Leadership GCU: LDR 802 8/7/12 Abstract Two situational leadership self assessments were completed to determine the authors situational leadership style. The discovered leadership style will be applied to a scenario in which a change to curriculum is being implemented in a school. Situational Leadership According to Northouse (2010) situational leadership calls for different types of leadership depending on the situation the leader finds themselves in. Northouse (2010) also states that “the essence of situational leadership demands that leaders match their style to the competence and commitment of the subordinates.” The idea is that leaders must be able to adapt depending on the situation and their subordinates. The purpose of this paper, in part, is to analyze the results of two situational leadership assessments to determine the author’s leadership style. The leadership style determined will be used within a scenario that involves changes to a course’s curriculum. The implementation of the changes will be hypothesized using the author’s determined leadership style. The author’s discovery of their situational leadership style is very important. It will enable the author to have a better understanding of how to lead in different situations. The author will also be implementing changes within courses at their school so the scenario will also provide some insight for those changes. Summary of Self Assessments The first assessment...
Words: 1215 - Pages: 5
...A CRITICAL REVIEW OF SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY Situational Leadership Theory is arguably the most widely known and practiced theory of leadership and managerial effectiveness. In this essay, the origins and fundamentals of the theory are considered, as well as the available evidence that supports or contradicts the its validity. Background Situational Leadership Theory as presented by Hersey and Blanchard developed from the work of J. W. Reddin’s 3-Dimensional Management Style Theory. That theory hypothesizes the importance of a manager’s relationship orientation and task orientation in conjunction with effectiveness (Reddin 1967, 8). From the interplay of these dimensions, Reddin proposes a variety of management styles and theorizes that effectiveness as a manager can be explained as a function of matching a leader’s style to a specific situation. However, his theory does not specify whether certain situational characteristics could be unequivocally incorporated into a predictive model (Vecchio 1987, 444). From Reddin’s suggestion that a leader’s effectiveness varies according to style, Hersey and Blanchard proposed a life-cycle theory of leadership. According to this theory, degrees of task orientation and relationship orientation are to be examined in conjunction with the maturity of a follower or group of followers in order to account for leader effectiveness (Hersey and Blanchard 1969, 29). The main principle of the life-cycle theory is...
Words: 2256 - Pages: 10
...SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY The situational leadership theory, is a leadership theory developed by Paul Hersey, professor and author of the book Situational Leader, and Ken Blanchard, leadership guru and author of The One Minute Manager, while working on the first edition of Management of Organizational Behavior (now in its 10th edition).[1] The theory was first introduced as "Life Cycle Theory of Leadership".[2] During the mid-1970s, "Life Cycle Theory of Leadership" was renamed "Situational Leadership theory".[3] In the late 1970s/early 1980s, the authors both developed their own models using the situational leadership theory; Hersey - Situational Leadership Model and Blanchard et al. Situational Leadership II Model.[4] The fundamental underpinning of the situational leadership theory is that there is no single "best" style of leadership. Effective leadership is task-relevant, and the most successful leaders are those that adapt their leadership style to the maturity ("the capacity to set high but attainable goals, willingness and ability to take responsibility for the task, and relevant education and/or experience of an individual or a group for the task") of the individual or group they are attempting to lead or influence. Effective leadership varies, not only with the person or group that is being influenced, but it also depends on the task, job or function that needs to be accomplished.[5] Blanchard, Kenneth H., Patricia Zigarmi, and Drea Zigarmi. Leadership and...
Words: 326 - Pages: 2
...SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT WBCA OCT 8TH MGMT 630 Originality Score: 11% What’s the problem at WCBA? The problem at WCBA is a failure at the managerial level by Ann Caldera to properly adapt her style of leadership to create a successful environment with her new employees each year at the radio station. Ann hires new students to become disc jockeys at the school radio station; she then gives them the rule and regulations, befriends them and lets them loose on the air to fail. Ann needs to regard her new students with a changing leadership style. An example would be the way parents raise their children using the SLII model. An infant will require different supervision, direction and support than a teenager will. Yet they are the same parents and the same child, just through the years of training and experience the parents slowly let go of the more directive style of leadership and gravitate towards a more supportive role (Lerstrom, 2008). Ann , as a leader needs to operate an appropriate SLII model directive assessment. Ann fails to correctly assess each student level of development and uses the same style of supportive only leadership for all her students regardless of their experience levels. She does not use the SLII model where she can assess her own leadership style mixed in with each student development rating. Because she fails to do so from the start, the students are set up for failure and never progress the way they should...
Words: 1032 - Pages: 5
...Many leadership theories were developed and studied during the last century, but no single approach to leadership has been identified as the best method for all situations. Leadership is “the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organization. . .” (House et al., 1999, pg. 184) Victory will go to the organizations that maintain their flexibility, continually improve their quality, and beat their competition to the marketplace with a constant stream of innovative products and services. After years of lackluster performance, Boeing realized it needed to change its business model. The result was its 787 Dreamliner and a return to being the world’s largest airplane manufacturer. Similarly one key to the success of a manager is their ability to switch, or flex, styles as conditions change. This is commonly referred to as "situational leadership." Every organization has a variety of work force, different type of contingencies and every situation calls for a different type of approach. There cannot be a fixed solution for a similar type of problem. Yes but definitely there can be a combination of previously derived solutions to solve an issue. That’s the reason higher management’s know the worthiness of recruiting experience persons. This approach leadership is successful in both, the existing work environment, or the specific needs of the business. The effective manager is able to utilize multiple...
Words: 653 - Pages: 3
