Situational Leadership - Research Paper Example

Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Situational Leadership 3 Directing/Telling Leadership Style 4 Coaching/Selling Leadership Style 5 Supporting/Participation Leadership Style 6 Delegation Leadership Style 7 Developmental levels of competence and leadership style to use 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Butler J. K, Jr., & Reese R. M. (1991). Leadership style and sales performance: A test of the situational leadership model. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Volume 11(3), 37-46. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e0e6a35c-4455-41d0-be04-f616393d1286%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=8 11 Hicks R., & McCraken J. (2011). Coaching as a leadership style. Physician Executive, Volume 37(5), 70-72. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d2bfb535-7d84-445c-8135-1a680d88d73f%40sessionmgr10&vid=2&hid=8 11 Hogg M. A., Knippenberg D., & Rast D. E. (2012). Intergroup leadership in organizations: Leading across group and organizational boundaries. Academy of Management Review, Volume 37(2), 232-255. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=589a2604-28d3-4edd-8a62-d0556d4b3f44%40sessionmgr15&vid=2&hid=8 11 Larsson J., & Vinberg S. (2010). Leadership behaviour in successful organizations: Universal or situation-dependent? Total Quality Management and Business Excellent, Volume 21(3), 317-334. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b506a4b2-682d-4c2e-a2d6-6b5fa6dd02aa%40sessionmgr10&vid=2&hid=8 11 Pernick R. (2001). Creating leadership development programme: Nine essential tasks. Public Personnel Management, 30 (4), 429-444. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ca0d44ab-c80f-41a3-b6c6-08b1b5314f7f%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=8 11 Rafferty A., & Griffin M. (2006). Refining individualized consideration: Distinguishing developmental leadership and supportive leadership. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 79 (1), 37-61. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=528d12bf-874c-4e2d-8858-f8de2d58b4ff%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=8 12 Introduction Situational leadership is effective leadership that depends on the task at hand, skills of a specific group of people, and the motivation given to the workers. It is a leadership that is implemented or carried out by both the leader and his or her followers as partners and not just workers. In addition, this type of leadership is about increasing the frequency and the quality of communication within an organization. The information communicated between a manager and his or her workers should be useful and contain directions that give subordinates a better idea on how to do the job. According to Hogg, Van, and Rast (2012), there are many situations where leadership is required for influencing a collaborative effort of different formal groups in an organization. The idea of effective leadership is to focus on people more of the time and ultimately have useful conversations with people about their performance, to be focused on individuals and their motives, desires, and intentions. In addition, what an individual needs to perform a job done and how the leaders serve their subordinates to perform their job is the ultimate aspect of servant leadership. Situational Leadership Situational leadership is a model for developing the people you are working with; it is simple – well-developed people are more effective and can pursue what is more important. Paul Hersey put this leadership style into practice in partnership with Kenneth Blanchard. Butler and Reese (1991) wrote that the model of situational leadership has been able to present a variety of solutions to effectively handle contingencies involved in leadership. When situational leadership is implemented in an organization, managers will be able to learn the various strengths and weaknesses of each specific leadership style and eventually be able to apply it during specific situation at the workplace. In addition, this form of leadership enables people to lead at the highest possible level. Managers in the organization who have knowledge of situational leadership are able to recognize the correct style to use at a specific time and eventually they will achieve desired business results. Situational leadership takes information and puts it into practical learning, making companies more valuable as regards personnel. Due to situational leadership, various basic things done at the work place begin to be done better, enhancing the work experience. There are four leadership styles and four development levels involved in situational leadership, and it is important to apply the appropriate leadership styles depending on the goal at hand. The complexity with situational leadership is that a manager cannot treat everybody in the same manner, since he or she is interested in finding out what the needs and desires of employees are before offering the solutions. For instance, the manager can use directing style of leadership when dealing with workers who are apathetic to the various tasks they are given to perform. Participation, on the other hand, will be useful when the workers are skilful but do not fully understand the instructions on how to perform a task. On the other hand, managers can use delegation style with workers that are able to complete tasks willingly. Situational leadership makes develops managers, so they become excellent leaders and begin to understand that they have to collaborate with their followers for this leadership style to be effective. This leadership has practical methods that can be deployed: better decision-making, better relationships, and relationships with the workers that are more based on trust. It is gratifying when a manager is shifting the nature of communication in an organization by creating more a connection between him or her and the people he or she leads. Directing/Telling Leadership Style A leader using this leadership style usually gives instructions and goes ahead to define the various roles and tasks of his followers, supervising them closely while they perform the task. The decisions made in this type of leadership come from the leader, and it is a one-way communication channel. This leadership style is best applied when the leader is using workers who do not have experience. In an organization with a large flow of personnel who are new and are performing various types of roles, the leader is required to be explicit in the process of directing the subordinates. An example of directing style is when a patient goes for a blood test and receives directions from the technician in terms of how to extend the arms, how to squeeze blood, and even how to hold cotton after the blood was drawn. Under directing leadership, the manager is involved in a way that he or she takes over a challenging situation and applies specific experience and knowledge in order to take the ship in the right direction. For instance, if a business is in the process of launching a new brand, a marketing manager can be brought to assist in strategizing. To have this mission accomplished, this manager will establish goals for this work as well as the duties and responsibilities of the staff that will be involved in this task. Coaching/Selling Leadership Style Under coaching leadership style, the manager is required to define the various roles and tasks and, at the same time, seek various inputs and suggestions from the people who follow the leader. This leadership style is appropriate to use in an environment where the followers are responsible, have relevant experience, and are agreeable people. The leader will direct and give guidelines, encouragement, and motivate the workers. The best example of this type of leadership is in the sports where the head coach usually applies this type of leadership style. Hicks and McCraken (2011) states that this leadership style is a collaborative process that is designed to help people alter perceptions and behaviour patterns in order to increase effectiveness and the ability to adapt and accept the change. This leadership tends to have a more structured capsular basic model in terms of leadership coaching. The leader first befriends people. The focus is about being liked and getting along, especially if someone is a coach in a sports team. The leader will, therefore, be asking questions that will lead to friendship. The leader will then become a dictator, because he or she has to react to the fact that people have not reached their goals. This is a stressful time for the leader, because it is a time to do the work his/her way. The leader will then enter into the action level of leadership. This is a level in which everyone is expected to do work for the team; it is not based on friendship or dictation but on collaboration, decision-making, and action. The leader is quite involved in what is being done, and the team members will follow later after they see the team leader’s example and believe in him or her. The inspired leader now will let the team do the work, and it can grow and thrive successfully. After that, the leader tries to develop and teach another leader. There is a possibility of anything here, since they have the ability to develop others who can do the inspired leadership. Supporting/Participation Leadership Style In this style, the leader is required to pass along day-to-day decisions in relation to the tasks done. Both the leader and his/her followers make decisions in this type of leadership style. This style is best suited to groups that are not comfortable in decision-making processes but the followers in the group are capable of doing the required job. The leader is required to provide support to the group whenever there is a disappointment in the process. Rafferty and Griffin (2006) wrote that supportive leaders are of great importance in the occupational stress fields in an organization. Supportive leaders are careful listeners of the employees and usually help them deal with stress and even other conflicting employees. This type of leader has to have empathy and sensitivity that is usually difficult for the majority of managers to obtain. This type of leader has the role of training employees to deal with various issues by themselves and rely on the manager only when it is necessary. The leader, therefore, will invest significantly in terms of time in this type of leadership style. A company that has a flat style of organization and employees who want to become creative and able to manage projects on their own will require supportive leadership in order to achieve organizational goals. Delegation Leadership Style The leader in this leadership style usually turns over responsibilities in terms of decision-making and solving of organizational problems to the followers. The employees also have the ability to decide whether their leader will be involved in the performance of various tasks. Delegation is usually suitable in the environment where employees are able to take responsibilities comfortably and have relevant experience in dealing with the situation; for instance, when a manager is working with experienced employees and they do not need to be prompted to take a specific initiative. An example of where delegation is best appropriate is when a firm has appointed a new manager who is not well familiar with the way things function in the organization. In this type of situation, the manager will rely on the suggestions given by his or her team and will go ahead and let the workers do the task the way they are used to until he/she gains sufficient knowledge to be able to suggest other feasible alternatives. In addition, for delegation to be effective, the followers must be in a position of handling the various tasks in the organization. A new employee will cause disaster when the work is delegated to him/her, even though the employee is capable of performing the task. With the availability of necessary resources to back up the task that is to be done, the employees will be able to handle delegated work in an organization. The manager, therefore, has to enlighten the workers about the estimated budget for the task, people to be involved in completing the task, and so on. The person to whom the job is delegated must be provided with sufficient authority in order to execute the task sufficiently. The manager should give the worker sufficient authority to handle everything, so that other members of the team will be able to understand that, by following the person in charge, they follow their manager. This will reduce the probability of conflict. Developmental levels of competence and leadership style to use For a manager to practise situational leadership, he or she should be able to know when and how to use each of the various leadership styles. According to Pernick (2001), development of leadership will require a careful selection of individuals who will participate in the program and at the same time have dedicated administrators and development staff. The decision to take in regard to the style to adopt will depend on the degree of the task’s difficulty and the level of development of the person performing the task. The development level required in this leadership styles is in relation to the degree in which the employee is competent and committed to perform a particular task without being supervised. For an employee to be competent, there must be the availability of skills and knowledge gained through education, training, or even experience. Confidence, self-assuredness, high motivation, and enthusiasm are some of the functions required for one to be committed. The amount of support that the manager will give to the followers usually depends on the level of development of the employee for the task at hand. In the beginning of a new task, when the employee has little or no knowledge or experience, he or she will be enthusiastic and willing to learn. This will take place at a low development level for the task given. Directing style is most appropriate at this level, because the employees will need to be aware of what to expect and how to do the work at hand. Therefore, with the increase in the development of the employee, competence and commitment to the task will fluctuate. People usually find tasks more difficult to learn than to do; after having learned how to do the task, they may find it less interesting, so their level of commitment goes down. Coaching should be done at this level in order to give the employee direction to build the skills and eventually address the level of low commitment. When the competency level of the employee continues building up, the employee will undergo a state of self-doubt and will be having questions of whether he or she is able to perform the specific task on his or her own. At this level, the manager will state that the employee is competent, but the employee will not be convinced. These feelings of self-doubt are indicators of development to a higher level. The manager, therefore, needs to apply supportive style of leadership by listening to the employee and giving encouragement to him or her. The employee does not need much direction, because he or she has demonstrated competence in doing the work. The highest level of development comes about when the employee is able to demonstrate a high level of being competent in doing the job and sufficient commitment in the job. The leadership style that corresponds to this is delegating one, i.e. giving the employee increased autonomy for performing the specific task he or she has demonstrated the ability of being committed to and competent in. Various factors in an organization will determine the choice of leadership to be adopted. Larsson and Vinberg (2010) wrote that highly relation-oriented leadership behaviour is used by a majority of leaders in organizations that have successful outcomes in relation to effectiveness, high quality of work, health outcomes, and perceptions that the subordinates have in regard to their managers. Choice of the style depends on the leader, his understanding of the situation, and objectives that need to be achieved. Each employee in the organization has different styles of learning. For instance, a newly hired employee needs more direction than the experienced one. An autocratic style will be suitable for an intern, while a democratic style might be suitable for senior management. Each situation that occurs in the organization, therefore, will need a different solution. Appropriate leadership style needs to be chosen on the basis of a given situation. Conclusion A manager needs to know when to apply the appropriate leadership style and techniques. The main aim of having a variety of leadership styles is to be able to provide a right way for the team (due to the planning and implementation of strategies) and motivate employees at the workplace. Effective leadership is not about giving speeches or being able to be adored. Efficient leadership will be defined only by the results. The best managers for organizations usually adjust the management styles in order to meet the needs of the staff. It is clear that there is no single way that can be used to manage people in all kinds of situations. For managers, therefore, to improve their leading abilities and lead people to a higher level of performance, they are required to apply the various styles of leadership and be able to react adequately to the specific development levels of the employees. References Butler J. K, Jr., & Reese R. M. (1991). Leadership style and sales performance: A test of the situational leadership model. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Volume 11(3), 37-46. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e0e6a35c-4455-41d0-be04-f616393d1286%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=8 Hicks R., & McCraken J. (2011). Coaching as a leadership style. Physician Executive, Volume 37(5), 70-72. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d2bfb535-7d84-445c-8135-1a680d88d73f%40sessionmgr10&vid=2&hid=8 Hogg M. A., Knippenberg D., & Rast D. E. (2012). Intergroup leadership in organizations: Leading across group and organizational boundaries. Academy of Management Review, Volume 37(2), 232-255. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=589a2604-28d3-4edd-8a62-d0556d4b3f44%40sessionmgr15&vid=2&hid=8 Larsson J., & Vinberg S. (2010). Leadership behaviour in successful organizations: Universal or situation-dependent? Total Quality Management and Business Excellent, Volume 21(3), 317-334. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b506a4b2-682d-4c2e-a2d6-6b5fa6dd02aa%40sessionmgr10&vid=2&hid=8 Pernick R. (2001). Creating leadership development programme: Nine essential tasks. Public Personnel Management, 30 (4), 429-444. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ca0d44ab-c80f-41a3-b6c6-08b1b5314f7f%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=8 Rafferty A., & Griffin M. (2006). Refining individualized consideration: Distinguishing developmental leadership and supportive leadership. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 79 (1), 37-61. 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