Situational leadership theory and contemporary applications

¶ … leadership models theories. Include: Describe similarities differences models. Discuss model address contemporary leadership issues challenges.

It is amazing how volumes of literature exist on the several aspects of leadership theories and models. In any case, it appears that leadership has for a long time been an interesting subject in entirely all sectors of humanity. Indeed, leadership defines a great proportion of the human race and it therefore warrants the much analysis and concerns always allocated to the subject. While many people will totally argue against any defined theory or model that describes leadership, it is imperative to realise that in a way successful leaders across the world have particular aspects in common.

A casual gaze across the world reveals very astonishing revelations regarding the human leadership potential and on whether anybody can become a leader. On whether leaders are made or born, much research has been done but interestingly it appears that no definitive conclusion can ever be reached. Perhaps it would be possible someday to determine whether leaders are made or born. However, presently, with the intricate mix of events and the challenging concept of leadership, the theories that define leadership have to somehow hold.

Situational leadership theory

This theory was developed by Dr. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard and is based on the notion that leadership is normally a function of the particular situations that confront the leaders at different times Covey, 1991.

The theory therefore proposes that the leaders should always vary their leadership styles depending on the maturity of the people they are ruling and the conditions in place. In a way, the theory presents very critical aspects which the earlier organisation thinkers had not really delved into. It is certainly impossible to apply the same form or style of leadership when leading different age brackets. The essence in this case is that leaders should always place much focus on the task to be addressed and not on making interpersonal relationships with the people they are leading Wadia, 2006()

According to Blanchard and Hersey, there are four main types of leadership styles in this category, they include:

Telling (S1) - involves the leader telling the people what to do and how to tackle the issues.

Selling (S2) - it incorporates aspects of telling the masses what to do but also engaging them through proper communication so that the leader sells ideas to them.

Participating (S3)-in this case, the leader stresses on relationships with the people and not on the directing the followers. It creates a sense of teamwork between the leader and the people.

Delegating (S4) - here, the leaders pass most of the responsibilities to the people but still monitor the progress. However, much of the decision making is then delegated.

Maturity levels

According to the founders of the theory Hersey and Blanchard, the most important aspect regarding this form of leadership is to know when to use which leadership style and this decision largely depends on the maturity of the leader. The maturity of the leaders is therefore broken down into four levels Freeman, 1984()

M1- in this level of maturity, the people lack all knowledge and skills to manage on their own. The leader must therefore push them in order to get the tasks done.

M2-in this level, the people are willing to work but might be lacking the skills and the abilities to operate efficiently.

M3- at this level the people have the willingness and the ability to work on their own. They have many skills but they only lack the confidence in their abilities.

M4- these people have all the requisites important for the work process. They are therefore the right mix to operate with.

It is therefore seen that situational approach to leadership is mostly based on the leader's broader perception. It demands a lot of flexibility and the ability to comprehend situations and take the necessary action. Leaders in this category are often credited with much success since they can effectively harness human resources.

Contingency theory of leadership

This approach to the concept of leadership was developed by Fred Fielder. Fielder realised that leaders could function better if they varied their leadership styles to suite the particular situations that faced them. This need is what necessitated the use of the name contingency. This approach was reached after a careful analysis of effective and ineffective leaders. Fielder thereby suggested that the best approach to leadership was to link organisational settings and the leadership styles. As such, different situations and circumstances in the organisation could be addressed by different models of leadership and it was therefore upon the leader to best select how to address situations differently.

It then appears that the contingency theory of leadership in a way resembles the situational approach. However, in the situational case, the focus is on the people and not necessarily other factors in the organisation. In the contingency theory, circumstances which go beyond people alone actually dictate the best leadership method to adopt to suite the situation.

In defining this leadership method, Fielder recognised that leadership was basically a function of the manner in which the leader interacted with the employees. This interaction is influenced by several factors of which personality has much influence. The leadership style demonstrated by anybody largely depends on the personality traits of the person. Considering that all individuals have different personalities, leadership in this category therefore came under simpler subdivisions which were defined by the different personality traits realised from different people. The different personalities of leaders determine certain aspects like friendliness, cooperation and openness of the leader and the people.

Whatever comes out clear in this leadership model is the fact that it is difficult to rate a leader as entirely successful or unsuccessful. This arises out of the fact that leaders might act well in certain situations and badly in others. The success of the leader therefore lies in knowing how well to apply which forces at what time and balancing between the intricate issues that characterise organisations today. The contingency aspects of leadership mainly lay emphasis on the different variables which might include the qualities of the followers, style of leadership and nature of the situation Schein, 1985.

It is clearly seen that no particular form of leadership can suite all situations and the organisational success and the success of the leader is basically pegged on the ability to identify and react positively to the situations.

Transformational leadership

This approach to leadership was developed by James McGregor Burns who put across the important concept of transformative leadership. In transforming leadership, Burns argues that leadership should always be a relationship of mutual understanding and elevation where all the parties feel encouraged and satisfied. The transformational aspect arises in the sense that the followers should be converted into leaders in their own right and the leaders should act like moral agents.

This theory draws much from humanistic psychology where the transforming leader encourages human feelings, motives and inspires the followers by trying to make them understand their importance and giving the mantle of leadership back to them. Burns used his concept to develop various aspects of leadership under the banner of transforming leaders and appropriately appreciated the role of the masses in the whole leadership equation. Transformational leadership is therefore a process where the leader takes measures in a bid to increase the awareness of the people in order that they truly understand their important role.

Such a method of leadership is usually known to create a sense of maturity and motivation amongst the masses as they feel very encouraged by their leaders. However the sense of purpose provided by the leadership should not merely involve rewards and empty rhetoric. It should be much action oriented and focus much on the need to give the people a feeling that they really own themselves. The transformational leader has to be very proactive and peculiar in many different ways in order to advance this cause. The essence of transformational leadership in organisations is not merely to make the employees to perform to their best. It is also geared toward encouraging the employees to develop in their respective areas and mature in their abilities. Interestingly, through these developments, the organisation tends to benefit more since it will have a pool of human resources which understands its role and feels part of the organisation.

It can therefore be realised that leadership theories are basically related in many respects and they do not really define what particular aspects characterise which leaders. They only act as frameworks within which leaders operate.