Style and Situational Leadership Approaches Compared
This paper analyzes two prominent leadership frameworks: the style approach and the situational approach. The style approach examines leader behavior along task-oriented and relationship-oriented dimensions, arguing that effective leaders balance both to achieve organizational goals. The situational approach contends that leadership must adapt to followers' development levels, ranging from directive to delegative strategies. The paper compares the strengths and criticisms of each framework, noting that the style approach lacks situational specificity while the situational approach struggles with measuring follower development. The author ultimately advocates for the style approach, citing its emphasis on member satisfaction and leader influence as key advantages in organizational practice.
- Introduction to the Style Approach to Leadership: Defines leader behavior in tasks and relationships
- Introduction to the Situational Approach to Leadership: Leadership adapts to follower development levels
- Strengths of the Style Approach: Validated by research, expands leadership understanding
- Criticisms of the Style Approach: Lacks situational specificity and outcome linkage
- Strengths and Criticisms of the Situational Approach: Flexible but lacks measurement tools for development
- Selecting the Most Suitable Approach: Style approach preferred for satisfaction and influence
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Provides clear, parallel definitions of both leadership approaches before moving into comparison, giving the reader a solid conceptual foundation.
- Organizes strengths and criticisms into distinct subsections for each approach, making comparison straightforward and easy to follow.
- Grounds abstract concepts in practical examples, such as the task-relationship continuum and the follower development range, to illustrate theoretical distinctions.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective comparative analysis by first defining each framework independently and then evaluating both on equivalent criteria — strengths and criticisms — before synthesizing a reasoned personal preference. This structured approach allows the author to build toward a conclusion that is logically supported rather than asserted without evidence.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with separate definitional sections for the style and situational approaches, then shifts into a comparative analysis organized by strengths and criticisms for each. It concludes with a brief personal reflection identifying the style approach as most applicable, supported by two specific rationales — member satisfaction and leader influence. Citations from Northouse (2007), Roberts (2016), Scholl (2003), and Virkus (2009) anchor key claims throughout.
Introduction to the Style Approach to Leadership
The style approach to leadership focuses on the leader's behavior — specifically, what the leader does and how they do it. Behaviors are classified into two categories: those related to the task at hand, and those visible in the leader's relationships with other staff members. The first category relates to how the organization's objectives are achieved and how the leader helps the team accomplish them. The second category concerns the leader's ability to help team members feel settled in their roles, comfortable with their colleagues, and motivated in pursuing the organization's goals. In short, the style approach examines how a leader conducts themselves in terms of tasks and relationships in order to achieve set goals (Virkus, 2009).
A person who establishes clear structure and uses appropriate behavior to enable their team to apply their skills and abilities in fulfilling a task is considered a good leader. The behaviors identified under the style approach are distinct: leaders may be strong in task behaviors while weak in relationship behaviors, or vice versa. These two behaviors do not necessarily have to coexist in any one leader. However, an effective leader may combine them in a way that brings about success. The two behaviors are considered to exist on a continuum, so that a leader can be described as more task-oriented, where the primary focus is on the task, or more relationship-oriented, where the primary focus is on interpersonal dynamics. Roberts (2016) describes this range as resembling an inverted V whose apex represents efficiency, while the two tails represent task focus and process focus respectively.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership: Theory and practice (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Roberts, F. (2016, January 16). Situational approach to leadership. Retrieved from Fred Roberts: https://sites.google.com/a/stgregoryschool.org/mr-roberts/home/theoretical-and-applied-leadership/situational-leadership
Scholl, R. W. (2003). What is leadership? Retrieved from University of Rhode Island:
Virkus, S. (2009). Leadership models. Retrieved from Tallinn University: http://www.tlu.ee/~sirvir/IKM/Leadership%20Models/trait_approach.html
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.