Situational Leadership (Research Paper Sample)

Situational Leadership Theory and Organizational Leadership Name Institution Course Professor Date Situational Leadership Theory and Organizational Leadership Situational leadership provides an avenue for leaders to engage with their employees effectively based on their needs and capabilities at different times. It is notable that different employees have different competencies and skills that set them apart. As a result, a leader must appreciate such differences and look at the organizational objectives first before making a decision on the right path to take (Bierman et al., 2018). As a result, situational leadership provides multiple perspectives through which leaders can enhance their approaches to maximize the possibility of success. Consequently, the ever changing business environments in today’s globalized world pose challenges that require the situational leadership approach that can adapt to employee development behavior. Importance of Situational Leadership Theories Situational leadership is important for enhancing the capabilities and achievements of management, employees and the organization in general. Firstly, the leader is able to use different styles of leadership on different employees based on their readiness and ability to take instructions (Thompson & Glasш, 2018). This means that a leader can establish working relationships with employees by understanding their experience and expertise in their organization. Apart from that, the leader is further able to foster collaboration by developing appropriate teams that can successfully achieve organizational objectives (Bierman et al., 2018). This is possible because such a leader can influence individuals and innovate appropriately to achieve optimum productivity levels across the board. As a result, employing the theories of situational leadership develop a flexible and adaptable individuals capable of dealing with different situational contexts. Apart from that, the human capital in organizations can benefit from situational leadership theories by gaining support of the leader to improve their performance. The experience levels of each employee are majorly different based on the number of years worked or the proficiencies achieved over a specific time (Bierman et al., 2018). Since employees are perceived to be at different levels of their professional development, a situational leader can set the right amount of coaching or guidance required for each. This ultimately ensures that consistent guidance and direction is provided to each individual thus preparing and improving their capabilities as they work on a daily basis. Different Theories of Situational Leadership Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed the most common situational leadership theory in 1969. The theory was based on the presumption that employee skills and dedication was foremost in determining a leader’s style. These styles include directing, supporting, coaching and delegating, each to be applied in different situations based on the assessment of the employee (Bierman et al., 2018). For instance, a leader may use delegation of tasks for employees who have high experience levels in the organization. On the other hand, new employees require direction by the leader with constant supervision tenure that they can learn and complete the task appropriately. This theory is praised for its strengths particularly in its ability to develop leaders who are adaptive and influential. More so, with its people-centered approach, the organizational is able to invest in its employees hence building a loyal and committed human capital base that can push the company forward. However, a number of weaknesses also affect this theory with regard to the level of effort required for a manager to observe and assess each employee’s capabilities (Bierman et al., 2018). This can also create conflicts in cases where employees may not agree with the individual assessments provided. More so, with the theory focusing on the subordinates as the most important aspect, other critical factor are ignored thus creating an unbalanced approach to leadership. Goleman’s Model of Situational Leadership Daniel Goleman’s model on situational leadership was developed in 1995 and focused on emotional intelligence (EQ) as an important aspect of leadership. From his model, a leader must be able to not only manage their emotions and feelings about different subjects and issues, but also those of others in the workplace (Drzewiecka & Roczniewska, 2018). This is important to ensure that the organization can achieve its objectives, develop its culture and fulfill its employee’s needs. The components of emotional intelligence are described to include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Further, Goleman suggests six categories of situational leadership styles including pacesetting, authoritative, affiliative, coaching, democratic, and coercive leadership, each with its benefits and approach. Goleman’s theory is beneficial in the workplace since it can improve performance of employees and their job satisfaction rates. This is because conflicts and stress inducing aspects are identified and reduced, improvements in communication and teamwork capabilities can be effected and motivation can also be increased using this model of leadership (Drzewiecka & Roczniewska, 2018). However, it is notable that the use of emotional intelligence in leadership can be greatly misused to manipulate others. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent and apply this type of leadership can thus use it to their advantage to benefit themselves at the expense of juniors. Vroom and Yetton’s Normative Decision Theory Victor Vroom and Phillip Yetton developed the Normative Decision Theory that aims at determining the most appropriate time to be spent and the group input required in making decisions. Leadership requires the making of decisions in a short time in order to maintain operations. As a result, sometimes leaders are faced with tough decisions with options becoming overwh...