Situational Leadership Approach[i]

Unlike Trait, Skills and Style approaches to leadership, the Situational approach focuses on the group rather than on the leader.  It is based on the assumption that leadership is always dependent on context, on external factors that are varied, dynamic, and always changing.  As a result, leadership itself must be fluid and dynamic, and a good leader must be able to adapt to changing situations and group dynamics.   

The Situational Leadership approach requires that a leader analyze the whole situation and then choose a leadership strategy to match it.  In this model, leadership is described as being on a continuum between "directive," or telling people what to do, and "supportive," or helping people find their own answers to a problem or challenge. Directive behavior focuses on the task, the end result, while supportive behavior focuses on the relationship the leader has with his or her followers.  Sounds familiar, right?  This is describing the same task and relationship behaviors as the style approach but with slightly different names.

First, the leader has to analyze the group and determined how motivated and how skilled it is to complete a particular goal or task.  Then, the leader chooses his/her role in leading the group.

Blanchard’s situational leadership model provides a clear map, much like the style leadership approach grid, by which leaders can create a leadership strategy.  On this grid, however, leader focus is still on task and relationship, but the axes also represent the skills (x axis) and motivation (y axis) of the group.

amisco.biz/Situational%20Leadership%20Model4.jpg[ii]

Like the authority-compliance style approach, directing (or "telling") means that the leader is focusing on instructing, on giving directions, and on getting a goal accomplished.  In this particular role, the leader does not focus on relationships or on making people in the group feel comfortable and valued.  This is about getting the job done. That means that on this particular graph, the leader is choosing a high directive and low supportive role based on the group because the group lacks skill and/or motivation .  The leader focuses on "giving instructions and directions" with little interest in the development of the follower. The leader needs to get a product out.  In challenge course settings, this is often only useful in safety situations like belay instruction and/or emergency responses.

Like the team leader in the style approach, coaching (or "selling") means that the leader is equally focused on task and relationship, which means s/he is choosing a high directive and high supportive role.  The coaching leader is working closely with the group to help them achieve the goal but also making the group feel comfortable and valued.  The leader has a high degree of investment in both the group and the goal and communicates that with the group.  The group in this case is generally motivated but not skilled.

Like the country club leader in the style approach, supporting (or "participating") means that the leader is emphasizing relationships with the group over the goal, which means s/he is choosing a high supportive and low directive approach. This leader will be quick to praise, listen, ask for input and provide feedback.  The group will take charge of the day-to-day operations involved in completing the task, but the leader will be there to help troubleshoot.

Like the impoverished leader in the style approach, delegating means that the leader and group collaboratively decide on roles and determine what needs to be done, and then the leader steps back and lets the group take over.  This means that the leader is choosing a low supportive and low directive approach, mainly because the group is capable of mostly "running itself" both in skills/abilities and motivation.

The leadership style that the leader chooses in this approach is highly dependent on the development level of the group.  Groups can be categorized based on skill level and motivation/commitment.

• 1.  Group members have a low skill level but are highly motivated for the job and confident they can do it. They are excited for a new challenge, but will likely need a more directive style of leader to harness the energy until the group becomes more skilled.
• 2.  Group members have some skills and competency but lack the commitment. They have begun to learn a job but have lost motivation.  This group may respond well to a leader who lets them try and provides regular feedback. This way the group will realize they have the ability to be successful and this will motivate them.
• 3.  Group members have a high degree of skill but very little commitment.  A coaching approach works well here. The group needs a motivating factor to get them going.  A coach can provide the motivation for the group to be focused and capitalize on their strengths.
• 4. Group members have a high degree of skill and are very committed.  This group would respond well to a leader that delegates.  S/he lets the group know what needs to be done and then gets out of the way. 

The approach the leader assumes will also be dependent on the situation, including the task, the time, and the environment.  How complicated is the task?  Is it one that the followers can accomplish with little direction, a lot of direction, or is it too much for them regardless of the direction?  Is there enough time?  Is there enough labor to get the task done?

As the group gains skills and confidence, as its motivation waxes and wanes, and as the group tackles new challenges, the group as a whole will shift back and forth along this continuum, and it is the leader's job to be flexible, adapting his/her leadership role to meet the needs of the group.  

Situational Approach Strengths

The situational approach is highly popular right now, not only in the business context but also in the outdoor and experiential education worlds.  It is relatively intuitive, can be easily applied in many different group settings, focuses on the relationship between the group and the leader, emphasizes leadership flexibility, and requires that leaders work with individuals and the group as a whole to insure long-term success.   This particular approach provides the leader with a formula for leadership success while also requiring that the leader be able to “read” the group correctly so they can use the appropriate leadership style.  This particular approach also allows for dialogue and feedback between the leader and group on the leadership style and the development of the followers.

Situational Approach Pitfalls
At the same time, as with all other approaches, the situational approach has its drawbacks.  Measuring your success as a leader, as well as measuring the development of the group, is required by the leader but difficult to assess objectively. Additionally, while the situational approach acknowledges that there are a variety of outside factors involved in determining a leadership approach, the approach itself does not account for how varied "demographic characteristics" will influence leadership, including factors like age, gender, level of education, and even ethnicity.  In addition, while situational leadership recognizes the leader's need to address both group and individual needs, this is far more difficult in practice, as any teacher will tell you.  Does the leader adjust his or her style to the mean level of development for the group?  What does this do for the people who are on either end of the continuum?

Finally, the theoretical development of the group implies that by following the clear linear pattern, the more skilled a group is, the less committed it becomes over time. We've all seen highly trained groups who are also highly committed, so that development pattern itself is called into question by both intuition and experience.

Notes

[i] Style Approach Leadership section is adapted from Peter G. Northouse, Leadership:  Theory and Practice , 3rd ed. (Thousand Oaks, MI:  SAGE Publications, 2004):  87-107 and Molly Doran, "Leadership Theories We Use at NOLS But May Not Name" 2001 NOLS Leadership Education Toolbox:  58-60.

[ii] "The Four Leadership Styles," Amisco, LLC amisco.biz/od_training_programs%20info.htm.