Situational Leadership model

Situational leadership model is a way of adapting to the requirement of the situations or to the needs of the employees whom one as to influence. The leader shifts his style to suit the situation or the person. It also suggests that not always a single style would work and thus an effective leader has to adapt his/her style to the circumstances.

This leadership model empowers leaders to gain a comprehensive perspective by exploring opportunities and analyzing individual abilities, directing them effectively. When adopting this model, consider three key factors: the employee’s competencies, their level of maturity, and the complexity of the task at hand. This approach ensures that leadership strategies are tailored to meet both individual growth and organizational goals, optimizing performance across all levels.

Four types of leadership style:

There are four types of leadership style in this model: telling, selling, participating, delegating.

Telling

This style refers to leaders or supervisors who constantly assist their employees by spoon feeding them with every detail and instructions relating to the tasks. They would assist them in ways, procedures and ideas to carry out the task.

Selling

The leader who encourages ideas and inputs from their employees fall into this category. They involve in two way communication and listen to their employees, thus developing a sense of being valued in minds of their followers.

Participating

This leader indulges in discussion with the employees about the solutions or ideas to be implemented. They seek opinion on the ways to carry out a particular task from the employees and come to concise decision. The leader focuses at forming a relation with his employees.

Delegating

This refers to style of assigning tasks and ownerships to the employees and the leader monitors the progress. Delegation of task is the major role played here.

Employee Maturity and Leadership Styles

One important clue for leader to see what kind of style to pick would depend on the employees’ maturity; based on that there are four categories:

D4 – High Competence, High Commitment

These employees sometimes turn to be more efficient in carrying out the tasks than their leaders.

D3 – High Competence, Variable Commitment

This encompasses employees who are highly competent but inconsistence in their commitment level. They also lack self-confidence, thus hesitate to go and perform.

D2 – Some Competence, Low Commitment

It suggests that the individual has the required level of competence but still seek help from others to carry out the task due to lack of commitment.

D1 – Low Competence, High Commitment

Their skill set or competencies may not be to the optimal level but with their greater commitment and confidence level they focus on completing the assigned task and achieve it.

Situational leadership model, by focusing on the interplay between leadership style and follower readiness, enables leaders to develop tailored strategies that foster an environment of growth and achievement. This adaptive approach not only enhances team performance but also supports individual development, aligning organizational objectives with personal goals.