Leadership styles refer to the different ways that leaders use to influence, communicate, motivate, and guide their teams. There are many different leadership styles, and the most effective style will vary depending on the situation, the team, and the leader themselves.
Some of the most common leadership styles include:
- Autocratic
- Paternalistic
- Democratic
- Laissez-faire
- Situational
Introduction to situational leadership style
Situational leadership is a style of leadership that is not bases on any single dominant approach, nor a fixed series of characteristics that can be transposed into different contexts.
It is about using the right leadership style for the right situation depending on different factors such as history of the business, corporate culture, type of leader, organizational structure, type of task, time frame to make a decision, risk, type of subordinates, quality of relationships, etc. It is the most flexible leadership style as it can be used at different times depending on circumstance.
Although business managers may have a natural or preferred style, it is unlikely that effective leaders will use only a single style as different situations require them to adapt. Situational leaders adjust their communication style, but active listening and two-way communication are crucial to understand individual needs and tailor the approach accordingly. The level of decision-making authority will also vary based on the individual’s competence and commitment.
Motivation is high as there is trust and empowerment with workers being encouraged to take ownership of their work, develop competence and foster growth. However, when the intention to change the leadership style is not clearly and timely communicated, this can create confusion and the feeling of uncertainty among staff.
A situational leader is one who is able to change and prioritize adapting his approach to different situations in order to achieve business objectives while not adhering to a rigid style. Situational leaders will tailor their actions and behaviors to fit the specific needs of the task as well as the individuals’ needs. Information transparency is important for situational leaders as they actively seek and share information relevant to the task and their workers. In this way, everyone has the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions and perform their work effectively.
You can read more about situational leaders at: https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/situational-leadership/
Situational leadership style is used in situations which vastly vary from one another. The times of crisis will require a more autocratic style whereas a laissez-faire approach will be adopted by leaders who have highly skilled and empowered staff doing creative tasks. Also, less experienced or motivated individuals will require more leader guidance, detailed instructions and close supervision, while highly capable and motivated individuals can handle independent decision-making and will benefit from concise guidance and more autonomy.
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In summary, situational leadership is a style that is not based on any single dominant approach because employees and businesses are all very different in so many different ways. Using the right person and the right style for the right situation depending on circumstances such as culture, the leader himself, organization, tasks, subordinates, etc. Situational leadership theory presumes that different styles of leadership will be better in different situations. So, leadership is being more flexible. Situational leadership is not a fixed series of characteristics that can be transposed into different contexts.
