The following are some of the basic characteristics of the situational leadership style. 

Flexibility

Situational leadership is based on the premise that there is no such thing as a single best or fixed form of leadership. Situational leaders are able to be flexible and adapt their leadership style to both the level of maturity of the group they are leading and the scenario at hand as the needs of the organisation change over time. A situational leader also changes their leadership style to different tasks and to fostering better, more beneficial working relationships. Situational leaders look at how their workplace is set up and evaluate its shifting strengths and shortcomings on a regular basis..

Changes According to the Situation

The situational leader’s leadership style is determined by two factors: the current situation and the maturity level of the individuals involved. The Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership model is used by situational leaders to analyse their team’s “maturity level” or “growth level.” If a team or individual is inexperienced, a directive, hands-on leadership approach is required. As kids grow older, coaching can help them build their skills, and some team members will be able to manage some of the decision-making procedures on their own. A situational leader, according to the Goleman model, will change based on the difficulties that their organisation is facing, whether it’s repairing team relationships, gaining consensus on issues, or enhancing long-term performance.

Directing

When team members are inexperienced and require a lot of guidance, as well as the proper information and motivation to execute tasks, situational leadership will be high on the “directive” element. At the S1 level, a leader delivers specific directions to their team on how to achieve their objectives. A situational leader will use a “coercive” approach to reforming an organisation, instructing their subordinates on how to attain the desired goal. In these situations, it’s critical for the situational leader to maintain a positive growth mindset, as they’ll want this team member to eventually be self-sufficient enough to make decisions for the team.

Coaching

The coaching style is an extension of the directive technique; at this stage of growth, the leader still gives explicit instructions to their team or team members, but they focus more on eliciting opinion and leading people through the decision-making process. When a team member is at the S2 level, leaders should consider the coaching leadership style – they are seasoned, but there is still potential for them to grow emotionally and professionally. A situational leader is dedicated to their team’s development.

Participating

By allowing a team at the S3 level to make regular decisions, the situational leader may aim to encourage them to become more independent in executing responsibilities. This combines the pacesetting and democratic leadership styles; high-level problem resolution remains the leader’s responsibility, but mature and capable team members are allowed to actively engage in some decision-making. The situational leader becomes responsive to fresh ideas from team members of all levels by opening up some portions of the decision-making or troubleshooting process to their team.

Delegating

When working with a mature and capable team, the situational leader gradually reduces their supervision and involvement in team members’ everyday duties. The leader is involved at the S4 level when discussing tasks and deciding on the goals to be reached, but team members thereafter have complete autonomy in how they want to achieve these goals. In this situation, a situational leader will discover that a democratic leadership style is more available, encouraging their followers to take on greater responsibilities. Highly motivated team members can aid in the future development of a leader’s initial vision, as well as becoming aware of and growing what is described as “the collective consciousness of the entire business.”

Courage

It takes a lot of guts for a leader to experiment with many leadership styles in order to determine which one is best. Most executives stick to a method of operation that has proven to be effective in the past. A situational leader, on the other hand, is not hesitant to take risks and adopt a completely different leadership style when the situation calls for it. The situational leader pushes the project and its basic concepts while keeping open to new inspiration from smart, experienced followers. Authoritative, democratic, and pacesetting leadership styles are helpful here. The situational leader sets high standards for their followers and is helpful in getting a project off the ground as the pacesetter.

Integrity

Situational leaders put their organization’s long-term viability first and motivate their followers without manipulating the situation. They are growth-oriented, and they are dedicated to strengthening their company’s organisational structure and ensuring its long-term viability. This entails adjusting in the most effective way possible, taking into account aspects such as the maturity level of followers, the organisational structure and culture, and the desired outcomes. Situational leaders act with integrity and are not motivated by a desire to take advantage of the team’s or organization’s shortcomings. A leader who is a strong pacesetter must ensure that their followers do not burn out and understand when to respond to their needs.

Clear Vision

The situational leader has a clear picture of the team’s and project’s future. This is what enables a leader to recognise and implement the most effective behaviours and techniques for achieving their objectives. Self-assured leaders use the authoritative style: they are excellent change agents who understand how to assemble the most effective team, what qualities they seek in team members, how their team should function, and which team members will assist them in realising their vision and providing future inspiration.

Humility

The situational leader does not claim to know everything; they have learnt when to prioritise people over their organization’s needs. They have the humility to accept limits and seek the group’s higher wisdom when they have highly developed and mature followers. In contrast, when their team’s morale is poor, it’s up to the situational leader to collaborate and rebuild self-worth in the team, prioritising collaboration and dispute resolution; in this case, the leader is adopting a “affiliative” leadership style.

Advantages of Situational Leadership

The advantages of situational leadership are as follows-

1. The situational leader can change his approach depending on the scenario.
2. It’s a straightforward strategy with a lot of versatility and intuitiveness.
3. Situational leadership allows team members to feel relaxed and at ease.
4. It considers the various stages of development.
5. There is a higher likelihood of open conversation.
6. Situational leadership aids in the development of positive relationships between the team leader and the members of the team.

Disadvantages of Situational Leadership

The disadvantages of situational leadership are as follows-

1. Because he is not designed to make changes based on the demands of his workforce, every manager cannot easily adapt to the mantle of situational leadership.
2. Situational leadership prioritises short-term aims and present requirements over long-term objectives.
3. Defining each team member’s maturity level is a difficult undertaking that requires patience, time, and a lot of effort.
4. In task-oriented organisations where you must adhere to a rigid set of regulations, norms, and rules, situational leadership has proven unproductive.
5. The mission will tumble like a house of cards if a situational leader misreads any situation.
6. Situational leadership is founded on the concept that the leader must adjust his approach according to the needs of the moment, which might lead to misunderstanding.
7. It promotes corporate reliance.

The strength of the situational leadership theory is equal to the strength of its leader. If the leader is not up to the task, the situation may devolve into disorder.

Examples of Situational Leadership

1) Steve Jobs

The influence of Apple’s most famous leader, Steve Jobs, is responsible for the company’s great success. While most people equate Jobs with forceful, commanding leadership, his approach was far more sophisticated than most people realise. Jobs’ well-known product releases were more than just a method to pique consumer interest in new products. Jobs used the launches as a way to sell his vision to his workers. Jobs had a unique knack of inspiring teams to pursue ideas that were unpopular among coworkers, despite the huge success they would later achieve. He was also capable of taking a delegative leadership style. Jobs wanted to hire the top people in fields he didn’t know much about. He did this in the hopes that, like his tremendous success in starting the Pixar movie company, they would be able to achieve success without his direct involvement.

2) Jack Stahl

From 1978 to 2000, Jack Stahl served as the president of Coca-Cola, where he was responsible for running a successful organisation and ensuring that it remained at the top. Stahl remarked in an interview about his leadership priorities that the finest leaders are situational, able to approach a situation and evaluate the level of commitment required of them.

Stahl claims to have learned this from an incident early in his career. When Stahl was asked to produce a prospectus for a public offering, he assigned the task without properly establishing the level of supervision required. When the project failed, Stahl realised he needed to know when to jump in and take charge. This type of active situational leadership is essential for effectively leading various teams. You may design a managerial technique that works best for each group and enhances the organisation by engaging with teams, individuals, and departments.

Situational Leadership in Research

As a counter to the advent of trait-based leadership, situational leadership emerged. Back then, social scientists felt that time intervention shapes any person or leader; in other words, Karl Marx, Hebert Spencer (1884), and Carlyle all believed that time is the key to producing a leader. Psychologists assumed that there is no such thing as an ideal leader profile, and that no two leaders are same. As a result, all circumstances should be treated differently, as each one has its own unique characteristics. Based on a descriptive model of leadership atmosphere, academics drew on Lewin’s (1935) research and established three types of leadership styles. Miltenberger (Miltenberger, 2011).

Situational leadership is a leadership paradigm that combines both directive and supportive dimensions, with each component being employed correctly in a specific context. Leaders that follow the Situational Leadership philosophy must assess their staff by assessing their commitment to completing a certain task. Situational leadership requires leaders to adjust their level of assistance and directness to their employees based on their subordinates’ current position and motivation. Leaders must adjust their conduct and leadership style in response to their subordinates’ commitment in this sort of leadership. (2009, Kindle)

Task behaviour, worker dedication, and relational conduct combine to form situational leadership. The success of situational leadership style is linked to the combination of these three components, according to studies; it allows for openness between leaders and members while also assuring independence and competency in employee decision-making. A situational leader seeks to understand his or her follower’s traits in order to determine which leadership style to employ with him or her. (2012, Farmer) Furthermore, situational leaders are known for providing their subordinates with necessary direction and task support in order to achieve the desired results. In order to overcome issues, this type of leader must think creatively and swiftly. According to studies, this is strongly linked to an increase in staff productivity. (Cnaff & Wright, 2013).

CIted from: Ghazzawi, Khalil & Osta, Bernard & Choughri, Radwan. (2017). Situational Leadership and Its Effectiveness in Rising Employee Productivity: A Study on North Lebanon Organization. Human Resource Management Research (2169-9607). 7. 102-110. 10.5923/j.hrmr.20170703.02.