Situation Leadership

This refers to an adaptive style of leadership and the theory holds that leadership is determined by every situation and no one style of leadership is the best. Tasks to be undertaken are different and every kind of task needs a separate style of leadership. One is considered a good leader if he or she is able to adapt their leadership to the various goals that have to be achieved. A successful leader is defined by some important aspects which includes setting goals, ability to taken on the responsibility, experience and education. For leadership style is important for the situation to be successful and also the maturity of the followers is also a critical factor. Situational leadership does not depend on a certain skill of the involved leader but he or she will adjust the management style so that it fits the organizational requirements (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013). Therefore, adaptability is key to this kind of leadership since leaders should manage to change from one style to the other in order to meet the dynamic needs of a firm and its employees.

The style of leadership adopted stem from four fundamental behaviors which includes S-1 Telling, S-2 Selling, S-3 Participating and S-4 delegating. Telling leaders come up with decisions and communicate the same to followers, by creating various roles that should be expected by others. Selling leaders come up with roles or objectives but leave a room for opinions and suggestions of others. Participating leaders allow followers to make decisions even though they may take part in decision making process. Delegating leaders undertake the responsibility of teams while offering minimum direction to followers or help in finding solutions for the problems (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013).

A major aspect of leadership is that leaders always exercise their power, and this power involves the ability of the leader to influence or induce the behavior of followers. Power is derived from above and not necessarily from the manager’s organizational office. Hence, a manager who holds a position in a firm may wield more or less position related power than a person occupying the same position in the organization. This relates to position power and is the degree to which those individuals to whom a manager report delegates their responsibility or authority downwards. The level of delegation by the upper management will depend on the amount of trust and confidence that is developed between them and the lower managers (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013). The position power is normally delegated and hence can be taken back like the authority to make get things done being taken away from those to who it is delegated. Personal power is the other kind of power that is wielded in situational leadership. It refers to the degree to which followers hold respect, good feeling and commitment to their leaders and the extent to which they perceive their leaders as fulfilling their goals. In essence, it refers to the extent to which the followers are ready to follower their leader. In an organization, personal power is derived from followers and then flows up and this calls for caution when claiming that such power is inherent and the charisma of the leader. For any leader, the best situation is when they posses both position and personal power even though it may be impossible to build relationships on both (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013).

 

 Learning and using organization symbols and language

Learning about the language and symbols of an organization would help in familiarizing with the culture which includes unwritten rules and shared values that help employees in adopting a rewarding and acceptable behavior. Symbols inform employees about the important individuals, the level of performance required by management and the type of behavior that is considered acceptable and appropriate. By using symbols such as incentives and awards, it is possible to communicate to employees the expectations placed on them by the management in terms of performance and hence the need to improve. Language in the organization can be used as way of identifying and uniting team members in different units and the entire organization.  Learning the language common to the organization’s culture serves as a proof that one accepts the culture and they are willing to assist in propagating and preserving it. Through this, the perception of the employee will be in favor of the administrator and he can use it as power to influence positive behavior in the firm.

Determining powerful people and getting to know them

 This involves getting to know the people who make decisions in the organization and establishing a strong relationship with them. A strong relationship with managers and senior people assists in building trust and creating a rapport by accomplishing administrative tasks effectively. This involves interacting with them frequently and considering them when making critical decisions that may affect performance.

Developing the power skills

This is the ability to influence others, which is a critical skill for a leader at every administration level.  To develop the influence skills, one needs style and substance which are based on credibility. This involves developing the art of various aspects including asserting ones ideas, convincing others that the ideas are rational and logical, and negotiation and building relationships.

References

Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2013). Management of organizational behaviour: Leading human resources. Pearson.