“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”- Kenneth Blanchard
Kenneth Blanchard is a successful and well known leadership expert. I saw his quote when I was searching for articles that discuss the situational approach. The article talked about the fact that leadership is not one size fits all (Alleman, 2013). The article discussed various styles of leadership and stressed the importance of altering leadership styles to adjust to the situation the leader is facing.
Northouse talks about changing leadership styles depending on where your subordinates are at in their development (Northouse 2013). This promoted the question how do leaders know when to change their leadership styles. The article I read stated that it is important to know all the different styles of leadership so you can identify which style is appropriate for each situation. I believe in order to be a great leader you need to have a keen sense of when to change your leadership style.
One example of this could be a person is new to the company they may need the S2 style of leadership. This style is high in support and high in direction (Northouse 2013). The new person probably does not feel apart of the team because they do not know anyone and they are unfamiliar with the companies practices. In this case it is important to let them know you are there for them and you continuously motivate them. This person will naturally be unfamiliar with the tasks of the job and the specific ways the company completes tasks. It is important at this time to be heavily involved with their work to ensure they understand how to do their job and everything is being done correctly.
The same leader that uses an S2 style of leadership for a new hire may alter that leadership style for someone who has been at the company for years. This person may not need a lot of direction because they are familiar with their job. It is probably best to assume this person needs support as all employees could benefit from encouragement. In this case the leader may want to take on a S3 style. This style is high in encouragement and low in direction (Northouse 2013).
I feel that a good leader needs to know when it is appropriate to change leadership styles. A leader may alter their styles numerous times a day or may maintain that style throughout the day. The question for every leader is when is it okay for them to change their style. I feel that the only way to know this is to be familiar with the styles and what type of followers work best with those styles.
References:
Allemann, Maryilynn W. “March 2013 Calendar and Solutions.” The Mathematics Teacher 106.6 (2013): 440-45. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Northouse, Peter G. (2012-02-02). Leadership: Theory and Practice (p. 124- 125). SAGE Publications.
Shannon Kathleen McCombie says
Thanks for your article on changing leadership styles. I agree that this is a critical element to leadership and likely defines a great leader from the rest. Not only should a leader be capable of changing their style based off of their employee’s personality, behavior and status within the company, a good leader should also be able to change their style in evolving situations. You identified several leadership styles. Additionally, one might look at different approaches and how they affect a leader’s ability to see his leadership and change it if necessary. The Style Approach and the Situational Approach reflect this.
People lean towards production orientation or employee orientation. However, this does not mean a good leader cannot modify his style and focus more on the work and less on his followers or vice versa as appropriate. The Style Approach allows leaders to assess their leadership tact and learn ways to change it to be more effective, when appropriate (Northouse, 2013, pp 77, 86).
Further, your post can incorporate the Situational Approach. Northouse (2013, p 99), shares “…to be an effective leader requires that a person adapt his or her style to the demands of different situations.” Similar to the Style Approach, which puts attention to product and employee orientation, the Situation Approach puts emphasis on directive and supportive behaviors. A leader should be aware and able to change his behavior of being more directive or more supportive as the situation and his subordinates change.
Reference
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.