I read two really interesting articles this week on situational leadership, the focus of Chapter 5 in Northouse (2013). The first article, entitled, Leadership is Situational, Integrity is Not, raised one very good point that we must all remember. While we may need to adjust our leadership styles depending upon our followers and the circumstances we are in, we do not—and must not—adjust our values (Kane, 2014).
This is an important take away. As leaders, our behaviors must be adaptable. If we have a certain follower that needs additional help, we must be coaching or directing. If we have followers that are highly competent, we can be delegating or supporting. However, we must not change who we are at our core. According to Kane (2014), integrity is an important trait to keep consistent: our integrity is not for sale. Remembering that sticking to our values and principles is paramount; sometimes we have to deal with followers and out-groups that can test our patience and resolve.
The second article, 5 tactics to promote situational leadership skills, describes five techniques that we can use to ensure our followers truly understand situational leadership. Adjusting styles can be confusing (hence the previous article on modifying behaviors, not values). However, there are five ways in which a leader can set his/her team up for success when using a situational leadership approach:
- Educate your team
- Provide structure
- Lead by example
- Encourage your followers
- Give rewards when due
The two most effective ways to reinforce positive situational leadership (in my humble opinion) are leading by example and rewarding your followers. Walsh (2015) even indicated that the single best way to support adopting situational leadership is leading by example. This reminds me of the quote, “Be the change you want to see.” Be the situational leadership you want to see!
While I understand that not everyone is motivated by rewards, many people are. It feels good to know that your leadership is acknowledging your progress and views it as beneficial to the organization. Rewards don’t have to be monetary in nature, but can be something as simple as a letter demonstrating success, which can then come in handy come promotion time.
What do you think? Is it tricky to practice situational leadership? Which method is the most effective?
Kane, N. (2014). Leadership is Situational, Integrity is Not. Tech.co [Article]. Retrieved from http://tech.co/leadership-situational-integrity-2014-04.
Walsh, P. (2015). 5 tactics to promote situational leadership skills. Examiner [Article]. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/5-tactics-to-promote-situational-leadership-skills.