With twenty-plus years in Corporate America, working for a global company, I have experienced all kinds of leaders each with their own nuances and supporting many different approaches and leadership theories. I have spent a semester recalling the various supervisors and managers in my career but in an attempt to identify the first person that I could remember having influence over me as a leader, I went as far back as high school.
A teacher was one of the first leaders (other than my parents) that I could recall as having notable influence. In studying leadership styles, often times we can associate an individual with a particular leadership style:
Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and Bill Clinton might come to mind as Charismatic leaders, which is a leader that uses charm to get the admiration of their followers (Dems.) They show concern for their people and look after their needs.
Donald Trump might come to mind when you think of participative leadership is what is often seen in corporate offices (Dems.) These leaders are like facilitators as they facilitate the sharing of ideas and information with the goal of reaching an ultimate decision or goal.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Walt Disney might come to mind if you think of a transformational leader (Dems.) These leaders appeal to their follower’s ideals and morals to motivate them in accomplishing their tasks. Basically, they inspire their followers.
These are a variety of leaders in various roles with a variety of leadership styles and approaches. Just because Bill Clinton can be thought of as Charismatic leader, we do not necessarily think of all presidents as Charismatic leaders. Yet when I thought back to my first notable leader, a teacher, I quickly realized that the leadership approach he had, situational, was one that I could apply to many teachers.
According to Northouse, situational approach is one of the more widely recognized approaches in leadership. (Northouse, 2013, p99.) Situational leaders have both directive and supportive dimensions; these leaders evaluate their followers and determine how competent and committed they are to completing a task. Does this sound like any teacher you know yet?
There are some great charts and analysis that break down situational leadership so that you can fully understand the model. I would recommend the model developed by Blanchard (1985) and Blanchard et al. (1985) called the Situational Leadership II (SLII) model as seen in Leadership Theory and Practice (Northouse, 2013, p100.) For simplicity here, it is noted that situational leadership model means it is not a “one size fits all”. Depending on the situation, varying levels of leadership are used. The four types are: Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating. Is this sounding like a teacher you know yet?
I think we can all agree that teachers direct, coach, support and delegate. As I thought of each teacher, I could recall an experience where they might have had to be more supportive and provide extra guidance to some students over others. Teachers assess what a student knows and adjust the level of their leadership accordingly. Ever notice that a teacher might be harder on a student that normally gets “A’s” than maybe student that struggles to pass? This is the key to a situational leader.
If a student is not willing or has low ability for the subject, the teacher needs to be more directive.
If a student wants to do the work but has low ability, the teacher will be more of a coach.
If a student is not willing but knows how or has high ability, the teacher is more likely to be supporting.
If a student is willing and able, the teacher can simply use delegation.
As with any leader, most of us have experienced exceptional teachers/leaders and some maybe less than exceptional. After much reminiscing, I can conclude that all my teachers fit into the situational leadership model.
References
Dems, K., (2011). Famous Examples of Different Leadership Styles. Retrieved December 5, 2013 from: http://www.brighthub.com/office/home/articles/76450.aspx
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice, 6th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.