Situational Leadership

Situational leadership focuses on the necessity of leaders reacting to their teams' needs according to the particular demands of various situations. This model of leadership understands that there is not a single universal leadership approach and real leaders can adapt their behavior as well as managing style to the demands of different tasks and followers.

Example of Situational Leadership

A manager watches over a team with different levels of experience, skills, and motivation. Understanding that team members may react differently to different management styles, the manager applies the situational leadership stance.

The delegative leadership style is followed when a manager has to work with an expert and self-directed team member. In this case, there will be less supervision and the employee will be allowed to take charge of his/her own work and make independent decisions. With this approach, the employee ends up utilizing their domain experience and taking up responsibility, leading to a feeling of accountability and empowerment.

In contrast, when working with a less-experienced team member who needs more guidance and support, the manager takes a more guiding and directive leadership role. They give directions, give constructive feedback, and offer mentorship for an employee to improve his/her skills and gain confidence. This method has a great impact on building trust and competence of the team members, which in turn will lead to their development and growth.