Situational Leadership is a leadership style that adjusts to the ever-changing work environment and organizational requirements by toggling between four leadership styles:
1. TELLING | DIRECTING | GUIDING LEADERSHIP (Style 1) – a short-term approach to create movement from employees through close leadership supervision
2. SELLING | COACHING | EXPLAINING LEADERSHIP (Style 2) – develop buy-in and understanding from employees through close leadership supervision
3. PARTICIPATING | FACILITATING | COLLABORATING LEADERSHIP (Style 3) – creates employee alignment by the leader working with employees to identify their performance challenges and generate viable solutions
4. DELEGATING | EMPOWERING | MONITORING LEADERSHIP (Style 4) – develops and enhances autonomy and task mastery from the leader initiating considerable degrees of freedom
The leader modifies their leadership style to fit the situations occurring within their organization through task/directive behavior or relationship/supportive behavior. Situational leadership incorporates one of the four leadership styles depending on the organization’s environment, competence, and employee commitment level. The leader must know how and when to toggle between leadership styles to meet innovativeness. They must also stay flexible enough to cope with different situations by using principles from various leadership styles either autocratic or possibly democratic. Just as with any other leadership style, the situational leader works to complete the mission of the company through results; particularly on the long-term results to improve shareholder values.
To apply situational leadership, assess the current business situation whether it is restructuring, operational, strategic implementation, etc., and choose a leadership style that is appropriate for the situation. As a situational leader, you can develop other leaders’ performance based on their assigned responsibilities and duties by maintaining readiness with their confidence, skills, and qualities. Situational leadership allows you to assess performance accurately in real time based on situations. You develop relationship behaviors to handle every business situation with flexibility and evaluation to remain adaptive and innovative in all business industries.
There are a couple of 3xP Leadership principles that enhance a leader’s ability, especially for African Americans, in situational leadership careers and entrepreneurship. To enhance your situational leadership method, act to:
Create the ideal scene for the future of your organization. What skills would your employees or teams have? How do your employees or team members communicate information? Who would you delegate decisions to? How would you measure talent and performance? How would you reward that talent?
Communicate to your employees or team. Recruit people who will live the change in your ideal scene. The change you seek lives in the details of your workplace and team. Ask yourself what, if any, barriers are preventing your team or organization from enacting behaviors contributing to the ideal scene?
Rethink your work environment. How does your work environment need to change to promote new behaviors? Remember, change is an iterative process.
Situational leadership is a proponent of developing your change management skill and improving your emotional intelligence. You can lead successful change in your organization!