Using the four leadership styles of the situational leadership model to improve followers' effectiveness
https://ilokabenneth.blogspot.com/2014/10/using-four-leadership-styles-of.html
Author: Iloka Benneth Chiemelie
Published: 15-October-2014
Introduction
The
most important contingency factor in development of followers, and tis involves
developing followers’ capabilities for the present as well as enhancing these
capabilities for future use when the need for such arises. Thus, this paper
seeks to understand the development process for followers and how these
followers can be made more effective.
2. Lining
the four leadership styles of the situational leadership model with the leader behaviors.
Development
revolves around the idea of current follower capabilities or readiness. The
idea of readiness is conceptualized from situational leadership model. (Hersey et al., 2001). The situational leadership model
does offer four leadership styles that are influenced by differences in the
volume of designated tasks and relationship behavior. These four constructs
include telling (characterized by high task on the side of leader and low level
of relationship with followers), participating (characterized by low task from
the side of leader and high relationship with followers), selling
(characterized by high task from the side of the leader and high relationship
with followers), and delegating (characterized by low task from the side of the
leader and low level of relationship with the followers). Thus, it as a
follower’s readiness increases from low to high, the leader’s task moves from
telling to delegating (Hersey et al., 2001).
This can be linked to leader behavior as:
1. S1 (Directing style):
in this type of leadership, the leader makes the whole command while the
follower just acts. It is the same as telling in the situational leadership
above. It is most appropriate in cases where the followers has low confidence
with the task and needs extra hands to produce quality as needed.
2. The S2 (Coaching style):
in this type of leadership, the leader offer high support and collaboration
with the follower and it is the same as selling as both the leader and follower
work for common goal and follower’s confidence with designated task increases. This
is most applicable for skills enhancement stages.
3. S3 (Supporting style)
as the follower becomes more advanced, the leader has little to do in this type
of leadership and just provides support when needed by the follower. This is
similar with participating in the situational leadership model above. This is
more applicable in innovation and creativity.
4. The S4 (Delegating style):
this is the most advanced form of leadership as it features advancement in
follower’s confidence to designated tasks, thus pushing the leader to allow him
or her necessary freedom to undertake tasks as needed. This is most applicable
in cases where followers are vast in experience with reference to their job.
3.
Influence
of examining such leadership style better understanding of the interaction
between leaders and followers
While
criticism has been levelled on situational leadership model, it should be noted
that it does influence the level of relationship between leaders and followers
(e.g., Hambleton & Gumbert, 1982; Norris &
Vecchio, 1992; Vecchio, 1987) by highlighting ready (confident) a
follower is to work and how a leader can improve (enhance skills, features,
traits etc.) such readiness to ensure increased productivity.
For
instance, when I first got my job, I was put through the whole stages.
Initially, my supervisor gave me a number of tasks (market development plan and
business remodeling plan) and direct me on what to do (telling). After doing
such, she also graded me in terms of how I performed and provided extra
guidance on how to improve my performance (selling), then she worked with me on
overtime for new projects to further enhance my skills and quality of the work
(participating). Presently, I am at the delegating stake because I have grown
in confidence to my work and now go through less supervision like I did during
my early days as a new entrant in the job.
4.
Conclusion
From
the above discussion, it can be seen that leadership style does have influence
on the development process of followers. Thus, in order to transform follower,
a good leader must understand his leadership style as well as the
characteristics of the follower in order to ensure shift from “telling” the
follower what to do to “delegating” the follower on what to do. In the end
success will bring about reduced work for the leader.
5.
Reference
Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H., & Johnson, D. E.
(2001). Management of organizational behavior: Leading human resources (8th
Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hambleton, R. K., & Gumpert, R. (1982). The
validity of Hershey and Blanchard’s theory of leader effectiveness. Group and
Organization Studies, 7, 225-242.
Norris, W. R., & Vecchio, R. P. (1992).
Situational leadership theory: A replication. Group and Organization
Management, 17, 331-342.
Vecchio, R. P. (1987). Situational leadership
theory: An evaluation of prescriptive theory. Journal of Applied Psychology,
72, 444-451.