According to one author, the situational theory of leadership suggests that no s

Question

According to one author, the situational theory of leadership suggests that no single leadership style is "best." Instead, it all depends on the situation at hand and which type of leadership and strategies are best-suited to the task. According to this theory, the most effective leaders are those that are able to adapt their style to the situation and look at cues such as the type of task, the nature of the group, and other factors that might contribute to getting the job done (Cherry, 2017). According to Northouse (2016), this approach has both a directive and supportive dimension. The trick is knowing when to apply the appropriate approach.

Question:

For this discussion, in your own words, state what you believe situational leadership is and is not. Secondly, identify a real-world healthcare example of when a leader would use the direct approach and then the supportive approach of this style. Comment on some of the pros and cons of this style of leadership. Lastly, do you feel that you would work better with this type of leader as opposed to another type? Why or why not?

Explanation / Answer

State what you believe situational leadership is and is not.

Situational leadership refers to leader's ability to adapt his/ her style based on the demand of the situation. Under this leadership model, the leader first identifies and understands the situation they are trying to influence. Then he/ she adjust the behavior based on the needs of the situation. Third, they will communicate with the person in a manner that can be easily perceived and understood. Finally, he/ she will manage the movement. Situational leadership always considers the level of acceptability of the follower and on the basis of that selects the appropriate leadership modes (delegating, participating, selling, and telling).

Identify a real-world healthcare example of when a leader would use the direct approach and then the supportive approach of this style.

Consider a person who is in nursing. He is constantly performing poor for the last few appraisal period. The nursing head of the department should first direct him to perform a certain task. Note that initially, the person will suffer a complete lack of confidence and he will not be able to accept any participative or supportive role from the leader. The department head should specify the tasks and the manner they should be completed. Upon doing these tasks, the person will get confidence. Then the department head will alter his style to a supportive style and let the staff act autonomously in the nursing department. In this manner, the growth of the person can be planned.

Comment on some of the pros and cons of this style of leadership.

The primary advantage of situational leadership is that it is very flexible and can be adaptive to almost all types of challenges a manager can face. This makes this a powerful model in spite of having an intuitive appeal and being very simple to understand. The cons include the short-term focus. The leader will adapt to the situation's demand and hence the long-term objective of the organization may not be met. For the same reason, it may make the company's culture weaker. Furthermore, though it is simpler to understand and explain, it may not be very easy to apply. Because the leader, as a single person, may not be able to adapt to the situational needs of all the types.

Do you feel that you would work better with this type of leader as opposed to another type? Why or why not?

It may be relaxing working with a situational leader because the model itself is follower-focused. It adapts to the particular level of the follower and thus the followers get adequate support. So, this particular model can be better than any other model of leadership.

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