Situational and contingency leadership

Situational and contingency theories of leadership emerged as an evolution of the trait and behavioral approaches, recognizing that leadership effectiveness depends not solely on the characteristics of the leader or his or her behaviors, but on the interaction among the leader, the followers, and the particular situation in which the leadership is exercised.

Fundamental Premise: The Importance of Context

The central idea of these theories is that there is no single "best" leadership style that is effective in all circumstances.

Instead, the most appropriate and effective leadership style varies with the situation.

Leaders must be able to adapt their behavior to the demands of the specific context, including the nature of the task, the characteristics of the followers, and other environmental factors.

Fiedler's Contingency Model

One of the earliest and best-known contingency models was the one proposed by Fred Fiedler.

This model suggests that group effectiveness depends on a match between the leader's style (task- or relationship-oriented, as measured by the Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC) scale) and the degree to which the situation gives the leader control and influence.

Fiedler argued that task-oriented leaders are most effective in highly favorable or highly unfavorable situations, whereas relationship-oriented leaders are most effective in moderately favorable situations.

Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory

Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory focuses on followers' maturity or readiness level as the primary situational factor determining the most effective leadership style.

They propose four leadership styles (directive, persuasive, participative, and delegating) that should be applied depending on the level of competence and follower commitment.

For example, with immature followers (low competence and low commitment), a more directive style is recommended.