A common concern about focusing on leadership traits or behaviors is that, while these might matter, researchers have not successfully identified the traits and behaviors that universally apply. Decades after identifying the traits of effective leaders, Stogdill (1948) acknowledged the problems with traits theory by concluding, “A person does not become a leader by virtue of possession of some combination of traits” (p. 76). Similarly, a problem with identifying the ideal behavior and the best style for effective leadership is that people and situations continually change; what works in one situation might not work in another.

Situational theories emerged to explain how different situations required different leadership styles. Albert Murphy (1941) argued that emphasizing the individual as a leader was the main fault of most leadership studies. To Murphy, understanding leadership requires studying the situation with a sociological, not psychological approach. “Leadership does not reside in the person. It is a function of the whole situation” (674).

The situation calls for certain types of action; the leader does not inject leadership but is the instrumental factor through which the situation is brought to the solution” (674). From this perspective, the situation defines the leader, and the leader fills the need of the situation. Leadership emerges when an individual meets the needs of the situation. Understanding leadership as a process emphasizes the fluidity of dynamic situations in which the components of leadership change with the situation.

In this section, I will review the assumptions, applications, and limitations of foundational situational theories, including Fielder’s (1964) contingency theory, House’s path-goal theory (1974), and Hersey and Blanchard’s (Hersey & Blanchard, 1988) situational theory. Next, I will consider Kerr and Jermier’s (1974) substitutes for leadership theory, which attempts to explain the situational factors that mitigate or need for leadership effectiveness. I will conclude by analyzing a personal experience that demonstrates applied contingency theory concepts.