Lessons from situational theory

Contingency theory continues to generate considerable focus within a head hunting industry that matches leaders with challenges, but the theory has received “mixed results” and limited empirical support (Pierce & Newstrom, 2008; Yukl, 2010). Most contemporary leadership theories consider contingency as a critical aspect of leadership. Still, theorists tend to disagree on the specifics of a contingency approach (Jex, 2002). Critical levels of disagreement include the aspects that a leader should assess and the level of adaptability the leader can or should have. For example, Fielder (1979) proposed that leaders have a pre-determined leadership style that cannot change, so a leader with the right style should be matched to the situation. In contrast, Hersey and Blanchard (1988) propose that behavior is malleable, meaning that a leader can modify personal behaviors to match the situation.

During my undergraduate days, I obtained a supervisor job on a construction site. I had just finished an undergraduate leadership course. I was looking forward to practicing the democratic leadership style that I was sure would be the most effective way of getting people to follow me willingly. I would set the example and give others the choice of how they would follow. I would never yell; I would always be supportive. In other words, I would be the ideal servant leader who I thought I had always wanted.

When my boss saw that my group was accomplishing little, he started throwing people against the wall while screaming orders and making threats to people's lives. Before he left, he pulled me aside and said, “You can’t let up on these [expletives] for a second. They’re here to get paid, not to work—they will do as little as you let them. If you want to get anything done, you have to be a [expletive]. If you can’t whip them into action, you’re fired.”

I learned a hard lesson in situational leadership: the democratic leadership style was entirely ineffective on that construction site. The nature of the work and the workers required a more assertive, hands-on approach with which I was uncomfortable. However, I was able to adapt my behavior to fit the needs of the situation.

I don’t think I became the [expletive] that my boss said I needed to be, but I was able to change my approach in a way that led my group to achieve its requirements. The critical lesson from situational leadership theory here is that effective leadership requires the ability to assess and understanding contextual dynamics against the needs of the organization to apply an approach that addresses the willingness and ability of the followers to work together to accomplish goals.

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