Situational Models of Leadership in Examples

There are several situational models of leadership, but one of the earliest and influential models is Fiedler’s contingency model of leadership. Other influential models are the path-goal theory and Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory.

According to Fiedler’s contingency model of leadership, the affectability of a leader in a given situation is guided by three primary factors. The first is the power position of the leader. The second is the task situation, and the third is the fundamental interpersonal relationship between the members of the group with the leader. Such situational leadership was seen when a manager of HDFC carried out an ad campaign in 2005 with a very tight deadline and successfully completed it as stated in this model.

The second is Path-goal theory which means that leader must hold the authority to assign a task and look over the execution of the task. It includes the ability to punish an individual if the execution is not carried out in an effective manner. An agent of HDFC was given a difficult target during 2007, but his method of work following this path of leadership made it possible for the agent and the associates.

The third model, Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory, means that the task assigned is a well-formulated and agreed-upon job, which, during formulation, was evaluated to be completed on a given parameter. Alongside, it is also seen that the leader is well communicative and accepted within the group, making the leader a popular source of inspiration. In 2008, in the midst of a credit crunch, an investment banker formulated a well-defined module that instigated the clients to invest and take advantage of the grim situation. The group was made to understand and execute the client influencing methods using this module. This became a huge success.