3.2 Discussion: Contingency Leadership in Action
Contingency Leadership in Action
Leadership entails finding unique ways to adapt to situations and offering direction when things get tough. Therefore, creative leaders adjust their leadership style to fit a situation and look for ways to get the job done depending on the nature of the team and type of task (Northouse, 2021). I credit our managing director at the clinic where I work as a mental health specialist as a leader who adjusts their style to adapt to the situation. She has high assertiveness and high expressiveness, which makes her lead by inspiring. She utilizes both path-goal and transformational approaches of leadership.
Using the path-goal approach, she complements the workers and compensates for their deficiencies, in addition to helping us attain desirable objectives through guidance, coaching, and direction (Famakin, & Abisuga, 2016). She has embraced an open-door approach to leadership since the day she joined the organization. During the coronavirus pandemic, the managing director assisted us to overcome obstacles and the uncertainties that arose, for example, working with clients over Zoom videos. She gave us a clear path which we followed to meet team goals.
Additionally, the managing director uses transformational leadership approach when she wants us to try new techniques in the healthcare organization to ensure its ongoing success. When we lack creative problem-solving abilities due to changes in work expectations and environment, she organizes workshops for us to promote innovative thinking and spur problem solving (Phillips, & Phillips, 2016). Whenever we are faced with change, she presents a clear vision, lays out the required actions, and helps us overcome issues.
The combination of path-goal and transformational approaches to leadership have been effective as far as meeting difficult objectives in our workplace are concerned. These approaches help our managing director adapt to situations and gain a clear idea of what tasks entail to ascertain of they can be competently accomplished (Robbins, & Judge, 2019). Adjusting to circumstances increases the level of authority the leader has over employees in our workplace.
References
Famakin, I. O., & Abisuga, A. O. (2016). Effect of path-goal leadership styles on the commitment of employees on construction projects. International Journal of Construction Management, 16(1), 67-76.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.
Phillips, A. S., & Phillips, C. R. (2016). Behavioral styles of path-goal theory: An exercise for developing leadership skills. Management Teaching Review, 1(3), 148-154.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational behavior (18th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
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