Introduction
There are many approaches to leadership. Some models have a wider scope, for instance the transactional leadership model, while others focus on specific aspects of leadership as seen in the situational leadership model. Leadership is a challenging concept, leaders have to try different models before settling on one that works best for the organization. Both universal model and situational model of leadership have been applied in different leadership areas, they have some similarities and differences that make them applicable to different environments.
The Universal Model
The universal model of leadership created by Anderson & Adams (2016) explains how effective leadership is developed. The universal model is made up of five stages to guide progressive leadership development: egocentric, reactive, creative, integral and unitive. Each stage is different from the other, with more maturity to help in the creation of a high performing leadership style.
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The universal model is conceptualized in the form of a circle, with vertical and horizontal axis dividing the model into four quadrants. The vertical axis represents the leader’s development, whereas the horizontal axis defines the leadership tasks and relationship. Anderson & Adams (2016) assert that a leader’s effectiveness can be explained through two variables- how well they manage tasks and how well they manage relationships.
The four quadrants of the universal model are: people creative, task creative, people reactive and task reactive (Anderson & Adams, 2016). A leader can manage creatively by engaging and empowering in order to bring out the best in people. Alternatively, a leader can manage reactively by focusing on the bottom line, controlling people and driving the organization to achieve its goals despite the limits.
Source: Anderson & Adams (2016)
The universal model circle is further subdivided to create leadership circle profile (LCP). LCP is a 360 assessment framework used to evaluate the effectiveness of the leader in relation to the universal model. The outer circle of the LCP is made up of 18 key creative leadership competencies relating to leadership effectiveness and business performance, while the outer circle of the bottom half of the circle is made up of 11 reactive leadership styles that inhibit leadership effectiveness and business performance.
Anderson & Adams (2016) created the optimal leadership profile after interviewing over 50,000 managers across the globe on the kind of leadership that would allow the organization to thrive. The optimal leadership style is one that is highly creative, with a balanced task-relationship capability. The optimal leadership style must have low Reactive scores on the LCP.
The Situational Model
The situational model is based on the situational leadership theory developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in 1977. The situational leadership theory was initially based on two continuums, supervision and arousal (Hersey & Blanchard, 1979). Supervision refers to the process of directing an employee’s skills and knowledge in the right manner to avoid under supervision or over supervision, whereas, arousal is the process of supporting an employee’s skill in the right way to inspire the employee to learn. The leader must apply the right amount of supervision and arousal based on the ability and willingness of an employee to carry out a certain task.
Blachard later revised the model by providing the framework to guide supervision and arousal to produce the best learning and development environment. The revised model is shown in the figure below:
Source: Hersey & Blanchard (1979)
The situational model is a four-step model made up of the following concepts: directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. Directing is about providing the right direction to the follower through provision of the right amount of supervision and arousal. The leader must be careful not to overwhelm the follower through too much supervision and arousal. The second step in the model is coaching; a leader must learn to reduce the amount of supervision, and increase support to inspire employees to learn on their own through trial and error. Coaching is the provision of the necessary emotional support to encourage employees to go on despite failure.
The third step is supporting, in this step, the leader must reduce supervision and arousal more. The leader will not direct nor encourage employee behavior to give employees some form of autonomy. At this stage, employees learn to be self-supporting. The last stage is about delegating, the leader will give the employee more responsibilities, and only provide direction and support when needed (Hesey & Blanchard, 1979).
Comparing and Contrasting Universal model with Situational Model
There are notable similarities between the Universal and the Situational models of leadership. Landis et al. (2014) asserts that the models created years ago such as the Situational model continue to provide an important blueprint for the current leadership model. Hence, the first similarity between the two models is that they are both founded notion that leadership is a multi-step process. In the Universal model, there is the 4-quadrant that makes up optimal leadership. The leader can either be task creative, people creative, task reactive or people reactive. In the situational model, there are the four stages of leadership. Each step plays a role in the success of the leader and the organization. Anderson & Adams (2016) suggest that the development of effective leadership is a long-term project, whereby the leader becomes an extraordinary person in the process. The leadership development process is long-term and systematic, just like in the four stages of the situational model where a leader directs and arouses employees to be self-reliant.
Another similarity between the two models is that the creative quadrant in the Universal model borrows heavily from the four-stages of the Situational model. Leaders who manage relationships bring people on board to facilitate systemic improvement. Creative leaders engage, empower and use the right kind of supervision to avoid over-controlling employees. The Situational leader directs, coaches, supports and delegates- all these are the principles that guide a creative leader in the Universal model.
The universal model also focuses on the importance of relationships, which is the main aim of the situational model. In the universal model, a leader can either be people creative or people reactive, depending on the leadership style chosen. A people creative leader takes time to build strong relationships with employees through engagement, and providing direction and support when necessary. The four stages of the situational model are about building better relationships with employees with the aim of creating self-sustaining employees that do not rely on leaders for direction and motivation.
However, there are a number of differences between the two models. The universal model is task and relationship-oriented, whereas the situational model is primarily relationship-oriented. The two quadrants in the universal model focus on task, a leader can either be task creative or task reactive. A task creative leader is purpose driven and vision-oriented. The leader will focus on the creation of strategies, and effectively execute the strategies to improve the organization’s performance. A task creative leader must apply people-creative strategies to be an effective leader. The main focus of the situational model is relationships (people). The situational model is made up of four-stages aimed at improving the relationship between the leader and the employees. Though, the situational model touches on task, its main focus is on the people.
Secondly, the universal model is based on the premise of standardization whereas the situational model is based on adaptation. Anderson & Adams (2016) created the model after interviewing 50,000 global leaders on the best leadership strategies in order to come up with a standard to guide leadership. Anderson & Adams (2016) believe that the concepts of the universal model can be applied to any organization uniformly despite the different conditions. On the other hand, the situational model encourages leaders to be adaptable. The four stages of the situational model can be applied anyhow depending on the organization’s environment, such that the leader does not have to start in the first step. The situational model acknowledges that organizational tasks and environments are unique; hence leaders must focus more on people. Leaders should direct and support employees to enable them to deal with the unique challenges of the organization.
In conclusion, both universal and situational leadership models have their advantages and disadvantages. The universal model focuses on both task and relationships, making it a comprehensive model. Universal model will help leaders navigate the difficult role of managing tasks. On the other hand, the situational model focuses on people. Employees are the most important resource in an organization, and adaptable and self-sustaining employees are more likely to succeed even in a challenging environment. Leaders can learn a lot from both models before settling on a model that will address their unique organizational needs best.
References
Anderson, R. J., & Adams, W. A. (2016). Mastering Leadership: An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Natemeyer, W. E. (1979). Situational leadership, perception, and the impact of power. Group & Organization Studies , 4 (4), 418- 428.
Landis, E. A., Hill, D., & Harvey, M. R. (2014). A synthesis of leadership theories and styles. Journal of Management Policy and Practice , 15 (2), 97.
