Effective leadership is vital to the success of an organization. Leaders often communicate the message of the company, motivate the employees, and delegate various work assignments. The type of leadership used is dependent on the personality of the manager. Businesses can select a leader whose style coordinates with the needs of the company or get a manager who applies a personal style that is in line with the needs of the group or get managers who employ situational leadership that changes with the needs of the employee.
The Leadership Style Being Investigated
The specific leadership style that is being investigated is the situational leadership which is considered to be an adaptive leadership style. The strategy often encourages leaders to analyze the number of team members, weigh the various variables that are found in the workplace, and choose the appropriate leadership style that is in line with their circumstances and goals. Situational leadership is the best model for companies that are interested in developing workgroups and people, creating rapport and bringing the best in people, and is for those who use a common leadership style in all the units of the company. Situational leadership is considered to be flexible because it adapts to the current work environment and also the organizational needs. The leadership method is not based on the specific leadership skills, but the leader often modifies the management style so that it can suit the needs of the company. One of the main features of situational leadership is adaptability because leaders need to move from one leadership style to the next so that they can meet the changing needs of the employees and the company in general. The leaders need to have an insight so that they can understand when to change their style of management and the kind of leadership strategy that fits every paradigm.
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It is worth noting that situational leadership is different to other leadership styles because it includes various techniques. The style chosen by the company at any given time depends on the business environment and the commitment and competence of the followers. The main advantages of situational leadership that make it the best choice for the study is the fact that it is easy to use because when the leader has the correct style then he or she knows how to use it. In addition, the method is simple and it gives leaders the permission to change the management style when they need to. Finally, the method is appropriate because in most cases, leaders have the permission to change the management style as they see best. In other words, it considers the fact that situations depend on certain situations and aims at choosing the right leadership style for the right people.
How Situational Leadership Style Apply To Healthcare Environment
The healthcare industry is considered to be transitional and for this reason, there is a need for new leadership styles to be implemented to ensure that there are effective lead and management in the new paradigm. The introduction of new regulations, payment models, laws, and care coordination means that healthcare providers have to adjust to the way that they treat patients and also on how they work together. It is worth noting that the healthcare industry is much regulated and there have been some laws that have been implemented over the last few years, which has led to changes in the healthcare providers work within their organizations. In addition, the increase in the health care usage has put pressure on the current infrastructure and thus needs new management technique that would help in leading teams through the transition.
Situational leadership indicates that there is no single leadership style that is able to work in every situation. According to the study by Rokstad (2015), there are four sets of leadership behavior that include coaching in which case the leader mainly listens to and then considers that feelings of the followers. The second set of leadership is directing where the leader applies the one-way-communication with the aim of giving detailed instructions. The third set is supporting where the main control of the daily decision-making process goes to the assistants. The last set of leadership behavior that is outlined by the situational leadership is delegation where the assistant is given the responsibility to make the decisions and implement the actions. Situational leadership is often applied in a healthcare environment, especially in nursing homes where it integrates leadership thinking with person-centeredness so that it can effectively impact the performance of the staff when delivering the person-centered care. A combination of the main components of the person-centered nursing framework and situational leadership results in four main approached for leadership in the healthcare environment. The first approach is developing a mutual vision that is in person-centeredness and finding the crucial outcomes. The second approach is focusing on the effects of the context and trying to find out the situational conditions that have an influence on delivering care to patients in practice. The third approach involves matching the leadership style to the level of development of the assistant through the use of supportive and directive behaviors (Rokstad, 2015) . The fourth approach involves changing the flexibility of the leadership behavior to make sure that it takes the assistant through all the levels from the beginner to the committed and competent carer.
How to Implement the Leadership Style in the Medical Department
Leadership is considered to be vital in making sure that there is proper implementation of the nursing practice. In nursing, it is vital to understand the type of leadership that is needed in every situation that the leader finds him-self in. It means that the clinical nurse needs to have an effective leadership style that is best in the situation that is presented when they are performing their function so that they can achieve the objectives that are required in the care of the patient and also the family (Lynch, 2011) . The way in which the nurse manager leads the staff has an effect that can lead to a far-reaching effect of the operation of a specified healthcare organization. The personal style of leadership of a manager has a big impact on vital aspects of the workplace such as morale and productivity.
The situational leadership style is often implemented by nurses in person-centered culture framework. The model often combines person-centeredness together with leadership thinking with the aim of having an effective impact on the performance of the staff as they are delivering the person-centered culture. Situational leadership often argues that there is no one style of leadership that works in every situation and outlines four leadership behaviors that include directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating and combining the key components that are found in person-centered nursing framework and situational leadership results, in the four main approach to leadership. The approached include developing a common vision and identifying the vital outcomes, focusing on the effects of the context, matching the style of leadership and the level of development, and changing the flexibility of leadership behavior.
Situational leadership in nursing suggests that the leaders need to choose to coach , delegating, directing, or supporting strategy that fits the competence and development levels of the nurse. For example, the nurses who are found in the hospital area and also in the intensive care units often use the guide leadership style to make sure that all the guidelines are followed. Other leadership styles that are often used by nurses include the participative style and then the manager-style. According to a study by Torres-Contreras (2013), the participatory leadership style is common in the intensive care units.
Reflection
Leadership is considered to be the behavior that is seen among individuals when they are directing the activities of a team so as to achieve shared goals. The main aspect of leadership includes influencing people and coping with the changes that might be faced in the process. Situational leadership is beneficial because it involves choosing the right style of leadership for the right people.
It is personally the best fit because of the fact that it results in higher performance and efficiency. In this case, employees are often more efficient and perform highly in cases where their leader has the ability to understand and identifies the mindset, readiness, and willingness of the followers towards a task and adjust the leadership approach towards them accordingly. Choosing the right style for the followers according to a given situation often helps in getting the highest level of performance from them in the expected time, making the followers more efficient. The leadership style is also the best fit for me because it ensures that there is loyalty from the followers. Often, the level of loyalty is affected by the emotions of the individuals. When the leader identifies, guides, trusts, supports, and appreciates the followers using the right method of leadership, they often feel that they are bonded towards the leader and the results are often a stronger loyal attachment towards them.
Situational leadership style is also the best fit for me personally because of the fact that it results in cost reductions. In many cases, situational leadership cuts cost in a vital way especially when it ensures that there is increased efficiency in the output of the followers. In this case, it means that there are savings from the amount of wastage that would have been earned if the employees are not motivated and thus are not efficient. It also automatically saves the company the extra cost of replacing the wasted materials. The leadership style increases efficiency in implementing a task through the provision of the correct amount of direction and making sure that work is done in the expected time.
Conclusion
Effective leadership is vital to the success of an organization. Leaders often communicate the message of the company, motivate the employees, and delegate various work assignments. The type of leadership used is dependent on the personality of the manager. Situational leadership is the best model for companies that are interested in developing workgroups and people, creating rapport and bringing the best in people, and is for those who use a common leadership style in all the units of the company. Situational leadership is considered to be flexible because it adapts to the current work environment and also the organizational needs. A combination of the main components of the person-centered nursing framework and situational leadership results in four main approached for leadership in the healthcare environment. From the analysis of situational leadership, I personally think that it is the best fit for me because of the fact that it results in higher performance and efficiency. Situational leadership style is also the best fit for me personally because of the fact that it results in cost reductions.
References
Lynch, B., Et. Al. (2011). Development of a model of situational leadership in residential care for older people. Journal of Nursing Management , Pp. 1058–1069.
Rokstad, A. M. (2015). The role of leadership in the implementation of person-centered care using Dementia Care Mapping: a study in three nursing homes. Journal of Nursing Management , Pp. 15–26.
Torres-Contreras, C., C. (2013). Situational leadership in nursing in a health institution in Bucaramanga, Colombia. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health , Pp. 140-147.
